GARY & MARILYN

Gary and Marilyn Skinner are the visionary and passionate Founders of Watoto Church. In 1984, during a time of civil war, they planted this local church in Kampala, Uganda to speak hope and life to the nation. Today Watoto Church is a cell-based, community church with more than 38,000 people gathering in-person and online every week to celebrate the value and purpose they’ve found in Jesus Christ. They passionately believe that it is the responsibility of the local church to solve community problems. Watoto Church cares for community holistically through over 2,700 small groups that meet weekly.

In 1994, they founded Watoto Child Care Ministries in response to the cry of millions of children who had been orphaned or left vulnerable as a result of war, poverty and disease. Since starting, they’ve placed thousands of orphans in families, empowered thousands of vulnerable women to reach their own families and communities, rescued babies and former child soldiers, kept over 30,000 girls in school, and sent more than 100 children’s choirs across six continents.

As Watoto continues to work alongside the most vulnerable in their nation, they aim to rescue individuals, raise each one as a leader in his or her sphere of influence so that, in turn, they will rebuild the nation. In over 40 years, the challenges facing Uganda and Africa have changed, but their vision remains the same. In all of this, Watoto remains a local church, committed to celebrating Christ and caring for community.

In February 2023 Gary and Marilyn handed over the leadership of Watoto to their successors, Julius and Vernita Rwotlonyo. Their desire now is to serve the Church at large. Gary and Marilyn are the proud parents of three children and grandparents to seven.