The Special Presidential Assistant on the Informal Sector, Ian Gumisiriza Jeremiah, has called on Christians to harness the power of unity, cooperation and collective investment as a pathway to economic transformation for families, communities and the nation at large.
Gumisiriza made the remarks today at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds, where he was the Chief Guest at the national launch of Stewards of Grace Africa Mission, an initiative committed to the holistic transformation of communities through programmes that address their spiritual, social, economic and environmental needs.
He challenged Christians to go beyond spiritual fellowship and embrace economic cooperation by building businesses, saving, investing and creating wealth together.
“For many years, we have prayed together, worshipped together, fasted together, praised God together and supported one another during difficult times. But can we also begin to build businesses together, save money together, invest together and create wealth together?” he asked.
He observed that the Church has enormous potential to become more than a place of spiritual nourishment, arguing that it can also serve as a platform where believers acquire business knowledge, financial discipline, economic opportunities and partnerships that enable them to become financially independent.
Drawing inspiration from the Bible, particularly Ecclesiastes 4:9-10, which states that “two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow,” Gumisiriza emphasised that cooperation is a principle established by God.
He explained that individuals often possess different resources, skills and abilities which, when combined, can create opportunities for meaningful economic progress.
“One person may have an idea but lack money. Another may have money but lack business knowledge. Another may have land but lack the capital to develop it. Another may have experience in marketing, accounting or management,” he explained.
He noted that while individuals may face limitations when operating independently, bringing together their different strengths, resources and experiences can create stronger and more sustainable business ventures.
“We do not always need more money individually,sometimes we need better organisation of the resources we already have collectively and imagine what disciplined people like you can accomplish with resources.”Gumisiriza stated
He stressed that collective action, trust and shared responsibility can help believers overcome financial challenges while unlocking opportunities for wealth creation.
He further encouraged the Church to embrace a culture of working together, noting that economic empowerment requires deliberate efforts, strategic partnerships and a willingness to support one another.
“God can begin with what we already have rather than what we wish we had.sometimes we spend too much time looking at what we don’t have like capital,opportunities but we have people,skills,knowledge and ideas. But have you ever asked yourself what would happen if we brought these resources together?he added
He said that when Christians begin to translate their shared faith into economic cooperation, they can build stronger families, prosperous communities and contribute significantly to the country’s broader economic transformation agenda.
During the same event,two great innovations;Connecta, a Ugandan developed social media platform and SAMsave, an application to help members save money easily were also launched.
Rooted in Christian values and the philosophy of grace,Stewards of Grace Missions Africa empowers local communities to become stewards of their own development while extending dignity,care and opportunity to the most vulnerable members of society.
Under the stewardship of Prince Edward Macmare,the initiative has a growing network of more than one hundred and seventy thousand church leaders whose congregational reach is estimated to be over four million nine hundred and fifty thousand believers.
