| July 1997 | Wyatt George, pastor of Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, Illinois, was invited to teach on a mission trip to Uganda with his friend Bill Phillips. While in Uganda, Wyatt met Ed Kasaija, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Kampala, who shared with him about the financial challenges of Ugandan pastors and evangelists. Edward said: "I know what the answer ISN'T. It isn"t for Westerners to just send money. That leads to dependency.” |
| Late 1997 | Wyatt reflected on how to address the financial needs of Ugandan pastors and wrote some notes about a possible loan system. |
| 1998 | Ed Kasaija visited the church in Carbondale, Illinois, on a trip to the United States. Wyatt discussed the idea of loans for Ugandan pastors with Ed, and together they designed a micro-enterprise loan program for Ugandan pastors while sitting at Wyatt’s kitchen table. Later on, Wyatt shared these plans on a hike around a lake with his friend John Davey. Thinking of the tent-making business which the Apostle Paul used to support himself and others, John suggested that this program to help pastors support themselves through developing businesses could be named “The TentMaker Project.” A board was formed out of the elders of the Evangelical Presbyterian Church in Carbondale, IL |
| Early 1999 | Wyatt George returned to Uganda with $1,600.00 in his pocket given by members of the church in Carbondale to start The TentMaker Project. A Ugandan board (called “the Regional Committee”) was formed of pastors and elders in the Presbyterian Church of Uganda, and they recommend that the first loans be made at Mutungo Presbyterian Church. They also decided, together with Wyatt, that if Ugandan church pastors could be loan recipients, then their church members should also be eligible for loans. Wyatt gave a seminar for the church in Mutungo and formed a Local Committee of elders and deacons to oversee the loan process. Eleven of twelve applications were approved by this local committee. Afraid that the loans would far exceed the money he had, Wyatt summed up the loan applications. In God’s providence, the applications from the Mutungo church totaled exactly $1,575! The remaining $25 was given to the Regional Committee for paperwork. Wyatt also gave more seminars and set up Local Committees at churches in two other cities (Nakitikolo and Kampala). |
| Late 1999 | As Wyatt reported to friends in the USA on the formation of The TentMaker Project in Uganda, more money was donated. An international wire transfer system was implemented, and sixteen micro-loans were extended to members of the Kampala church. The first Educational Assistance Scholarship was administrated through The TentMaker Project to a widow with four children who had no means to pay for their primary-level schooling needs. |
| 2000 | Wyatt returned to Uganda, this time with his wife, Betsy. The TentMaker Project was set up at churches in three more cities: Ktintale, Luwero, and Nakumba. |
| 2002 | Wyatt visited Uganda again. Elder Jack VanDerSlick went with him. They did evaluation visits to business recipients and conducted training seminars with Pastor Kasaija. |
| May 2003 | The “Five Loaves” program was started by The TentMaker Project to encourage Ugandan churches to develop word and deed ministry to the poor around them. Money was wired to the First Presbyterian Church in Kampala to underwrite the cost of serving regular meals for residents of the nearby slum. |
| February 2004 | Wyatt and his son, Luke, visited Uganda and saw the Five Loaves project for the first time. Luke made the first video for The TentMaker Project, a film that focused on culture, training events and business interviews. Wyatt refined and codified policies with the Regional Committee. |
| September 2004 | Nate Wilson agreed to take the position of Development Director and moved to Carbondale, Illinois. |
| May 2005 | Wyatt and Nate Wilson visited Uganda and opened discussions with the Africa Evangelical Presbyterian Church-Kenya about expanding into Kenya. Two other Americans, Paula Bonner and her mother, Beverly Moye also went on this trip. They helped evaluate business recipients of loans. The Regional Committee, now an Advisory Panel, has evidenced more and vital involvement in local leadership at the level of recipient churches.
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