We Thank God, for He has been so faithful

Pastor Reg Layzell wrote to the British Governor in Uganda requesting for permission to plant churches, train national pastors to preach the gospel and engage in missionary work. This request was referred to the Archbishop of the Anglican church of Uganda, which functioned at that time as a state Church, who advised against granting permission to a "Pentecostal" Church Missionary society. His position was later understood that Uganda was being Christianized by the Anglicans and Roman Catholics and that the introduction of ‘Pentecostals,' as he perceived them, would be divisive. So, the application was denied

Believing that they had received a Divine call to Uganda, Glad Tidings temple devoted to prayers and fasting for a divine intervention believing that the lord would ‘open the door' to Uganda.

God was at work to fulfill his purpose. While pioneering a church in Ontario, Canada, the church family had a surprise visit on a cold, snowy Saturday evening in January 1956 by Rev I.Q.Spenser, president and founder of Elim Missionary assemblies of Lima, New York. Pastor Layzell unveiled the vision for UGANDA which had recently been given to the church. Rev. Spenser agreed to sponsor the church to go to Kenya to work with the Elim Missionaries while they continued to pay for the door to Uganda.

The first group arrived in Mombassa, Kenya in December 1956. Pastor Reg Layzell, visited Mombasa first in December 1959 before traveling to Kampala, Uganda to speak with the British authorities there. Accompanied by Carlton Spenser, Chairman of Elim Missionary Assemblies, Pastor Reg was given an appointment with Sir Charles Hartwell, the acting Governor at the time. Following their conversation, he was instructed to send an application letter with a financial statement and state their objectives for beginning Mission work in Uganda. On his return to Vancouver he did this and in April, 1960 permits were granted for glad tidings to begin mission work in Uganda.

On May 1st, 1960, Glad Tidings Mission group arrived in Kampala, rented a house and began preaching the full gospel of Jesus Christ in open air market meetings. At the same time, Hugh engaged a lawyer to register the work under the name, Gospel Mission to Uganda, a non-profit incorporated company in Uganda, this being the only way a mission could be registered. The full gospel churches of Uganda was formed and registered later as a national organisation.

The first meeting was held at Nakawa under a mango tree and another at Kabaka anjagala in Mengo. At Nakawa, many people came out of curiosity, to see and hear a white man preaching in the open air, something very unusual then in Kampala. A Congolese man whose wife had been dump for four year and witchcraft was proved futile, when he heard the preaching he invited the missionaries to is village. They received and confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior, and the lady's tongue was loosed. The entire village witnessed this miracle of healing and others received Christ. The news of this ‘gospel of power' got into the local news papers and crowds began to gather at various market meetings for the gospel.

Later land was acquired and the first church was planted in a tent erected on a small plot near the site of the present church.

From 1961 churches were begun in the Kampala areas of Kisenyi, Katale and Kibuli which were led initially by our missionaries and Kenya nationals who had joined is in work.

Toward the end of 1961, Marjorie Mukasa was able to arrange for the \mission to purchase the site on Makerere Hill Road for the building of a permanent sanctuary for the Church.

In January 1962 the band of Glad Tidings missionaries grew when Bill and Gerda Brown, Eleanor Webb and Betty Caron transferred from sierra Leon to Uganda. Immediately Pastor Bill under took to supervise the construction of the church building, with funds from the Missionary society in Vancouver. The facility was completed by December, and the ‘home' of Makerere Full Gospel Church was formerly dedicated. A sister to Ssekabaka Muteesa, former kabaka of Buganda, Princess Muggale who received Christ as savior during the Mengo crusade, formerly opened the new church on December 5th, 1962. The Christ for the Nations Native Church Crusade, founded by Gordon and Freda Lindsay of Dallas, Texas, helped with the cost of church buildings. Glad Tidings Missionary Society helped obtain land for Pastors' houses and gardens.

Pastor Layzell pastored Full Gospel Church Makerere with a Ugandan associate, Pastor Joshua Kamya Musoke. Ezra Kikonyogo served the church as interpreter and counselor. Audrey launched the Sunday school program and later was assisted by Samuel Namutiiti who later headed it after 1973.

Ministers were trained in the bible school, more than 200 young men and women were thrust out to pioneer full gospel churches in towns and villages of Uganda, particularly in Buganda, Kigezi, Toro, Bunyoro and Busoga and later Ankole. Several new missionaries joined the group over the years