Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program
Meet Pastor Stephen Manju
Your recurring monthly gift supports the education and training of all the pastors in this program, not just one individual. Get to know Pastor Stephen's story, then explore the other pastors growing through RPI's Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program.
Pastor Stephen Manju
Program: Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship
Learn about Pastor Stephen Manju through the testimony above and pray for his ongoing ministry.
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 Stephen throughout their journey.
Sponsor NowStephen's Story
Pastor Stephen is 34 years old and has never been married. He accepted the Lord as his Savior in 1999, and he works as a pastor and a peasant farmer.
Pastor Stephen started the pastorate in 2003. In his 23 years of ministry, he has been zealous against witchcraft and has received lots of opposition in the community. His greatest ministry challenge has been watching members of his community as they practice sorcery alongside salvation. In 2016, he was threatened to be arrested for speaking out against these acts. With the aim of silencing him, allegations were spread, accusing him of being a cult leader himself.
This trial depressed him, but he still stands firm today with a deep desire to know the Lord. At the time of the original testimony,, he pastors the Foundation of Prayer Ministry, a congregation of 37 members in the Nangobi village of the Pallisa District. He believes that some of the previous resentment he encountered from his community was due to his lack of ministry training. Regrettably, some unbiblical teachings he emphasized out of zeal were not rooted in scripture. Within four months at the Rural Pastors Institute, his eyes have been opened, and the training has been transformational.
As a peasant farmer, he earns an annual income of $150 dollars; he never could have paid for this type of education and training.
Get to Know Stephen
Pastor: Stephen Manju
Program: Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship
Source: Original pastor testimony supplied for RPI profile conversion
Prayer Requests
Family Relationships: Pray for God’s wisdom, healing, and peace in Pastor Stephen’s family relationships, and for grace and loving care for everyone involved.
Spiritual Encouragement: Pray for strength, comfort, humility, and discernment as Pastor Stephen navigates personal and ministry challenges.
Church and Biblical Teaching: Pray that he will continue to be grounded in Scripture and faithfully teach God’s Word to his congregation.
Provision: Pray for wisdom, stability, and practical provision for his livelihood and ministry.
Following His Journey
RPI continues to encourage and equip rural pastors through biblical discipleship, practical sustainability training, and ongoing relationships. New personal updates about Pastor Stephen Manju will be shared when verified.
Equipping Pastors Beyond the Classroom
In September 2026, 20 RPI pastors and their wives completed entrepreneurship training in partnership with Ekisinga. The training provided practical instruction designed to help families develop sustainable sources of income while pastors continue faithfully serving their churches and communities.
The pastors also toured RPI's goat project as they prepare for future hands-on training. The project is one of the practical ways RPI is exploring opportunities that can help pastors and their families strengthen household sustainability.
Alongside vocational development, RPI continues providing discipleship, follow-up, encouragement, and practical training for graduate pastors as they apply what they have learned within their families, churches, and communities.
Chicken Raising and Practical Sustainability
RPI is exploring practical skills such as chicken raising and poultry care to help pastors and their families develop additional sources of income while remaining faithful to their local ministries. Training in caring for poultry and managing small agricultural ventures can help reduce financial pressure on rural families.
The chicken coop pictured here was built with help from an RPI mission team. It represents the practical facilities and opportunities being developed alongside ongoing biblical discipleship, not a claim that Pastor Stephen personally participated in the project.
RPI’s Goat Project: Practical Skills for Sustainable Ministry
RPI's goat project is one way we connect practical vocational learning with our long-term commitment to rural pastors. Goat raising and livestock management can offer pastors skills to explore ways of providing for their families while continuing to serve their congregations.
Through the Vocational / Sustainability / Discipleship Program, RPI seeks to pair ongoing discipleship with practical training that can help pastors build more stable livelihoods. The goal is not to replace biblical teaching, but to help reduce financial pressures that can make rural ministry difficult.
The goat project illustrates practical sustainability opportunities within RPI’s program. Pastor Stephen’s individual involvement with the goat project has not been confirmed.
More Than a Training Program
RPI's relationship with pastors continues beyond their initial biblical training. Through ongoing discipleship, encouragement, follow-up, and opportunities for practical sustainability training, participating pastors 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.