Randall Murphree

AFA Journal editor

September 2015 – A thousand bicycles for a thousand pastors is the goal of Pastor Nassan Ibrahim.

“It’s almost as if Pastor Nassan is giving these pastors new cars,” explains the narrator in a video report on the project.

Ugandan village pastors can expand their ministry by using the bicycles to travel the distant and challenging roads to evangelize and to minister to their parishioners in remote areas they serve.

One might think Ibrahim has more than enough work in his urban congregation to care about pastors in humbler settings. He is founder and senior pastor of Daystar Cathedral in Mbarara, the largest urban center in western Uganda. The city and surrounding area have a population of more than 400,000, and Daystar is currently constructing a facility to seat as many as 7,000.

Ibrahim wants Daystar to stand as a bold and visible witness to the power of Christ in this east Africa nation where almost all Christian churches are very small, extremely modest, and often the object of mockery and ridicule. He feels God’s call to help these village churches.

The AFA connection
Ibrahim, a former Muslim, also founded Grace Radio at 92.6 FM. AFA’s American Family Radio network was a piece of the puzzle that resulted in Grace going on the air in 2004.

Ibrahim recently visited AFA in Tupelo, Mississippi, to say thank you to AFA. In AFA staff devotions, he reflected on the unlikely path that first brought him to our door in 2003. At a men’s prayer group at First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, men asked how they could pray for him.

“The Ugandan people are very poor,” he explained. “Televisions are rare, but many have radios. I would like to start a Christian station, but it will cost $100,000. So I have given up.”

 “You need to go meet Don Wildmon,” one man declared. So FBC minister of missions Vial Fontenot brought the humble pastor to AFA. As they waited in a hallway, Bro. Don approached and asked, “How can I help you?”

“Well,” the pastor began, “I have a vision to start Christian radio in Uganda.”

“Do you have a hill to construct a tower?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You have government permits?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know what equipment you need?”

“Yes, sir.” The quiet-spoken Ibrahim pulled out his list.

“Come on in here and sit down.” Wildmon began looking over the list and checking the necessary items. “Yeah, you need this… don’t need this … gotta have this one. Do you have money to go on the air?”

“No, sir.”

“How much will it cost?”

“One hundred thousand, U.S.”

Don paused, then said quietly, “God has really blessed AFR, and I’ve been praying for an opportunity to help put Christian radio on the air in a Third World country.”

Not many days later, AFR devoted a day to raising money for Pastor Ibrahim’s Grace Radio. AFR listeners pledged more than the $100,000 goal, and Grace went on the air in Uganda in 2004.

Now, in 2015, Pastor Ibrahim said, “I had to come back to say thank you.” And, of course, AFR is now eager to put a spotlight on the pastor’s new project – 1,000 bicycles for 1,000 pastors to continue spreading the gospel across Uganda. 

American Family Radio will feature Pastor Ibrahim’s bicycles project on the air September 10. Listeners can make a gift to this ministry at nassanministries.org. A bicycle for a village pastor costs $120 to purchase and deliver, but a gift of any amount will help meet the need. Listen to AFR online at afr.net.

On a recent visit to AFA headquarters, Pastor Ibrahim (right) visited with AFA founder Don Wildmon.