Overview:
A section of their followers under the National Born Again Faiths Federation greater Masaka chapter are demanding that they resign their responsibilities in the church, as they are now politically biased, contradicting values of the faith.
Two Pentecostal Church pastors in Masaka region are under pressure to resign their responsibilities after they won political offices in the recently concluded general elections.
They are Jackson Murungi Bashira, the lead pastor of Way to Paradise Miracle Center Church in Sembabule district who was recently elected as Chairperson of Sembabule Town Council and Joseph Tumwebaze, the head of Born Again Faiths Churches in Rakai district who is now the chairperson-elect for Kibaale town council, Rakai district.
The former was initially defeated in the National Resistance Movement-NRM party primary elections before standing as independent, which internal processes the latter did not subject himself to in any political party.
A section of their followers under the National Born Again Faiths Federation greater Masaka chapter are demanding that they resign their responsibilities in the church, as they are now politically biased, contradicting values of the faith.
Led by Mathias Ssengo, the group had officially petitioned Pastor Leonard Sserwadda, the Greater Masaka Regional Overseers of the Born Again Churches, asking his to compel the pastors to resign their responsibilities in the church to concentrate on the newly acquired political offices.
Ssengo, identifying himself as a memberof Kyamuyimbwa Miracle Center Masaka City, says the two pastors can no longer execute their spiritual duties with the expected independence because of their participation in partisan politics.
”The reasonable thing they can do is to resign and concentrate on political leadership, after all they have both had the opportunity to serve in the Church,” the petition partly reads.
Ssengo observes the despite winning the election as an independent candidate, Pastor Murungi’s election was tainted with a lot of controversies that included among others torturing his opponents and use of guns for violence, acts he says taints the reputation of the church.
He prefers that the duo relinquish their responsibilities in the church to preserve the dignity of the faith.
Philimon Mugenyi, who also appended a signature to the petition, accuses the duo of using the military in their campaigns to subdue their opponents, something he says is against the principle of love that guides their church.
”They both crossed the line and chose the political leadership, let them hand over the flock to other people who take on the spiritual work. We are not sure that their integrity is not now compromised, given the malpractices that characterized their election” he says.
Pastor Leonard Sserwadda, the greater Masaka Regional Overseer of the Born Again Churches, confirms receiving the complaints, saying he will convene a regional executive to discuss the matter and take a collective decision.
He however observes that he had earlier guided the duo against the decision of participating in politics, but they remained adamant.
Pastor Jackson Bashira has declined to comment on the petition, but Joseph Tumwebaze has justified their participation in elective politics as complementary to Church duties.
According to him, acquiring political offices through an election is a symbol of public trust, saying that it comes as an opportunity for them to serve the communities.
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