From left: Administrator of the Balimwezo Foundation, Dember Catherine; Presidential Adviser on Kampala Affairs, Sarah Kanyike; Bishop John I. Cline, Uganda Attorney Apollo Sunday Prince; and Field Coordinator Kityo James. Photo: Team of Reporters

The New Life Baptist Church's Africa mission team in Nairobi, Kenya. Photo: NLBC

From left: Bishop John I. Cline; Sharia B. de Castro; Apollo Sunday Prince; and Hon B. Ronald Balimwezo MP, the elected Member of Parliament for Nakawa East, Uganda, and the founder of the Balimwezo Foundation. Photo: Team of Reporters

Sharia B. de Castro of New Life Baptist Church in the Virgin Islands with Hon B. Ronald Balimwezo MP, the elected Member of Parliament for Nakawa East, Uganda, and the founder of the Balimwezo Foundation. Photo: Team of Reporters

The mission, headed by senior Bishop of the church John I Cline, has charity school work in Nairobi, Kenya, and Malawi, where they are involved in a school and other outreach programmes. The church mission departed the Territory on July 25, 2025, and is expected back home by August 5, 2025.

The last leg of the trip (August 2-4, 2025) was in the African country of Uganda. The NLBC is now involved in funding some charity projects there.

Critical meetings to further church mission

However, out of their busy schedules, they took time to call on some elected officials and the head of a charity organisation in the Kampala Metropolitan City.

Bishop Cline was accompanied on the courtesy call and brief discussions on August 4, 2025, by Ms Sharia B. de Castro, another church member on the trip. She is also the President of the ruling Virgin Islands Party (VIP).

The two made calls on Hon B. Ronald Balimwezo MP, the elected Member of Parliament for Nakawa East, Uganda, and the founder of the Balimwezo Foundation.

The foundation is dedicated to helping the poorest in the City of Kampala with skills training, along with lifting them out of poverty via many business ventures.

Cementing partnership in Uganda

They also called on the Presidential Adviser on Kampala Affairs, Sarah Kanyike, a former Minister of State and a former Deputy Mayor. In addition, the delegation met with Dembe Catherine, the Administrator of the Balimwezo Foundation, and a charity field director, Mr Kityo James.

At the brief meetings, both Bishop Cline and Ms de Castro discussed partnership for charity works and promoting education in the poorer areas in Kampala to help facilitate the NLBC mission and goals in Africa.

The meetings were facilitated through contacts in Uganda by the former Speaker of the House of Assembly, Mr Julian Willock, with Uganda Attorney Apollo Sunday Prince, who is a legal and policy Analyst for the Uganda Parliament.