As Bugema University launched a new academic year, its Chancellor, Pastor Samuel Kajoba, used his first official visit since his installation to issue a bold challenge to the church: stop leaving its young people idle and give them a place in the mission. Speaking at the convocation for the 2026-2027 academic year on Sabbath, 19 September, Pastor Kajoba reminded leaders, lecturers and students that education at an Adventist university is both a calling and a ministry.
The visit carried extra weight because it coincided with World Pathfinder Day, which was celebrated at the university the same day. The Chancellor arrived with a high-level delegation from the Uganda Union: Vice President Pastor Samuel Mwebaza, Executive Treasurer Elder Isaac Lyada, Executive Secretary Pastor Nicholas Bitamazire, and Assistant Secretary Pastor Rogers Kagwa. Because Bugema University lies in the North Buganda Field, the Field President, Pastor William Ssekago, welcomed the team to his district.
The Chancellor commended the university’s administrators and lecturers, telling them that teaching is a sacred trust rather than just a profession. He said they are called to shape character and reflect Christ in young minds, not merely to impart academic knowledge and skills, and urged them to stay committed to academic excellence, research, mentorship and spiritual leadership, the qualities that set an Adventist university apart.
To the students, he described a generation that represents the future of both church and society, growing up in a world crowded with distractions, competing voices and rapid change. He encouraged them to anchor their lives on the Word of God while pursuing excellence in their studies. He prayed that the campus would be a place where character is refined and faith is strengthened, and assured them that God has a purpose for each of them.
The heart of the message, however, was addressed to the wider church. Marking Pathfinder Day, Pastor Kajoba declared that the gospel is for all believers regardless of age, and that the Great Commission in Matthew 28 carries no age limit. Drawing on the writings of Ellen G. White, he noted that the church has an army of young people who can accomplish much if they are properly guided and encouraged. He also recalled the words of Methodist preacher John Wesley, who believed that a small number of people wholly devoted to God could set the world on fire.
He called on church members, elders and leaders to direct and encourage the youth, noting that the work of God cannot be finished until every member joins forces with ministers and church officers. Thousands of young people in the church are sharp, talented and innovative, he said, and leaving them idle is not good news. “They must be put to work.”
For a university starting a new academic year, and a church celebrating its young people on the same day, the message was clear: the next generation is not waiting in the wings, and the time to engage it is now.
