The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, has criticized the greed of some church leaders and Christians who push for the election of their candidates as Bishops. According to the Archbishop, the church has suffered a lot because of bad decisions by its leaders, adding that he has lost count of the times, he has been sued by “Concerned Christians” because of the failure to elect their candidate for the position of Bishop.
He was delivering his Christmas message at his Namirembe residence. “Spiritual leadership is different from secular or political leadership. Spiritual leaders follow in the footsteps of Jesus, “who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men,” the Archbishop quoted Philippians 2.6-7.
He noted that becoming a Bishop is not about seizing power, influence, and status but instead, empowering others to excel in the gifts of the Spirit for the building up of the Body of Christ and the extension of God’s Kingdom. “There is too much “grasping” to be a Bishop or to have “your man” become a Bishop. Too many people think if they get “their man” elected as Bishop, he will save them. That’s just not true. Only Jesus can save us. Christmas reminds us of that,” Kaziimba said.
In July this year, a section of Christians in Luwero Diocese dragged the Archbishop to the High Court challenging the nullification of the election of the then Bishop-elect, Canon Kasana Ssemakula. This was after the House of Bishops on 28th June resolved to nullify the elections of Rev. Canon Kasana as the fourth bishop of Luwero Diocese after getting credible information that the Bishop-elect’s integrity was misrepresented during the nomination and election process.
A section of Christians and clergymen in Luwero were not happy with this decision and they petitioned the Luwero High Court demanding a declaration that the nullification of Kasana was null, void, and had no legal effect. Principal Judge Flavian Zeija recently dismissed the case citing lack of merit, saying that it wasn’t tenable in law.
However, seven Christians have since filed a notice of appeal challenging the High Court decision. The seven Christians filed the notice of appeal on November 8th before the registrar of the High Court of Luwero through their lawyer, M/S Waymo and Company Advocates, and served a copy to M/S Agaba Muheirwe company advocates that represent Archbishop Kaziimba.
David Lule Mutyaba Muzzanganda, the lead petitioner, says that the Principal Judge erred in the ruling because the canon laws are not above the Constitution of Uganda, which gives powers to the court to resolve disputes arising from any matter especially when internal mechanisms fail. He explains that the dispute wasn’t about spiritual matters but unfair nullification of elections, which the Court has powers to address.
Amidst the court battle, Luwero Diocese remains under the care of Rt. Rev. James William Ssebaggala the retired Bishop of Mukono Diocese. The Archbishop has also previously been sued by Rev. Charles Oode Okunya after his election as the 2nd Bishop of Kumi Diocese on November 7th, 2019 was nullified after it was discovered that he had falsified his date of birth and that he was not 45 years old at the time of the election.
This case was also dismissed by Justice Ssekaana Musa, saying that the legal age of Rev. Okunya disqualified him from election as a Bishop in the Church of Uganda. In his Christmas message, the Archbishop equally noted that Ugandans have allowed evil to prosper at all levels, including families. Kaziimba says that the transformation in Uganda begins when individuals and families recognize they can’t be their savior, and when they invite Jesus to rescue them and pursue righteousness and holiness in their families.
“This Christmas, I urge you to stop trying to be your savior and to surrender your life to Jesus, who was born to save us,” he said. The Archbishop also announced that the Church of Uganda Provincial theme next year is taken from Romans 12:1-2 – “Conforming to the Truth of God’s Word and not the patterns of this world.” He said that this is at the heart of the mindset changes that are needed to make.
URN.