Bishop Francis Umao celebrates his “jubilee life” in Gulu

Christians of True Gospel Church Outreach in Laroo-Waitangi, Laroo-Pece Division, Gulu City, on Wednesday, April 15, 2026, celebrated 26 years of their founder Bishop Francis Umao’s “jubilee life” – a milestone he is using to drive community empowerment through practical preaching and projects.

Born in 1974 in Oruka village (then part of Amuru district, now in Nwoya district), Francis Umao Ojera committed his life to Jesus Christ on April 15, 2000, after overcoming a series of personal challenges.

He began his spiritual journey as an altar server in the Holy Spirit Movement, which was active in his area during the northern insurgency.

Accordingly, between 1988 and 1989, he lived with his aunt in Cetkana before later settling in Gulu Town.

During this period, Umao received US Dollar 3,500 from a foreigner who asked him to seek out Joseph Kony and learn about his spiritual influence. However, when he attempted to exchange the money at a bank, he was reported to government soldiers leading to years of surveillance and six separate arrests.

He later joined Mamiyo Outreach Ministry under Pastor Okere. By 2006, he had established several churches, which he eventually handed over to the Anglican Church and the Pentecostal Assemblies of God before founding True Gospel Outreach Church in 2016.

Speaking at the church headquarters, Bishop Umao said the ministry is built on five core pillars: the gospel, family, truth, relationships, friendship, and hard work.

He further added that the church is currently implementing community-focused projects in agriculture, business, education, health, and Savings and Credit Cooperative Organizations (SACCOs).

As he marked 26 years in ministry, Umao urged church leaders to focus on empowering their congregants rather than prioritizing financial contributions.

He noted that the church runs a SACCO that provides interest-free loans to trusted members engaged in business and agriculture.

In addition, beneficiaries are allowed to use the funds and repay after every three months, voluntarily and without pressure and the initiative is funded through members’ offerings and tithes.

To further support livelihoods, the church has launched a piggery project in Paicho Sub-County, starting with seven pregnant sows.

According to the offer, members can receive one sow on condition that they share a female piglet with another member and after retaining one female piglet, beneficiaries return the mother sow and remaining piglets to the church for redistribution to other ready members and the initiative aims to expand economic opportunities among members.

Additionally, the church is in the process of establishing a free school to address illiteracy and support children from low-income families and this is a bid to improve educational structures in the Acholi sub-region, “as we lost it during the insurgency.”

Collins Opiyo, an evangelist at the church, said these projects have been well received and are tailored to meet members’ needs compared to before.

“We have a church SACCO called Dero Kwo Lou (Life Pool) to support members at a zero interest rate, while for non-members we give a lower interest of 5 per cent,” Opiyo noted.

“But our target is to empower the lives of our believers, as they are the ones giving offerings to support the running of the church,” he added.

Opiyo further noted that the reason for giving free loans without interest is that members usually give offerings to the church and always participate in church activities.

“About 10 members have so far benefited from this SACCO; however, none of the outside members have shown interest in getting loans, but we continue to welcome them to get loans at the lower interest rate,” he noted.

Esther Apiyo, a widow who also serves as church treasurer, received 300,000 shillings to support her soft-broom business.

She made a profit of 200,000 shillings per buying cycle, a flexible business compared to other lending schemes. It is helping her pay school fees for her children.

Apiyo further advised all believers to take interest in such free loan opportunities rather than going for quick loans that put you under pressure to pay back.

“This will help yield fruits of development at the household level and will help you build a strong belief in Jesus Christ,” she noted.