Loren Cunningham (1935 – 2023)

Yali Ani?

Loren Duane Cunningham yazaalibwa nga 30 Jjuuni 1935 mu kibuga Taft, mu California, ekyali kigaggawalidde ku mafuta, mu maka agaalimu ababuulizi b’Ekikristaayo okumala emirembe n’emirembe. Okuva mu buto bwe, okusaba n’okukkiriza byalukibwa mu bulamu bwe. Bazadde be baali babuulizi ba Assemblies of God abaali bakulembera mu kwesiga Katonda okw’enkomeredde.

Mu Jjuuni 1956, ng’alina emyaka abiri, Cunningham yali afukamidde ng’asaba mu maka g’omuminsani mu Bahamas, ng’asaba Katonda obubaka bw’anaabuulira akawungeezi ako, n’alaba okwolesebwa okw’ekitalo. Yalaba maapu y’ensi ng’ejjudde obulamu, amayengo nga gakuba ku ssemazinga ne gafuuka abavubuka — enkumi n’enkumi z’abavubuka abasajja n’abakazi okuva mu buli ggwanga, nga bagenda mu buli ggwanga, nga babuulira Enjiri. Teyamanya ngeri ya kukutegeeramu wadde eky’okukukolera, naye n’akuwandiika.

Emyaka ena oluvannyuma, mu 1960, Cunningham n’atandika Youth With A Mission (YWAM) e Lausanne, mu Switzerland, ng’alina emyaka abiri mu ena, wamu ne mukyala we Darlene. YWAM yamenya enkola y’obuminsani ey’emyaka gya 1960 bwe yaaniriza abavubuka abataali baminsani ab’olubeerera okuweereza okumala ekiseera ekitono, nga tebasasulwa, nga tebeesiba ku kkanisa emu, ku ssemazinga yonna. Ekibiina kyakula mu bwangu obw’ekitalo.

Mu 1978, Cunningham yeegatta ku balala okutandika University of the Nations e Kailua-Kona, mu Hawaii. We yafiira nga 6 Okitobba 2023 ng’alina emyaka 88, YWAM yali ekuze okutuuka ku bakozi ab’ekiseera kyonna abasoba mu 20,000 okuva mu mawanga agasoba mu 150, nga baweereza mu bifo ebisoba mu 2,000 mu nsi 191. Cunningham ye muntu eyasooka mu byafaayo okutambula ku lw’Enjiri mu buli ggwanga eryetwala, buli nsi efugibwa endala, n’ebitundu ebisoba mu 100 ku nsi.

Essaala Ennene Eyaddibwamu

YWAM yakatandika, Cunningham yali yeetaaga faamu ebeere ekifo eky’olubeerera ekisooka eky’obuweereza obwali bukula. Teyalina ssente, teyalina muwagizi, era teyalina ssuubi lyonna lya ddala. N’akola kye yakolanga bulijjo: n’asaba. Awo, mu kukkiriza okuvumu, n’agenda ku katale k’enfuna n’agula omuzingo gwa waya ey’amaggwa, ekidomola ky’amata, n’ekigaali eky’essubi — ebintu bya faamu — nga faamu tennabaawo.

Abayizi be abato ne beewuunya. “Bino bya ki?” ne bamubuuza. “Katonda agenda kutuwa faamu ya YWAM,” bwe yabaddamu obwangu. Mangu ddala, omusajja n’ajja eri Cunningham n’agamba nti, “Njagala kukuwa faamu.” Yali faamu yennyini gye baali beetaaga. Faamu eyo yafuuka ekifo ekikulu eky’ekibiina kyonna mu nsi yonna, era byonna byatandikira mu kusaba n’okukkiriza.

Naye essaala esinga obunene eyaddibwamu mu bulamu bwa Cunningham kwe kutuukirizibwa kw’okwolesebwa okwa 1956 kwennyini. Yamala emyaka nkaaga mu musanvu ng’alaba okwolesebwa okwo nga kutuukirira — amayengo ku mayengo g’abavubuka okuva mu buli ggwanga nga bagenda mu buli ggwanga n’Enjiri ya Kristo. Yalaba obukadde n’obukadde bw’abavubuka nga bakuŋŋaanyizibwa olw’obuminsani okuyita mu YWAM, era n’afa ng’amanyi nti okwolesebwa kwali kukyagenda mu maaso.

Ebyawandiikibwa Ebikulu

Makko 16:15 (OLCB) — “Mugende mu nsi yonna mubuulire Enjiri eri abantu bonna.”

Yokaana 10:27 (OLCB) — “Endiga zange zitegeera eddoboozi lyange, era nzimanyi era zingoberera.”

Ebikolwa by’Abatume 13:2 (OLCB) — “Awo bwe baali nga basinza Mukama era nga bwe basiiba, Mwoyo Mutukuvu n’agamba nti, “Munjawulire Balunabba ne Sawulo olw’omulimu gwe mbayitidde.””

Ebigambo Bye ku Kusaba

“Okuwulira Katonda tekuzibu nnyo. Bwe tuba tumanyi Mukama, tuba tumaze okuwulira eddoboozi lye — kubanga okukulemberwa okw’omunda kwe kwatuleeta gy’ali okusooka. Naye tusobola okuwulira eddoboozi lye ne tusubwa ekisinga obulungi ky’atuteekeddeteekedde bwe tutagenda mu maaso n’okuwuliriza.”

“Okulungamizibwa okusooka kwe kubeera n’enkolagana n’Omulungamya.”

“Tusibira mu bibokisi byaffe — naye bwe tusaba nga tufulumye mu byo, ne tusaba Katonda, ebitasoboka BISOBOKA.”

“Twagoberera Emitendera Esatu egy’Okuwulira Katonda: Ogusooka, twakozesa obuyinza bwa Kristo okusirisa omulabe. Ogwokubiri, twasaba Mukama aggye mu birowoozo byaffe buli kye tuteebereza n’endowooza ze tulina edda. Ogwokusatu, twalindirira, nga tukkiriza nti ajja kwogera mu ngeri ne mu kiseera ye by’alonze.”

“Mukama ajja kutukulembera okutuuka ku buwanguzi, naye okutuuka ku buwanguzi kwennyini kye kiziyiza ekisinga obulabe okuwulira obulungi eddoboozi lya Katonda.”

Okusaba n’Ekigambo kya Katonda

“Abantu abamala obungi bwe baba ne Bayibuli ne bakozesa by’eyigiriza mu bulamu bwabwe, eggwanga likyuka. Ekitabo kino kye kisumuluzo kya buli kimu.”

“Kino kye kitegeeza okuwulira Katonda — okumumanya obulungi okusingawo. Okusaba okusinga si kakodyo ka kufuna bintu; lwe lulimi lw’enkolagana ne Kitaffe.”

Okusaba n’Omwoyo Omutukuvu

“Buli kutambula kwa Mwoyo okunene mu byafaayo kwe nnasoma kwatandika n’ebiseera eby’okwatula n’okwenenya okw’amaanyi. Amaanyi ga Katonda gafulumizibwa oluvannyuma lw’ekiseera eky’okulongoosebwa.”

“Buli lwe twatuukanga mu masaŋŋanzira mu kibiina, twasabanga okutuusa Omwoyo Omutukuvu lwe yayogeranga. Awo ne tugondera. Eyo ye ngeri yokka ey’okuzimba ekintu kyonna ekinaabeerera.”

“Okumanya Katonda n’okumumanyisa — kwe kuyitibwa kwa YWAM. Era okumanya Katonda, oteekwa okusaba.”