A church: Best gift from children to their father

Milestone: Latigo Okwonga, former LC 5 of Gulu District with the Rev Barnabas Odida, below, the church constructed for him. Photo by Stephen Okello.

What you need to know:

  • Susan Acaa, one of his daughters, describes the Rev Odida as a God-fearing father, who tells them to always seek God for everything they need in life. He also encourages his family members to attend church service every Sunday.

Souvenir. Building a church in his compound and naming it after him was once a dream of the Rev Barnabas Odida in Acholi. His dream came true, writes STEPHEN OKELLO and CISSY EJANG.

In 2013, the Rev Barnabas Odida asked the congregation, among whom was Bishop Johnson Gakumba of Northern Uganda Diocese, that his family and community, with the help of God, build a church named after him.
Col Francis Acoka Ongom, the Rev Odida’s young brother, said this was gladly received.
“Bishop Gakumba tasked the Rev James Okoya of Pakwelo Parish to work alongside the family and the community to make sure that the Rev Odida’s wish is accomplished,” Col Acoka said.

With the help of one of his grandsons, Denis Aliker, 90 per cent of the finances were realised.
Recently, the church was commissioned in his family compound in Ogul Village, Unyama Sub-county in Gulu District. And the 108-year-old reverend could not hide his joy.
“I will die a happy man!” the Rev Odida, believed to be one of the oldest Reverends in northern Uganda, said, adding, “God has favoured me and answered my prayers. I am blessed with children and finally, I have succeeded in having a church named after St Barnabas.”
The church is a landmark souvenir he always dreamt of to continue the mission of spreading Christianity.

His journey in Christianity
Rev Odida started out as a catechist and he was among the first Acholi to be ordained in 1952 in then upper Nile Diocese, currently Mbale.
He served at Lira Palwoo, Padibe and Awach parishes in Pader, Lamwo and Gulu districts. Odida always encouraged his flock to open churches in various parts of Acholi sub-region where they would come together to pray.

It is believed that Pabit was the first clan of the Acholi community to interface with the missionaries. They lived around Murchison Falls before the missionaries relocated to Unyama in the 1900s.
“Missionaries faced hardship as they established Christianity in every new community, but the Pabit were exceptionally hospitable to them,” Odida recalls.
Compared to Arabs who came for slave trade, the missionaries’ approach was friendly and peaceful.

“This is the time my parents allowed me to join the missionaries and I started as a catechist until 1952, when I was ordained as a priest,” he relates.
Immediately, after his ordination Odida was posted to Lira Palwoo to serve as deacon under the Church of Uganda. His devotion and love for Christ paid off shortly and he was posted to start Padibe Parish in 1954.
Despite the fact that some people and areas were hard-to-reach, most of the communities built a number of churches under Padibe Parish.

His friends
Nelson Ocakacon, a catechist in Pakwelo, describes the Rev Odida as a person deeply rooted in the Word of God that gave him the knowledge of advising people around him to live in righteousness.
‘’Whenever I visit Mzee Odida, I find many young and old couples seeking counsel from him,’’ says Ocakacon, adding that his love for Christ made him ask his children to build for him a church to expand the kingdom of God.
“As an elder in our church, we consider him as an icon because he has preached to many people and we have seen their lives change. He has seen churches built in different parts of Acholi sub-region.

Family member view
Susan Acaa, one of his daughters, describes the Rev Odida as a God-fearing father, who tells them to always seek God for everything they need in life. He also encourages his family members to attend church service every Sunday.
“My father is friendly to children. Every evening, he would gather us to tell us stories about his life. He did this as he made a toy car out of sorghum stems,” Acaa says.


At any public gathering, he used to preach the massage of love, peace and unity.
“This church is the gift we have given to him. Our prayer as family members is for the community to embrace this church and keep the legacy of our father alive,” she adds.
This is the only church in the area.

Clergy view
Bishop Johnson Gakumba, for Northern Uganda Diocese, this is a sign that the family loves God.
“As a church we are ready to embrace any development plan that this family and community will come with,’’ Bishop Gakumba said.
He urged Christian to use this church to connect them to God.
“I am glad that today people of Ogul Village have a church where they can pray above all making the community and the family coexist peacefully,” he commended.