By Patty Huston-Holm
The Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) making 40 years in 2024 has musical albums with original songs, scripture-based testimonies and thousands of travel miles to places within the United States and Europe.
Today, the 35 members aren’t necessarily young, and they are quick to say the “youth” mission part is not as it once was. It’s about others of all ages.
According to the AYF website (ayfband.org), the mission is to “preach the gospel of the saving power of Jesus Christ through music and testimony to all peoples of different tribes and nations.” AYF was initiated to add some excitement to worship for youth leaving the Anglican church because services were “too dull.”
A quick visit to the AYF YouTube channel, including this short clip from seven years ago, verifies the purpose and enthusiasm with instrumental and vocal music interspersed with biblical scriptures and declaration of Christian faith journeys. Some members are affiliated with Uganda Christian University (UCU).
“We are youthful in Christ,” said Doreen Kibuuka Serunjogi, UCU assistant registrar and an AYF member since 2008. “We are all from different professional walks of life, for example, doctors, lawyers, teachers and parents who sometimes now bring our children.”
“We show the love of Christ through music,” said Mary Chowenhill, an American and AYF affiliate now living in Florida. Most, like Mary, are not professional musicians.
In eight years and interspersed with her work at UCU, Doreen meets and practices with the group on weekends. In addition to Uganda, she has been part of AYF engagement with churches and schools in the USA, Egypt, Rwanda, Burundi and the United Kingdom. Like other AYF members, she is a self-funded volunteer.
“Our payment comes from God,” said Doreen, who has bachelor and master degrees, respectively, in development and business.
Through AYF, Doreen shares her testimony about difficulties with conceiving a child and about the people who prayed for her in a desperate and downtrodden time as they do now. Through AYF, she was “pushed to work and learn skills in a Godly way,” realizing that if she felt she had a life that she didn’t deserve, “God determined it otherwise.”
“My life would have been different if not in Christ,” said Doreen, now the mom of a young boy. “I attribute my abilities to a strong relationship with God with gratefulness for friends I can speak to when I’m stuck.”
There are many AYF supporters and members. Among them are Andrew Lumbuye, team leader with a background that includes HR; and Dr. Abraham Owino, an AYF founder and a retired lecturer at Makerere University.
Doreen credits members as well as others for the organization’s Christ-follower witness. Those she denotes as mentors include Rev. Prof. John. M. Kitayimbwa, the Deputy Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs; Rev. Rebecca Margaret Nyegenye, an Anglican priest and former UCU chaplain; and the Rev. Canon Dr. John Senyonyi, former vice chancellor at UCU. Other supporters are the Rev. Amos Kimera, a former UCU chaplain now at Peter’s Anglican Church of Uganda, in Boston, Mass.; the Rev. Alan Saunders at the parish of St. Peter’s Halliwell, diocese of Manchester, England; and the Rev. Dr. Stephen Noll, the first UCU Vice Chancellor, now living in Pennsylvania, USA.
AYF’s visits are invitation based, largely by churches. Recent United States visits were in the states of Florida, Virginia and Massachusetts.
“While we speak multiple languages in Uganda, our ministry is purely in English,” Doreen said. “We choose songs according to a theme and verses determined by our host site. Most programs are 30 minutes, but we fit into the time requested.”
Testimonies and music are 100% and 90% original, respectively. Some are shared in a “street ministry.” Delivery style varies based on geographic location with African audiences generally wanting livelier presentations.
“We learn a lot about culture when traveling,” Doreen said. One example is that as “strangers” in Western countries, it isn’t appropriate to pick up a crying baby without parent permission – something totally acceptable in Uganda.
AYF doesn’t seek funding but accepts donations, including lodging while traveling.
“For me, I appreciate UCU for the morals and the environment that enable me to fit into AYF,” Doreen said.
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