Teaching the Church
You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
(Titus 2:1)
In such a young country with children comprising more than 50% of the population, teaching is major business. Another 25% are youth, leaving only a small minority of adults to teach all these young people. When we turn to observe the doctrine and conduct of these few adults, more shockingly, just a small percentage can stand confident with moral authority to teach virtues. How can we then pass on sound doctrine to the generations to come? What we teach today is what our nation becomes tomorrow. Unfortunately, our children are exposed to all sorts of substitute teachers – they observe examples in the news, in the television and movies, in video games, in animated magazines, and many other media and technology overflows that the overwhelmed adults are not even aware of. Simply put, we have a crisis of good teachers.
St Paul taught in congregations and also mentored individuals, and clearly instructed his mentees to teach. Letters he wrote to Timothy and Titus have clear imperative commands to raise leaders by teaching them not just as consumers but as those who would in turn teach others. In Titus 2, he particularly speaks of sound doctrine, then goes on to list people groups who need specific teaching for purposes of maintaining the Word of God above reproach: older men, older women, younger women, younger men, slaves – all these have lessons to pick from Paul and Titus for purposes of living in such a way that the gospel becomes attractive to those among whom they interact, at home and at work.
President Museveni recently gave a lecture in Nairobi on bottlenecks to Africa’s development; he passionately advocated for integration into a larger market to support the increasing production; on another occasion in Tanzania, the President termed integration as a ‘matter of life and death’ to Africa. He was warmly applauded by his colleague presidents and his paper adopted for expansion into a blue-print to guide Africa’s development. While he continues to shine on the continental stage, Ugandan children can hardly understand his teachings because of the inadequate teachers as well as the noise of moral decadence and corruption that drowns down good ideas. Sound doctrine is therefore difficult to pass on to a generation that has only a handful of examples to emulate.
As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are called to teach the Church and to teach the nation; first by exemplary lives above reproach, and then with words that are sound doctrine. May the Lord increase determination and strength in you to teach and build the next generation for a better country here and for the Kingdom of God.
God bless you.