Sent Out In Mission: Jordan McGurran

Church of the Redeemer is excited to send out Jordan McGurran as a supported missionary this spring!  In the post below, Jordan shares about his opportunity to serve with Uganda Partners and Uganda Christian University in Mukano, Uganda.

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  – Frederick Buechner

By Jordan McGurran

This quote from writer and Presbyterian minister Frederick Buechner has been on my mind these past two years of graduate school as I consider my life and work and how I can faithfully follow the Triune God in the calling He has for my life.

For the past two years I have been pursuing a graduate degree in monitoring and evaluation studies at the University of Minnesota in order to continue my work in the international development and study abroad sector.  Following my undergraduate studies at Wheaton College in Illinois, I lived in Uganda for two years where I worked in study abroad education at Uganda Christian University, and in microfinance in southwestern Uganda.

My recent studies and past experiences set the stage for my own upcoming work: Starting in August, I will begin working in Mukono, Uganda, with Uganda Partners as the research, evaluation, and learning program manager in order to provide organizational development assistance for Uganda Partners. Uganda Partners is the U.S.-based support organization for Uganda Christian University (UCU), a Christian university in Mukono sponsored by the Church of Uganda, one of the members of the Anglican Communion. Uganda Partners seeks to further UCU’s mission of preparing students “through teaching, scholarship, service, spiritual formation, student development and social involvement…for thoughtful, productive lives of Christian faith and service in their respective professions and places.”

My primary responsibilities will be to assist Uganda Partners with their research, evaluation, and project management needs. I will be assisting with various projects to increase the impact of their work as well as develop the work of UCU and build capacity among its staff and students. I will also be working as the assistant director for the Centre for Global Engagement at UCU where I will act as a bridge-person between Ugandan and (primarily) American stakeholders of the work of UCU and will work to develop the work of the Centre.  Finally, I may participate in some teaching at the University related to monitoring and evaluation, theology, and/or anthropology. All of this work is part of the larger project of discipling students at UCU so they may be faithful disciples of Jesus the Messiah, both by personal engagement with these students in the classroom, small groups, on campus and by structural/programmatic design/fit through the various supporting programs of Uganda Partners.

Throughout my time, I would like to build and develop the work of the Church in Uganda, build and develop the work of UCU and Uganda Partners, participate in the discipleship of UCU students, grow professionally, develop my skills in local languages, particularly Rukiga, learning more about Uganda and its people, and be built up as a faithful disciple of the Triune God. I seek to be a faithful presence in UCU as it seeks to be a faithful presence for the Triune God in the country of Uganda.