Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program
Meet Pastor Ouko Joseph Wasswa
Your recurring monthly gift supports the education and training of all the pastors in this program, not just one individual. Get to know Pastor Joseph's story, then explore the other pastors growing through RPI's Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program.
Pastor Ouko Joseph Wasswa
Program: Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship
Church: Light Christian Church
Your recurring monthly gift helps provide education and training for all the pastors in this program, not just one individual. Meet a few of the other pastors below.
Help Equip Pastors for Ministry
Your investment supports pastoral education and training as a whole. You can invest in the program while continuing to follow, learn about, encourage, and pray for pastors like Pastor Joseph throughout their journey.
Sponsor NowJoseph's Story
Born in 1978 and saved 27 years ago, Pastor Ouko Joseph has served as a pastor for the past 10 years and now leads Light Christian Church. He and his wife, Annet Apia, have been married since 2001 and are blessed with 11 children.
Pastor Joseph first heard the gospel as a young man and surrendered his life to Christ. However, because there were no nearby churches grounded in biblical, born-again teaching, he remained in the Anglican Church for several years. When a new church was planted, he immediately joined and served faithfully. In time, he became its pastor — but leadership challenges soon followed. The church board collected offerings and left him with just 14% to manage church needs. Over time, he felt unsupported and used. The weight of unmet needs and growing frustration eventually pushed him to step away from ministry in order to provide for his family.
That season was difficult. Pastor Joseph took on odd jobs—anything to survive. He reflects on how everything around him crumbled, but God’s call never left him. Like the prodigal son, he knew he had to return. In May 2024, he restarted with a small prayer group in his community. Though the group met strong opposition, it grew steadily. Today, that humble gathering has become a church — a testimony to his persistence and God’s grace.
Now given a second chance, Pastor Joseph is determined to do things differently. He longs for the kind of training and discipleship he never had. When he heard about the Rural Pastors Institute, he knew it was an answer to prayer. Still focused and committed, he is eager to grow in sound doctrine and leadership. His vision is to build a self-sustaining church that is spiritually vibrant and actively engaged in community development.
While his income remains uncertain, your sponsorship is what makes this training possible for men like Joseph — equipping them to teach, lead, and serve with wisdom.
Thank you for being a Pastoral Sponsor at Rural Pastors International.
Get to Know Joseph
Born: 1978
Came to Christ: 27 years before his original testimony
Family: Married to Annet Apia since 2001; 11 children
Church: Light Christian Church
Ministry: Returned to ministry in May 2024, beginning with a small prayer group
Livelihood: Income uncertain; has worked odd jobs to support his family
Prayer Requests
His Family: Pray for Joseph, Annet, and their 11 children, and for provision for their daily needs.
His Church: Pray for Light Christian Church to grow in unity, sound doctrine, and its witness to the community.
His Training: Pray for wisdom and biblical understanding as Joseph continues to grow in discipleship and leadership.
His Calling: Pray for encouragement and perseverance after the difficulties he has experienced in ministry.
RPI's Growing Goat Project
RPI's goat project is one of the practical ways we are developing our Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program. Through raising and caring for goats, we are creating opportunities for pastors to learn valuable agricultural skills that can help them better provide for their families.
The project continues to grow, with new baby goats being born at RPI! As the herd grows, so does the potential for this project to benefit more pastors and their families.
Our goal is to equip pastors with practical knowledge and sustainable opportunities that can strengthen their families and communities while allowing them to continue faithfully serving in ministry.
More Than a Training Program
RPI's relationship with pastors continues beyond their initial biblical training. Through ongoing discipleship, encouragement, follow-up, continued learning, and practical sustainability training, pastors like Joseph can continue growing as leaders while working toward stronger families, churches, and ministries.
Help Equip Pastors for Ministry
Your recurring monthly gift supports the education and training of all pastors in the Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program, not one individual pastor.