Name: Pr. Edwin and Evelyn Onen | Church: Kitgum Bible Community Church | District: Kitgum (northern Uganda)
The Catalyst: Church Planter Training
In 2018, when the Church Planter Training program was rolled out in Gulu District — located 133km from Kampala city center — Pr. Edwin Onen stepped up as the coordinator and a faithful man of peace.
The Calling to Kitgum
Following his equipping, Edwin sensed a clear call from God to bring the gospel to Kitgum. In 2021, he requested his pastor and home church to release him and his wife, Evelyn, to pursue this call. Upon being released, the couple relocated 104km from Gulu to Kitgum town.
The Need and the Harvest
Kitgum is a region that has faced historic hardships and remains in deep spiritual need, requiring grounded leaders and established fellowships to guide communities toward healing, discipleship, and hope. Responding to this vast need, Edwin and Evelyn began by holding services under a tree in Kitgum town.
Their pioneering faith birthed Kitgum Bible Community Church in 2022. By July 2022, they had also launched the Alive Gospel Network Ministries, an umbrella under which they established holistic programs for children, youth, discipleship, and evangelism — expanding their reach to include children and youth outreach, discipleship and evangelism programs, and specialized ministry training programs.
The Training Hub
Recognizing the massive need for local leadership, Pr. Onen transformed his church office into an active training ground to multiply church planters. He took the initiative to establish a discipleship center where he now trains potential church planters, pastors, and youth and children's workers.
Their tireless work recently culminated in a brand-new church plant in May 2026 — Alive Community Church, which began as a small home cell group before blossoming into a fully-fledged congregation.
The Way Forward
This program has been a catalyst for raising and equipping many local leaders who understand the cultural and spiritual landscape of their communities. Pr. Edwin Onen's story is a beautiful testament to how targeted leadership and church planter training can multiply Kingdom impact. His journey from a small home group to a multiplying network demonstrates the power of investing in local leaders.
Programs like this equip ordinary believers to bring sustainable, community-wide transformation to under-resourced and remote areas. The continued support and expansion of this training program remain vital to identifying, equipping, and empowering more leaders like Pr. Onen across the region. It's therefore imperative that this vital program is carried on so that more leaders can be equipped for the harvest.
I am so grateful for the program. It gave me a sense of purpose and vision for my life. Today, I pastor a church I planted as a result of this training.
The church office became our training ground where I trained potential church planters, pastors, youth and children's workers. Our labor in the Lord is starting to pay off.