TO:ALL BISHOPS

ALL CLERGY

ALL LAY LEADERS.

RE: PROVINCIAL MONTH OF PRAYER 1^ST-30^TH SEPTEMBER 2010

Greetings in our Lord’s Precious name!

At the close of the just concluded Provincial Assembly (18^th-21^st August 2010), I was led of the Lord to declare September 2010, the Provincial month of Prayer. The immediate response of the members was a positive confirmation that it was a God directed declaration. A full Extract of that declaration is enclosed for you. (ARCHBISHOPS CLOSING REMARKS To the 20^th Provincial Assembly Uganda Christian University, 20^th August 2010) I now write this as we conclude the All Africa Bishops Conference. What a tremendous week it has been. More than 400 Bishops and other invited participants from all over Africa have been in Imperial Beach Resort Hotel in Entebbe from 23^rd – 30^th August 2010.

The Lord has met with us and this conference has made it even clearer that as we end it, our province needs to transition into a prayer month.  Specifically I would like to give you an extract from a message the Bishops were given at the end of Holy Communion on Friday 27^th August 2010.

The Lord said to us:

‘’ I am in the process of birthing a new Church in Africa, a new priesthood. I am in the process of birthing evangelists, am in the process of birthing new shepherds who will shepherd the flock in righteousness and truth. Those who open their hearts for this birthing in this conference will go away as new born. They will carry my message and the new birth will begin to happen through them in their Provinces and Dioceses.’’

Would you not agree that we need this new birth in our Provinces and Dioceses? Will you not agree that we need to pray in the month of September and bring to birth this new thing through our corporate prayers? The message continued:

‘’ I will forgive and I will return to you in this new birth. Your power is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ the gift that comes from the Father. I have left my spirit in the Church. Why are you walking without power? Why are you looking for an alternative power? I have given you the power the Holy Spirit!’’

May I now urge you to organize yourselves in this month of September and pray. As I mentioned in my concluding remarks at the Provincial Assembly, pray in the Churches, pray in the offices, places of businesses, homes etc.

Indeed as the scripture has said, ‘’pray without ceasing’’ 1st Thessalonians 5:17

What more can I say? The Spirit of God has visited us. Let us respond and pray. The province would love to give you a timetable but that would lead us into structures that sometimes slow down the process.

What I would urge you to do is publicize this message to every possible corner of your Diocese and your parishes.  Use every means – Radio, TV, photocopies, words of mouth etc.

Thank you for your positive response. “So now brethren I commend you to God and to the world of his grace  which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. ‘’ Acts 20:32

‘’Pray also for me that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel ….’’ Ephesians 6:19

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi

ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA

24^th – 29^th August 2010

Presented by His Grace, the Most Rev Dr Daniel Deng Bul Yak

Your Graces and my fellow bishops of our beloved continent of Africa – on behalf of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan I would like to thank CAPA for organising the All Africa Bishop’s Conference (AABC) and for the Church of the Province of Uganda for hosting this August Conference.

I bring greetings to you all from the Episcopal Church of the Sudan in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

We were shocked to hear of the attacks that occurred in Kampala on 11th July on innocent people who were watching the World Cup finals. I would like to request His Grace Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi to convey our condolences to the bereaved families. We assure you our prayers for quick recovery for those who were injured in these attacks.

“Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest” (Matt. 11:28)

Thanksgiving: In Sudan Christians have been carrying a heavy burden for over 50 years. But we give thanks to the Almighty God that he has safely brought us together here in Kampala.  We rejoice in the hope he has given us in His son Jesus Christ.  This hope gives us strength in the face of the many dangers and difficulties we are now going through in Sudan.  Also we thank God for your prayers and support for the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) which was signed five years ago, but we are still asking for your continuing prayer and support as we approach the end of the six-year interim period.

The Peace Process: The peace process in Sudan has reached a critical point. In April, we completed our first multi-party elections in 24 years and we are now less than 4 months away from the referendum on southern Sudan self-determination and popular consultations for Nuba Mountains and the Blue Nile. This is a crucial part of the comprehensive peace agreement (CPA). Unfortunately, there are aspects of the CPA that have not yet been implemented; this includes the demarcation of the 1^st January 1956 borders and the full implementation of the Abyei protocol. We call on you to pray for this process and request you to urge your governments to support the full implementation of the CPA and to recognise and accept the outcome of the referendum.

We express our sadness at the missed opportunity for making the unity of the Sudan attractive since the signing of the CPA: the lack of reconciliation process, the lack of transparency over the National Census and oil revenues, the failure to repeal or alter laws which are contrary to the spirit of the CPA which guarantees equality and freedom for all.

We strongly condemn all inter-ethnic violence that has been witnessed in some parts of Southern Sudan, the ongoing violence against civilians in Darfur, and the violent attacks on civilians being perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the south-west of the country. We re-affirm our commitment to doubling the efforts of the Church in bringing peace and reconciliation to our people.

Background to Islamic Fundamentalism in Sudan The three Christian Kingdoms of Sudan declined following the arrival of Islam from Arabia in AD 641.  Ever since then, Christianity has been under pressure in Sudan, and in the past 20 years there have been attempts to legally suppress it following the compulsory introduction of Sharia Law in 1983.  This reduced many millions of Christians to second class citizens in their home country.  The Government of Sudan declared jihad against Sudanese Christians, and between 1983 and 2005 around 2.5 million people died, millions were maimed, and over 4 million more were displaced to camps – some of whom have not been permitted to return until this day.

Fundamentalist elements of the Islamic government in Khartoum are suspected of wishing to keep the south underdeveloped and to use the southern people as cheap labourers in the north whilst taking all the minerals of the south for the development of the north.  Their long-term intention is to use the conversion of the south to Islam as a springboard for the Islamization of East Africa and beyond.

Having endured this systematic persecution for the past decades, the people of Southern Sudan, the Nuba Mountains, Abyei and Blue Nile are today seeking a better way of life through referenda and popular consultations that have been granted to these areas under the CPA in 2011. In their own states, they will not face Islamisation and Arabisation or marginalisation from the North.

Failure to make unity attractive and implement the CPA: Firstly, our sister churches in Africa must be aware that according to many recent surveys carried out by organisations as diverse as the Carter Centre and the London School of Economics, the people of Southern Sudan are most likely to vote for separation in the upcoming referendum.  This is because the Government of National Unity (GoNU) in Khartoum has failed to make unity of Sudan attractive to the people of Southern Sudan since 2005.  Specifically, the following areas of the CPA have not been adhered to:

1. The National Security Laws have not been repealed as they should have in line with the CPA.
2. The National Congress Party (NCP) has pledged to continue to impose Islamic Sharia Law in the north no matter what the outcome of the referendum in the South.  This will continue to reduce many Southerners in the north to second class citizens and has therefore made the secession of a secular Southern state far more attractive to Southerners.
3. Only a proportion of the oil revenue owed to the South has been paid to the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) each year since 2005.
4. The GoNU has not implemented development projects in the South.  Had roads, education, health and water programmes been implemented in the South by GoNU, the unity of Sudan would have appeared far more attractive to Southern eyes this year.  Similarly, since 2005 jobs in the north have not been opened up to Southerners as promised in the CPA.  Whilst this has been recently promised by Khartoum, this is seen in Juba as too little, too late.
5. Northern politicians are suspected of orchestrating militia attacks in the South against the fundamental spirit of the CPA.  When a militia general attacked troops in Malakal in 2009 he was rescued from potential SPLA arrest by government air lift.

Despite the granting of self-determination under the CPA, there are still numerous outstanding issues that must be addressed by both the NCP and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in the final months of the agreement.  I am secondly calling upon your support for ensuring that these outstanding issues are addressed and that these referenda and popular consultations happen in a free and fair manner with minimal confusion and violence.

As the Church, our concerns are as follows:

1. We are afraid that the registration of voters will not be carried out in a fair way.  The fear is that non-southern NCP voters will be registered in order to vote in line with Khartoum.  Officially only 500,000 Southerners live in the north, a figure which is deliberately underestimated, as around 4 million Southerners have moved to the north since the mid-1980s.
2. We are afraid for the rights of our people of the Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile if the South votes for separation.  The popular consultations in these areas are not the same as the referenda in the South and Abyei and are far less transparently set out in the CPA.  We fear that these areas will not be accorded full rights of self-determination.
3. We are concerned about unresolved issues of citizenship which are being used to threaten southerners currently living in the north.  If the South votes for separation these people would become foreigners in northern Sudan and will be at the mercy of the Khartoum authorities.
4. We are deeply concerned that the borders around Abyei are still not demarcated on the ground, despite it being over a year since the International Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled on the issue. Without demarcated borders, there can be no free and fair referendum in Abyei. The organisation of the Abyei Referendum continues to be a source of tension between the NCP and the SPLM and is an area where renewed war could be a real possibility.

The Church calls upon all those involved in referendum planning to put the safety, livelihoods and rights of the poorest and most vulnerable first.

In the case of unity, issues of national identity, power and wealth sharing must be addressed.

In the case of separation, issues such as the position of Southerners and churches in the North, the arrangements for resource-sharing, especially oil and water, and the status of Abyei, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile must also be addressed to ensure peaceful relations between two new neighbours and to guarantee the basic rights of all people in both North and South Sudan.

There is no alternative to the CPA.  It must be fully implemented by both signatories and must be fully supported by those guarantor governments who promised to do so in 2005.  Those international guarantors and stakeholders must take full heed of the crises affecting the Country and be active according to their promises made to the Sudanese people.

The Church proclaims “Let my people choose” and urges renewed international focus on the political processes of the referendum which must be considered inviolable.  The Church supports the right of every individual Sudanese citizen to have a free and fair say in the future of Sudan – citizens who have already suffered from years of conflict.

Sudan is in very real danger of descending back into a war which will not harm the elites and the politicians but which will again destroy the lives of the voiceless mass of citizens for which I, on behalf of the Church, have come with my fellow bishops to plead.

We recommend that the following suggestions should be considered

1. The deployment of diplomats to retrieve and support the peace process in Darfur and justice for victims of genocide.
2. The supervision of referendum registration and voting so they take place by January 9^th 2011 as stipulated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
3. The protection of the rights of IDPs in order to participate fully in the referendum.
4. A viable registration and voting process for IDPs.
5. That the choices of the people of southern Sudan and Abyei in the upcoming referendum are recognised and accepted.
6. That an independent body oversees the popular consultation in South Kordofan and Blue Nile State so that they are fair and timely
7. A package of benefits for peace and consequences for war is created for a just and lasting peace for Sudan.

These recommendations are important for the future of all Sudanese. Thus they are of great importance to the Episcopal Church of the Sudan. The Church in Africa must recognise the grave and inextricable situation facing Sudan and assist us in faith, guide us with love and encourage us through prayers.

The Episcopal Church of Sudan therefore appeals to you all as follows:

1. We request your prayers for Sudan.
2. We request all the churches of Africa to stand firm with the people of Southern Sudan, Abyei, Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, and support the choice that they make in the upcoming referenda and popular consultations – whether for unity or separation.
3. We request especial support from you all for the Church in northern Sudan as it continues to face the official persecution from the Khartoum government.  The global Church must stand united in support of our brothers and sisters who daily witness to faith in Jesus Christ whilst suffering to do so.  If this does not happen then Christianity in northern Sudan has the most uncertain future and may even be facing destruction.

I stand before you today with the promise that whatever the outcome of the referenda and popular consultations, the Episcopal Church of the Sudan will remain a united Anglican province and will continue to be a source of spiritual unity, an advocate of peace for the people of Sudan.

May God bless us and all the people of Sudan with the ability to do as Christ commanded us and to live in love and peace with all.

Amen.

As you are aware, post independent Africa has had more than its fair share of ethnic, religious and political dissent which has sometimes plummeted states into civil war as has been experienced in Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the Western Darfur Region in Sudan, Somalia, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Southern Sudan and as you all recall and know, it reached frightening proportions in Rwanda more than two dozen years ago.

In addition, political openings and multiparty elections have led to the formation of innumerable overtly or covertly ethnic political parties, which serve more often to increase civil strife of which the most recent addition to the long list in Africa is Kenya.

It can therefore be said that among the most significant and growing challenges to peace, freedom, democratic governance and the rule of law in Africa are ethnic, racial, communal and religious intolerance along with conflicts. And that by the nature of their formation and being, African states have had serious problems with the management of diversity.

This is so because political and social climate that prevails in Africa today emphasizes differences, disunity, and destruction rather than the qualities of unity and constructive energy that are required to sustain the African fabric.

Lets then look at our first main point of discussion. Full text here.

 The statement, which was issued on November 10, 2009 and signed by the Primate of Nigeria, Archbishop Peter Akinola, expresses the Fellowship’s deep conviction that this is not the time to leave the Anglican Communion, and reiterates its belief in the future of Anglicanism as bright if its members remain rooted in the Holy Scriptures.  

Church of Uganda fully subscribes to the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans (FCA) and is in full support of the statement that has been issued. 

 Read the full statement here.

Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi

to the 19^th Provincial Assembly

of the Church of the Province of Uganda

Held at Uganda Christian University, Mukono

26^th August – 29^th August 2008

Assembly Theme: The 19^th Provincial Assembly is continuing the same theme from the 18^th Provincial Assembly – “Seek first his Kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33).

1.      Greetings:

I greet you in the name of Christ and thank you for coming to this Assembly 2006.

In a special way, I welcome the bishops who were consecrated between the last Assembly and this Assembly.  They are:

• Bishop Daniel Gimadu – North Mbale Diocese, 10^th December 2006
• Bishop David Sebuhinja – Provincial Secretariat, 10^th December 2006
• Bishop Joseph Abura – Karamoja Diocese, 27^th May 2007
• Bishop James Nasak- North Karamoja Diocese, 1^st July 2007
• Bishop Cranmer Mugisha – Muhabura Diocese, 26^th August 2007
• Bishop George Tibeesigwa – Ankole Diocese, 2^nd September 2007
• Bishop John Guernsey – Bishop for COU Congregations in America, 2^nd September 2007
• Bishop Patrick Gidudu – Mbale Diocese, 17^th August 2008

Allow me to extend a vote of thanks to the Prime Minister of Uganda – The Rt. Hon, Professor Apollo Nsibambi for being our Guest Speaker in this Assembly.

I welcome all our invited and special Guests who are here to join us in this Assembly.

2.      Condolences:

We deeply sympathise with friends who have lost their beloved ones.  We convey our deep condolences to the families and relatives of the following who departed!

Bishop William Rukirande for the loss of his wife Harriet

3.      Thanks:

There are indeed many things we would like to thank God for:

(i)           As a Province, all the Dioceses with substantive Bishops – no caretaker bishops anymore.

(ii)          A magnificent Provincial Secretariat office with the 2^nd phase almost to completion.

(iii)        CHOGM – with a lot of political anxiety but ended well.

(iv)         HUMAN RESOURCE MANUAL:

At our last Provincial Assembly we were asked to give the Human Resource Manual due attention and I thank you for your response.  Dioceses that had not yet responded to the manual did their part and all the stakeholders have put in their input.  The Provincial Assembly Standing Committee has approved it. This is a great accomplishment in the life of our Church and I believe it will go a long way to improving the morale of all the people serving God in the Church of Uganda. May I request this Assembly to receive it and confirm it?

4.  Theme. As I said at the beginning, our theme for this Provincial Assembly is Matthew 6.33 – “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.”

At the 1988 Lambeth Conference, the Anglican Communion declared the 1990’s to be the Decade of Evangelism. Every Province in the Communion was encouraged to develop intentional strategies for increasing evangelism and growing the Body of Christ.  While America and Canada debated homosexuality and watched their churches decline, we in Africa took the challenge of evangelism seriously.  The Church in Nigeria grew dramatically, chiefly through planting churches and creating new missionary dioceses in northern Nigeria.  Our preacher at this year’s Martyrs’ Day celebration was the Nigerian Archbishop of Kaduna Province in Northern Nigeria.  His diocese was one of the missionary dioceses the Church of Nigeria created. His presence and his sermon were powerful, and I am grateful for how God is linking together the Church of Uganda with other Anglican Churches in Africa.

In the Church of Uganda we have always had a strong emphasis on evangelism. Yet, somehow our percentage of the population has remained about the same. Yes, we continue to grow numerically each year, but our percentage of the population is stagnant.

During this Provincial Assembly, I want us to give serious consideration to declaring the next ten years to be a Decade of Mission – a Decade of Mission within Uganda and beyond Uganda.

I have now been in office for four and a half years of my ten-year term; in January I will be at my half-way point.  My focus during these first years has been to visit every Diocese and offer myself to each Bishop and Diocese to use me in a way that would best serve the Diocese. It has been a blessing to me to see with my own eyes the breadth of our Church. For me, I have approached each visit as a Mission. Now, I want to encourage all of our leaders and churches to make a determined commitment to seize the next ten years as a Decade of Mission.

I have been to every diocese except Muhabura, Busoga, Karamoja, North Karamoja, and North Mbale, which I hope to visit next year. By the end of this year I will have also visited Namirembe and Northern Uganda.

During the second half of my term as Archbishop, I want to devote myself to the work of the Church based in the city of Kampala.  There are important things only the Archbishop can do with our leaders in the city that will have a direct impact on the mission of our church throughout the country.  I will, of course, accept special invitations from dioceses to do mission, as well as overseas invitations for mission.

As we consider what it would mean for us to declare the next ten years as a Decade of Mission, I want us to acknowledge that God has blessed us with a rich spiritual heritage of our martyrs and the revival. He has blessed us with abundant natural resources. If you have ever traveled to other parts of the world and then returned home to Uganda, you will know what I’m talking about. There’s no reason Uganda cannot be a bright light on this continent between what God has given to us naturally and what God has given to us supernaturally.

Just as with Abraham, God is calling us to be a blessing to the nations.  We have been blessed in order to be a blessing.  If we only receive the blessing, but do not give it away, we shall become like the Dead Sea, where life comes in, only to die there. If there is no outlet…if there is no drive to be a blessing to others, then as a church I fear we shall start to wither up and die.

So, I want to call us to embrace a Decade of Mission. This is not our mission, but it is God’s mission. A Decade where we are self-consciously aware and strategically committed to participating in God’s mission in the world.  God is already at work, accomplishing His purposes. It is our job to find out what God is doing and to join Him in it.

So, I want us to consider the next ten years to be a Decade of Mission. This would be a Decade of Mission on five levels:

1. A Decade of Mission in our personal lives
2. A Decade of Mission in our churches
3. A Decade of Mission in our institutions
4. A Decade of Mission in our country
5. A Decade of Mission in our Anglican Communion

5.   The Decade of Mission in our personal lives.

First, we need a Decade of Mission in our personal lives. This is a big subject, so I will highlight only two areas.

First, our work ethic.  Your work is sacred. It should be done to the glory of God. We work as unto the Lord. We have a problem in our country where 85% of us are considered to be Christian, and yet we have one of the highest levels of corruption in the world.  I have come to the conclusion that the word ‘corruption’ is too polite a word. Brothers and sisters, we need to call corruption what it is – it is theft. It is stealing.  It is seeking first my own kingdom, and not seeking first the Kingdom of God.  We need a massive commitment on the part of all Christians to agree together to seek first, not our own kingdom, but God’s Kingdom and His righteousness. If we are faithful in this, then God will be faithful to add unto us everything we need.

I am aware that the Government has set up many commissions of inquiry to probe corrupt transactions. We also know that the findings and recommendations of these commissions of enquiry have not yet received due attention. Ugandans expect the government to implement fully the reports of these commissions of inquiry that were conducted at great expense to the taxpayers. In that regard, I appeal to our national leaders to step up the fight against corruption. Ugandans expect that steps will be taken, as soon as possible, to bring the perpetrators of grand corruption to justice through prosecution and recovery of embezzled public funds and assets.

I also wonder how we can be a country that is 85% Christian and have so many of our children molested and defiled by their own relatives or other community members. Or, in our schools where older children initiate the new S1 students by sodomizing them.  We all know youth who come home from school at the end of the term and announce to their parents that they are refusing to return. Why? You know why, and I know why.  I am becoming concerned that this is becoming epidemic in our country and it is our children who are suffering.  As parents, as aunties and uncles, as elders – we must stand up for them and do everything we can to protect them.  Paul described a group in Philippi by saying of them, “Their god is their belly.” (Phil 3.19) They were seeking the “kingdom of their belly.” What has happened in our country that we have this situation where people are seeking the “kingdom of their sexual gratification”?

Brothers and sisters, we need a Decade of Mission in our own personal lives where in practical ways we seek first not our own kingdom, but the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. We seek God’s Kingdom in the way we use our money, in the way we guard sexual intimacy for marriage between one man and one woman, in the way we use our power to serve others, and not to be served.

6.  A Decade of Mission in our churches.

Secondly, we need a Decade of Mission in our churches.  It is far too easy to become focused on maintenance in our churches. We go through the motions of weekly services, Parish Council meetings, Mother’s Union meetings, confirmation classes, etc. We are busy. But, I want to ask – Are our people growing deeper in their love for God and their neighbour? Are people understanding more and more of the Bible and living in obedience to God’s Word? Are people sharing what they have with one another? Is the church ministering to the children and youth in the community? We have high levels of unemployment in Uganda. Yes, this is a problem. But, it also means we have many youth who are available to be released as an army of intercessors and a force of mission teams.

This would be a Decade of Mission where every area of our church life is about seeking God’s Kingdom and advancing God’s Kingdom.  It means that in our church life we would give up unnecessary bureaucracy and make sure that our meetings, programmes, and plans are actually making a difference in the lives of our people at the grassroots. It is not enough to have a meeting with an agenda and read the minutes from the previous meeting and then go home. And, then return to the next meeting and read the minutes from the previous meeting. That is maintenance. May God deliver us from maintenance and propel us into mission.

I’m talking about a Decade of Mission where our ministries are not about building our own personal empires, but about seeing the Kingdom of God become real today, on earth as it is in heaven.  A Decade of Mission where we are not in ministry for our own personal benefit and gain, but to see God glorified, and to watch Him provide for us all that we need.

We need a Decade of Mission where not only do we have strong Dioceses, but we also have strong congregations…all the way down to the grassroots level of our church. The key to this, brothers and sisters, is deliberate attention to the youth. We need to mentor them and coach them in life skills, discipleship, leadership, and ministry.  It’s only when we give them a high degree of involvement, belonging and ownership that the church can be alive today and for the next generation. May I encourage the House of Laity to request the youth members to take some time among themselves and to deliberate and propose resolutions to this Assembly. I think this will be the best way to hear their voice.

Our people are shifting more and more to our urban centres. In this Decade of Mission, every urban centre needs to develop strategies for the planting of more churches. By our next Provincial Assembly, I want to hear stories about new church plants in each of our growing urban centres.

Kampala is expanding in every direction, and I urge Kampala and Namirembe Dioceses to work together to develop plans for the planting of at least three new churches every year during this Decade of Mission. Our existing churches are not sufficient to meet the demands of the growing population. New people require us to plant new churches and to engage in new strategies of collaboration.

This kind of vision of a Decade of Mission in our churches will require renewed attention to theological education and leadership development among our clergy and key lay leaders in our congregations. I commend to you the programme for continuing education for clergy in-service training that Bishop David Sebuhinja is leading from the Secretariat, along with the Education Department’s BUILD training.

We are also facing a clergy crisis in the next ten years, when 60% of our clergy in the Province will retire.  This has led to the crash courses we discussed at the last Provincial Assembly and agreed we would not continue.  So, may I commend to you the separate Report in the file from the Commission for Theological Training and Ministerial Formation which highlights the UCU scheme to offer placements at Bishop Tucker for three students every year from each diocese… provided the diocese values the training enough to cater for the student’s upkeep!  The Report also encourages reviving the Provincial Ordination Certificate programme.

I am calling for a Decade of Mission in our personal lives. A Decade of Mission in our Churches.  And, …

7.  A Decade of Mission in our institutions.

When Jesus began his public ministry, it says he went about “preaching, teaching, and healing.”  That’s why the Church of Uganda has not only churches where we focus on the preaching of God’s Word, but also schools and hospitals. Jesus’ mission focused on “preaching, teaching, and healing” and in this Decade of Mission I envision renewed emphasis not only on making our congregations stronger, but also on linking our schools and health clinics with the mission of God.

8.  The Local Church as a Mission Centre

Most Ugandans experience the Church of Uganda in their local congregation, so as we consider the next ten years as a Decade of Mission, I call upon every parish priest and lay reader to increase opportunities for Bible Study, to continually improve our preaching, to make our worship both faithful to our Anglican tradition as well as relevant to our youth and African context, and to plan regular mission outreaches in the villages. The Provincial Secretariat has many programmes available to assist the local church in these things – the Alpha Course, Purpose Driven Living, BUILD, youth ministry training, worship training, etc. Please take advantage of them!

By the time the next Provincial Assembly meets I would love to hear that Uganda not only receives missionaries, but sends missionaries. We do already send some short-term missionaries, but what about responding to the plea of our northern neighbour in Sudan for evangelists and teachers?  I know there are people in our church who would respond, “Here am I, Lord; send me.”  Where are they? They are in our local congregations. But, do we have the vision for this? And, where are the resources in our church to support them? Where are the people and the individuals with the vision to be a blessing to support them? By our next Provincial Assembly I would love to hear that we have raised up, trained, and supported Ugandans as missionaries!

9.  Education as Mission

When we turned over our schools to the government, we lost a strategic tool for mission – Education as Mission. May I urge us, in the strongest possible terms, to understand that Education can be Mission, and it can be a very strategic way to engage this Decade of Mission. I call upon the members and leaders in our church to embrace our schools, and to develop strategic plans for their redevelopment, for the starting of new schools, and for placing Chaplains in every school.

My friends, something has gone dramatically wrong when our children experience school as a place where they might be killed in a fire, or where strikes and riots are seen to be the best way to resolve disputes, or where they are victimized by immoral behaviour.  Our schools and their leaders need to seek God’s kingdom first, knowing that “all good things will be added unto them.”

I commend to you the separate report in the file of the Commission on Higher Education, and I especially renew my appeal to our diocesan leaders to consolidate our tertiary colleges, rather than spreading them out without adequate planning as is our practice today.

10.  Health Care as Mission

I urge us to also see our Health Clinics as active centres for mission – “Health Care as Mission.”  Our Health Centres should be a qualitatively different experience than those not run by the Church. It was the church that first brought modern medical care to our people in Uganda, and it should be the Church that continues to raise the standard of treatment and care in our country. Are patients treated with respect and dignity when they come? Do our health care workers understand that some patients must be treated urgently in order to avoid serious problems? Our Lord Jesus Christ came to bring life and to bring it abundantly. I have seen some health care workers who don’t seem to value life.  May it never be said of Church of Uganda health centres that people died unnecessarily because they were not tended to.

11.  Planning and Development as Mission

In the Book of Revelation, we get a picture of what the fullness of God’s Kingdom looks like. Rev 7.16 says, “Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat.”  This is part of God’s mission in the world, and when we seek first God’s Kingdom, we are participating in what God is doing in the world. That’s why we have a department in our church focused on development and planning. God cares whether or not His people have enough food or access to clean drinking water or a roof over their heads. And, if this is something that God cares about, so do we! Even now, we have people in Uganda facing hunger because of drought. Yet, we have some of the richest soil for agriculture and many fresh water lakes. The early Christians in the Book of Acts made sure that there were no needy people among them. What about us?

All that is needed, my friends, is for us to seek God’s Kingdom first, and these things will be added unto us. But, we have to actively “seek.” This means we can’t sit around and wait for someone else to do it for us. We must do the “seeking” ourselves. No one else can “seek” for us.  We must come together, thank God for the abundant resources He has given us, and give ourselves to adequate planning, and God will bless it. Who are you waiting for? I urge us to empower and mobilize our communities to plan and creatively address the development challenges before us.

12.  Business as Mission.

There is an innovative approach to mission today that is being well received in many parts of the world and I want us to understand it and embrace it. It is known as “Business as Mission.”

I want to ask our Christians who are businessmen and businesswomen to offer their business skills to God’s mission. God can use Business to advance His Kingdom’s purposes.  There are many Ugandans who have gone to Sudan to do business. What if they went to Sudan as missionaries disguised as businessmen? They would be there not only to do business, but to trade in the Gospel.   We wouldn’t have to wait to raise funds to send them as missionaries, because they could support themselves!  We need to see even our businesses here as an opportunity for fulfilling God’s mission in the world and for seeking first the Kingdom of God.  Not only can Business fund mission, but it can also be the means by which we do mission.

I am calling for a transformation of our understanding of business. We usually think of business as a way to cheat people, because many of those who do business are not honest. But, that doesn’t make business necessarily bad or evil. If it is used for God’s purposes and done in God’s way, it can be a powerful tool for ministry.

The Church House project has been a long-time plan for such Business as Mission. I am pleased to report that soon we should begin construction on the Church House.  Thank you for your faithful prayers and support over many years.  We have entered into an agreement with Sun Developers, who will take Church House forward under a Build-Operate and Transfer arrangement. Please pay special attention to the details contained in the Church House Board report.

13.  Stewardship as Mission

During this Decade of Mission I urge us to make stewardship a strong focus in everything we do.

Most of us would not normally think of the way we handle money as a spiritual matter. But, it is.  The Bible has 275 verses that speak about prayer. But, it has 2,350 verses that speak about money, wealth, and possessions. This is a topic that is important to God…and, it should be important to us.  Our theme is “Seek ye first the Kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things [we need] will be added unto you.” Jesus doesn’t say, “Seek first your material comfort, and then God’s Kingdom will be added unto you.” No, we are to seek first God’s Kingdom.

We in Uganda have amazing resources that have been entrusted to us by God.  During this Decade of Mission I want to encourage every Bishop, every parish priest, and every Lay Reader to teach every year, throughout the year, what the Bible says about tithing and stewardship.

It’s not enough, though, to teach only about personal stewardship. We must be good corporate stewards of the resources God has given to us. That’s why accountability and transparency in our financial management is so important.

I want to appreciate our current Board of Finance and the staff in the Treasury Department of the Provincial Secretariat. They are upgrading us in our corporate stewardship.  I also encourage every diocese to continually upgrade the skills and capacity of your Bishop, Diocesan Treasurer, and Diocesan Secretary in the area of financial management. If you are not getting a good financial report every quarter, then you do not have adequate information to be a good steward of the resources God has given to you.

The more we as leaders are accountable and transparent with what our people are giving to God, then the more our people will move toward obedience in tithing. But, as leaders, we must lead. That means we must go first. We must set the example of tithing and transparency ourselves.

Finally, I want to call upon every diocese and institution in our church, and even the provincial secretariat, to set targets for reducing our dependency upon outside funding and to increase the percentage of local resources that are funding our mission. By the next Provincial Assembly I would like to honour the diocese that has made the most progress, and the institution that has made the most progress.

14.  Public Policy and Civic Responsibility as Mission

Paul, in his letter to the Romans (Rom 12.18), exhorts us saying, “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”  As a country, we are facing ongoing challenges related to our common life and our maturing as a democracy. As Christians and as disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ, we are called to be salt and light and to be engaged with public policy and I urge each of us to be peacefully engaged in these issues.

In the recent past we have experienced serious challenges in the sphere of governance, especially with regard to the observance of, and respect for human rights and the rule of law. Laws, as you all know, are a product of our national aspirations. They are put in place for the good of all people in the country. It therefore pains us considerably when we hear, as we have heard or read in the media now and again, that the Police who are charged with the responsibility of protecting life and property and maintaining law and order have been mishandling Ugandans who are exercising their democratic rights to peaceful assembly.

It also pains us when we hear or read in the media that some Ugandans who are arrested have not been produced in court within the period of 48 hours that is prescribed in our Constitution. The Constitution enjoins members of the security organs to observe and respect human rights when performing their duties and obligations. I therefore urge all concerned, including our policy makers, to appreciate that respect for the law is the basis of a healthy and prosperous society. This is a principle that can be overlooked, neglected or compromised at great cost to our national pride and image.

LAND BILL:

I had an opportunity to meet H.E the President and among other things discussed the Land bill.  As a church I urge the government to not rush this bill.  Land is precious to everyone and the people need to be given time to understand and make comments freely. The best way to proceed peacefully on this matter is to not hurry the process, but to take time for careful thought and consultations by the various organs in place.  Government should also protect the citizens who are being evicted during this interim period. Some influential people are taking advantage of this process to act greedily.

15.   Anglican Communion

As far as the Anglican Communion is concerned, there is good news and there is bad news. The bad news is that many of the churches in the Western world seem to be unrepentant in their promotion of unbiblical faith and practice. The most obvious symptom of this is the increasing number of churches permitting the blessing of same-sex unions. It is now happening not only in America and Canada, but also in England and Scotland.

16.  Lambeth.

The Lambeth Conference concluded at the beginning of this month, but approximately 30% of the Communion’s bishops, including all of our Bishops, did not attend.  The Bishops from Uganda, Nigeria, Rwanda, Kenya, and Sydney (Australia) could not in conscience attend a conference that was designed not to address the serious issues dividing the Communion and in which the persistent violators of previous Lambeth resolutions were invited.  In fact, the Lambeth Conference made no resolutions and their lack of action has seriously weakened itself as a viable Instrument of Unity in the Communion.

While the Conference assumed Lambeth 1.10 as the standard of teaching in the Communion on sexuality, the reality was that in all discussion groups, every opinion was made to be valid. The net effect is the unfortunate weakening of Lambeth 1.10.  Most of the Bishops in America who were already permitting the blessing of same-sex unions in their dioceses have returned home and assured their members that they will continue…despite the repeated calls for there to be a moratorium on the blessing of same-sex unions. So, in reality, the Communion is no further along in resolving the crisis, and may be in a worse place now than before Lambeth.

17.  GAFCON

The good news about the Anglican Communion is represented by the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) that 106 people from Uganda attended in June in Jerusalem.  At the conclusion of a very intense week of plenary sessions, small group Bible studies, worship, and pilgrimages to Biblical sites, the 1,200 representatives there from 26 countries affirmed the Jerusalem Declaration.

GAFCON addressed the crisis of Biblical authority in the Anglican Communion by setting out the 14 tenets of the Jerusalem Declaration as a kind of Covenant. It addressed the crisis of ecclesiastical authority in the Communion by recognizing a Primates’ Council to provide leadership and accountability to the Fellowship into which we invite all Confessing Anglicans who uphold the historic faith of Anglicanism as articulated in the Jerusalem Declaration.  GAFCON also did two other related things.

1.   “While acknowledging the nature of Canterbury as an historic see, we do not accept that Anglican identity is determined necessarily through recognition by the Archbishop of Canterbury.”

2.   This means that GAFCON can look forward to recognizing in North America the Common Cause Partnership as a legitimate ecclesial entity within Anglicanism. Common Cause has already appealed to the Primates’ Council for such recognition.

GAFCON is creating for the Anglican Communion what our revival fellowships are within the Church of Uganda.  I am a member of the GAFCON Primates’ Council and I can assure you that this is a very good thing for the Anglican Communion and will help us return to our Biblical roots as a Communion. I hope you will consider a resolution that supports the Church of Uganda’s involvement in the emerging GAFCON Revival for the Anglican Communion.

As you know at our last Provincial Assembly, I recommended that we update our Constitution so that as a Church we define who we are in full communion with solely on the basis of adherence to doctrine and upholding the Bible.  This proposal received wide support at the 18^th Provincial Assembly, but because of a procedural matter, the decision was deferred. We are still working through the amendment process, but I would like to ask this Provincial Assembly to reaffirm, in principle, our position that as a Church we declare that “we are in full communion with all Churches, Dioceses and Provinces of the Anglican Communion throughout the world that receive, hold, and maintain the Canonical Scriptures of the Old and New Testament as the Word of God written and the ultimate rule and standard of faith given by inspiration of God, and containing all things necessary for salvation.”

We have prepared materials you can collect at this Provincial Assembly that answer questions about GAFCON, the Anglican Communion, and the Church of Uganda. We also have copies for you of the Jerusalem Declaration.

18.  Conclusion

So, beloved, this is what I mean by a Decade of Mission. No one can escape. There is a place for each of us. Jesus put it this way to his disciples on the day of his Ascension into heaven, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1.8)  We’re talking about a Decade of Mission in our personal lives, in our churches, in our institutions, in our country, and in the Anglican Communion…and even to places where there are no existing churches!  For too long we have been complacent as a church, and we need a vision we can rally around.

19.    APPRECIATION:

Allow me to extend a vote of thanks to the Secretariat for the hard work exhibited in producing the documents and Uganda Christian University and others for the team work that has made this Assembly successful.

Once again, I thank the Hon. Prime Minister for slotting in this time amidst his heavy schedules to open this Assembly and his firm Christian stand and ably representing the government in good and bad moments.

Our delegates, invited guests and all our mission partners, we value your presence and thank you for putting aside this time for us.  May He who brought you here safely, bless you and go ahead of you as you will be traveling back to your respective places.  God bless you.

20.    ANNOUNCEMENTS:

Allow me to announce to you the appointment of the new Bishop of Mityana Diocese.  He is Rev. Canon Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba who will be succeeding the Rt. Rev. Dr. Dunstan Bukenya.  His Consecration and Enthronement will be on 26^th October 2008 at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, Mityana.

Signed,

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi

ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA

GAFCON began as the Global Anglican Future Conference and Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. It produced a conference Statement which expressed the minds and hearts of the 1,200 people present, including entire House of Bishops from the Provinces of Nigeria, Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya. In addition, there were representative Bishops from Tanzania, Congo, West Africa, Sudan, India, Southern Cone, Southeast Asia, Australia, USA, Canada, and UK. The clear mind of the conference was threefold:
1.    The fellowship that was shared needed to continue beyond just this one event, and it needed to expand to include others who are sympathetic to the vision and goals of GAFCON. Hence, it was declared that
2.    The Jerusalem Declaration, a statement of 14 theological points, is at the heart of this movement and fellowship of confessing Anglicans.
3.    We asked the Primates to form a Primates Council to serve as the Instrument of Unity, Leadership, and Authority for this Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, and we gave to the Primates Council the authority to recognize Anglicans, even if they were not already recognized by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

What is the Anglican Communion?

The Anglican Communion is a family of independent and autonomous Provinces of Churches, most of whom trace their origin to the Church of England, who worship using the Book of Common Prayer, and whose Bishops have been ordained in apostolic succession through the English succession.  It is not like the Roman Catholic Church, which is governed by the Pope. There is no central headquarters for the Anglican Communion. The Archbishop of Canterbury is not like an “Anglican Pope.”

Recently, four “Instruments of Communion” were identified as structures for the Communion:
1.    The Archbishop of Canterbury
2.    The Primates Meeting
3.    The Lambeth Conference of Bishops
4.    The Anglican Consultative Council
The Primates Meeting only meets when it is called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and only the ones invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury go to the meeting. The Lambeth Conference only meets when called by the Archbishop of Canterbury, and only the ones invited by the Archbishop of Canterbury go to the meeting.  The President of the Anglican Consultative Council is the Archbishop of Canterbury and he inaugurates meetings of the ACC. The one person that is common to all four Instruments of Communion is the Archbishop of Canterbury, and without him they cannot do very much. Practically speaking, then, it is the Archbishop of Canterbury who is at the centre of the Communion’s structures, and one man, through the power of invitation, determines who is “in” the Anglican Communion, and who is “out” of the Anglican Communion.  And, this one man is not elected by his fellow Primates.  He is, rather, appointed by a secular government.

GAFCON came to the sober realization that the existing structures of the Anglican Communion were no longer serving the Communion well. So, GAFCON launched a Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans, whose structure of unity/communion is a Council of Primates, and “membership” in the Fellowship of Confessing Anglicans is determined by assent to the Jerusalem Declaration.

Does the COU’s role in GAFCON mean that we are breaking up the Anglican Communion?

No.  GAFCON, and the COU’s role in GAFCON, is a movement to restore good order, theological integrity, and Biblical faithfulness to the Anglican Communion, which was deeply wounded in 2003 when the Episcopal Church in America consecrated as bishop a gay man living in a same-sex relationship. If the Anglican Communion breaks up it will be because of the actions of the American Church, its ongoing unrepentant attitude toward them, and their determined imperialism to impose their views on the rest of the Anglican Communion.  Not only has the American Church not repented of its 2003 decision and action, but they have continued to advance non-Biblical teaching and practice. Their Bishops and many clergy have presided at the blessing of same-sex unions. Their Archbishop does not believe the Bible when Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but by me.” Another American Bishop has said, “The Church wrote the Bible, so the church can re-write the Bible.”

What is our relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury?

Our relationship with the Archbishop of Canterbury is the same as it has always been, although the current crisis has strained our relationship. He is the Primate of All England. We have great respect for the office of the Archbishop of Canterbury because his church brought the Gospel to us, and we honour him for that. The Church of Uganda, however, is not governed by him. In 1961 the Church of Uganda became autonomous from the Church of England and is now governed by our Provincial Assembly and led by the Archbishop of Uganda.

How can we be part of the Anglican Communion if we don’t recognize the authority of Canterbury?

The Anglican Communion is a family of self-governing, autonomous churches, most of whom trace their origins to the Church of England.  When the Church of Uganda became independent of the Church of England in 1961, the Archbishop of Canterbury gave up his authority in Uganda, but remained with some degree of influence as a result of our history.

What is our relationship with the Anglican Communion now? Are we still in the Anglican Communion?

The Church of Uganda is a full member of the Anglican Communion. We love the Anglican Communion and are committed to seeing the Anglican Communion thrive today in its Christ-centred, Biblical, and mission-driven heritage.

What is our relationship with the Episcopal Church in America (TEC)?

The Church of Uganda broke fellowship with The Episcopal Church in the United States in 2003 when they elected and consecrated as Bishop a man living in an active homosexual relationship. The Episcopal Church has not repented of that decision. In fact, some of their bishops have presided at the blessing of same-sex unions and are advocating their use by clergy in their dioceses.  We are very sad that the leadership of the Episcopal Church has taken these decisions because they are like false shepherds leading their people astray. We love them and long for them to repent and return to the Truth of God’s Word. We pray for them.

There are many Americans who do not support the unbiblical decisions of the Episcopal Church. We are in fellowship with them. More than 44 congregations in America have appealed to be part of the Church of Uganda so they can continue to be Anglicans. We have welcomed them and consecrated an American as a Bishop to support them.

Why did our Bishops not go to Lambeth?

The Church of Uganda Bishops decided together not to go to the Lambeth Conference this year. Their decision was unanimously supported by the governing body of the Church of Uganda, the Provincial Assembly Standing Committee. The reason the Church of Uganda did not go to Lambeth is because the purpose of Lambeth is for fellowship among Bishops, and our fellowship has been broken with the American church. In direct violation of the Bible and historic Christian teaching, they consecrated as a Bishop a gay man living in a same-sex relationship.  After five years of pleading with them, listening to them, and giving them many opportunities, they have not repented of that decision.

The Archbishop of Canterbury did not follow the advice given to him by his own appointed Commission to not invite to Lambeth those responsible for the confusion and disobedience in the Anglican Communion. The Bible says, “Do two walk together unless they have agreed to do so?” We have not been in fellowship with the Americans who have violated the Bible since 2003, so we were not going to pretend by going to Lambeth that we are in fellowship. We are not. What they have done is a very serious thing, and what the Archbishop of Canterbury has done in inviting them is grievous and we wanted them to know that.

How does COU’s role in GAFCON affect my local church and my identity as an Anglican?

The Church of Uganda’s role in GAFCON means that the values of the Church of Uganda have been affirmed – the Lordship of Jesus Christ, the authority of the Bible, the importance of mission and evangelism, and the need for a practical outworking of the Gospel in the day-to-day lives of our people and communities.  .

What is the COU’s position on the ordination of women as Bishops?

The canons of the Church of Uganda indicate that anyone who is ordained is eligible to be elected as a Bishop.

What is the COU’s position on homosexuality?

The Church of Uganda’s position on homosexual behaviour is taken from the Bible, where it is considered a sin, along with idolatry, drunkenness, greed, adultery, stealing, fornication, lying, etc. (1 Corinthians 6.9-11).  Jesus came to save men and women, boys and girls from the power of sin and to give them abundant life in the righteousness of Christ.  The Church of Uganda welcomes all sinners and proclaims the Bible’s promise, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. But, if we confess our sin, God, who is faithful and just, will forgive us our sin and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1.8-9).  Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi has said, “Violence against homosexuals is wrong.”

What Is Anglicanism?

by Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi

Copyright (c) 2007 First Things (August/September 2007).

http://www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=6002

Few would deny that the Anglican Communion is in crisis. The nature of that crisis, however, remains a question. Is it about sexuality? Is it a crisis of authority—who has it and who doesn’t? Have Anglicans lost their commitment to the via media, epitomized by the Elizabethan Settlement, which somehow declared a truce between Puritan and Catholic sentiments in the Church of England? Is it a crisis of globalization? A crisis of identity?

I have the privilege of serving as archbishop of the Church of Uganda, providing spiritual leadership and oversight to more than nine million Anglicans. Uganda is second only to Nigeria as the largest Anglican province in the world, and most of our members are fiercely loyal to their global communion. But however we come to understand the current crisis in Anglicanism, this much is apparent: The younger churches of Anglican Christianity will shape what it means to be Anglican. The long season of British hegemony is over.

The preface to the Book of Common Prayer states, “It is a most invaluable part of that blessed ‘liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free,’ that in his worship different forms and usages may without offense be allowed, provided the substance of the Faith be kept entire; and that, in every Church, what cannot be clearly determined to belong to Doctrine must be referred to Discipline.”

And yet, despite this clear distinction, contemporary Anglicans are in danger of confusing doctrine and discipline. For four hundred years Anglicanism represented both the theological convictions of the English Reformation and the culture of the Christian Church in Britain. The sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Anglican divines gave voice to both: English Reformation theology (doctrine) and British culture (discipline). The Anglican churches around the world, however, have ended the assumption that Anglican belief and practice must be clothed in historic British culture.

Take, for instance, the traditional Anglican characteristics of restraint and moderation. Are they part of doctrine, as Anglican theology, or discipline, as British culture? At the recent consecration of the fourth bishop of the Karamoja diocese, the preacher was the bishop of a neighboring diocese whose people have historically been at odds with the Karimajong (principally because of cattle rustling). At the end of his sermon, the preacher appealed for peace between the two tribes and began singing a song of peace. One by one, members of the congregation began singing. By the end of the song, the attending bishops, members of Parliament, and Karimajong warriors were all in the aisles dancing.

The vision of Christ breaking down the dividing walls of hostility between these historic rivals was so compelling that joy literally broke out in our midst. At that point in the service, I dare say, we were hardly restrained or moderate in our enthusiasm for the hope of peace given to us in Jesus Christ. Did we fail, then, in being Anglican in that moment? Was the spontaneity that overcame us a part of doctrine or of discipline? Surely, African joy in song and dance is an expression of discipline. Yet our confidence that the Word of God remains true, and our confidence that it transforms individuals and communities—all this is part of doctrine: the substance of the Faith that shall not change but shall be “kept entire.”

In the Church of Uganda, Anglicanism has been built on three pillars: martyrs, revival, and the historic episcopate. Yet each of these refers back to the Word of God, the ground on which all is built: The faith of the martyrs was maintained by the Word of God, the East African revival brought to the people the Word of God, and the historic ordering of ministry was designed to advance the Word of God.

So let us think about how the Word of God works in the worldwide Anglican Communion. We in the Church of Uganda are convinced that Scripture must be reasserted as the central authority in our communion. The basis of our commitment to Anglicanism is that it provides a wider forum for holding each other accountable to Scripture, which is the seed of faith and the foundation of the Church in Uganda.

The Bible cannot appear to us a cadaver, merely to be dissected, analyzed, and critiqued, as has been the practice of much modern higher biblical criticism. Certainly we engage in biblical scholarship and criticism, but what is important to us is the power of the Word of God precisely as the Word of God—written to bring transformation in our lives, our families, our communities, and our culture. For us, the Bible is “living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates to dividing soul and spirits, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The transforming effect of the Bible on Ugandans has generated so much conviction and confidence that believers were martyred in the defense of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ that it brought.

For the Ugandan church to compromise God’s call of obedience to the Scriptures would be the undoing of more than 125 years of Christianity through which African life and society have been transformed. Traditional African society was solely an oral culture, which limited its ability to share ideas beyond the family level. We couldn’t write our language, and there was nothing to read in our language. The first converts in Uganda were called “readers” because they could read the Bible, the first book available in our own languages. Because of the Bible, our languages have been enriched and recorded. For the first time, we heard God in our own languages. To this day, our people bring their Bibles to church and follow along with the readings.

In some traditional African societies, women were denied benefits because of various superstitions. For example, some societies believed that if women ate chicken they would grow beards. In that culture, women, then, never ate chicken. When the Bible came alive during the East African Revival of the 1930s, the Holy Spirit convicted men of such sins of oppression and began the progressive empowerment of women that is continuing today. So, for another example, the African tradition of polygamy and divorce at will left many women neglected and often destitute. The biblical teaching of marriage between one man and one woman in a loving, lifelong relationship liberated not only women but also the institution of marriage and family.

For many of our tribes, revenge was esteemed as a virtue. If a family had been violated, the first instinct was to gather the clan, arm them, and seek revenge on the family and clan of the offender. In such realms, the Bible has had a profoundly transforming effect, given the teaching of Jesus on forgiveness. Traditional Ugandan society was driven by family loyalties, with little basis for loving those beyond your blood ties. The Bible brought the teaching of Jesus to love our neighbors and even our enemies. And, while there remain remnants of the old culture, the Bible has given us a moral and spiritual basis for transforming culture.

Traditional African objects of worship were limited to families and clans. This created a context in which no central beliefs could be held or shared beyond the ethnic setting. Yet ancestral spirits and such natural phenomena as earthquakes, lakes, and mountains could not satisfy the Africans’ quest for the living God. The Bible’s revelation of God as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit brought hope for deliverance from the fatalism that resulted from worshiping created things rather than the Creator and Redeemer.

The gospel of Jesus Christ as revealed to us through the Word of God enables warring tribes to begin to coexist and to embrace neighborliness. Indeed, the Word of God opened the way for the nation of Uganda to be forged. When evangelists from Buganda (in central Uganda) traveled to tribes in the east, west, and north, a new day dawned in our country. Instead of being armed with spears, they came armed only with the Word of God. Instead of a message of war and destruction, they delivered a message of Good News from the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

As the Bible came with the authority of Christ, it revealed a God that is greater than the evil spirits and the kingdom of darkness that controlled so many people’s lives. In Uganda, the Bible has grown into a cherished source of authority that is central to Christian faith, practice, and mission. For all God’s people, obedience to this Bible is the source of confidence, abundant life, and joy. It is an absolute treasure that no one can take away. Isaiah, later quoted by Peter, wrote, “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8; 1 Pet. 1:24-25). The grass on which our cattle feed, the grass from which our roofs are thatched—all this withers. But the Word of God has withstood the test of time. The Bible is at the heart of our Anglican identity, and we Ugandan Anglicans joyfully submit to its life-giving and transforming authority.

With this knowledge of the centrality of the authority of Scripture in Anglicanism, therefore, we understand ourselves to be in the mainstream of Anglicanism—from Thomas Cranmer to John Stott. The evangelical tradition in the Church of England produced William Wilberforce, whose lifelong mission to eradicate slavery and the slave trade liberated our people. It produced Charles Simeon, who inspired the beginning of mission societies that shared the gospel of Jesus Christ with us and many others. It produced Bishop Tucker and other missionaries, who risked their lives to come to Uganda. These and many more Anglican evangelicals brought us the legacy of the Protestant Reformation in England. Their commitment to salvation through faith in Jesus Christ as revealed in Scripture has continued among us to this day.

Such a commitment—to the authority of Scripture as a defining mark of Anglican identity—was why the vast majority of bishops from the Global South and I insisted that Lambeth Resolution 1.10, the 1998 decision on human sexuality, include the words “incompatible with Holy Scripture” when describing homosexual practice. This standard of Holy Scripture is why we continue to uphold Lambeth 1.10 each time we meet.

In the current Anglican crisis, we are at risk of losing our biblical foundation. As bishops, we are constrained, in the words of the 1662 Ordinal, “to banish and drive away from the Church all erroneous and strange doctrine contrary to God’s Word,” and we are determined “out of the same Holy Scriptures to instruct the people committed to [our] charge and to teach or maintain nothing, as necessary to eternal salvation, but that which [we] shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved by the same.”

From Thomas Cranmer to Richard Hooker, from the Thirty-Nine Articles and the 1662 Ordinal to the 1998 Lambeth Conference, the authority of Holy Scripture has always held a central and foundational role in Anglican identity. This is true for the Anglican church in Uganda; and, if it is not true for the entire Anglican Communion, then that communion will cease to be an authentic expression of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Tertullian’s oft-quoted statement “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church” is the story of the faith in Uganda. On his first visit to Uganda in 1885, the Englishman and missionary bishop James Hannington was martyred as he tried to cross the river Nile into central Uganda. Bishop Hannington was coming to Uganda from Kenya and decided to approach the Buganda kingdom from the east. Unfortunately, unknown to him, there was a Baganda belief that its enemies would approach the kingdom from the eastern route. So the king, the Kabaka, sent warriors to meet this encroaching enemy. Before they killed Hannington, on October 29, 1885, he is reported to have said, “Tell the Kabaka that I die for Uganda.”

Less than a year later, on June 3, 1886, the king of Buganda ordered the killing of twenty-six of his court pages because they refused his homosexual advances and would not recant their belief in King Jesus. They cut and carried the reeds that were then wrapped around them and set on fire in an execution pit. As the flames engulfed them, these young martyrs sang songs of praise. Far from eliminating Christianity, the martyrdoms had the opposite effect: If the faith of these martyrs was worth dying for, then it must also be something worth living for. Christianity began to spread like wildfire.

Martyrdom, however, is not a thing of the past. As recently as 1977, the archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Janani Luwum, was martyred at the hands of Ugandan dictator Idi Amin. Archbishop Luwum spoke out boldly against the injustices and atrocities of Amin. This, however, ushered in a swift and merciless reaction from Amin. The archbishop’s home was plundered during a 1:30 a.m. raid on February 5, 1977. This brought a piercing censure of Amin from the Ugandan House of Bishops. Church leaders were summoned to Kampala and then ordered to leave, one by one. Luwum turned to Bishop Festo Kivengere and said: “They are going to kill me. I am not afraid.”

On February 16, 1977, Amin had Archbishop Luwum arrested on trumped-up charges of treason. Thrown into a cell with several other political prisoners, the archbishop said, “Let us pray.” Then they were taken to Amin himself, brutally beaten, and shot to death. “While the opportunity is there, I preach the Gospel with all my might, and my conscience is clear before God that I have not sided with the present government which is utterly self-seeking,” Janani Luwum wrote. “I have been threatened many times. Whenever I have the opportunity I have told the president the things the churches disapprove of. God is my witness.”

The influence of these martyrs on the faith of Anglican Christians in Uganda cannot be underestimated. The Church of Uganda has been built not only on the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus as the cornerstone, but also on its martyrs. The faith and moral vision for which our martyrs died can never be denied by the Church of Uganda. Their courage and complete confidence in the God of the Bible and the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has left an indelible mark on Christianity in Uganda.

The experience of martyrdom is not, however, unique to Uganda. The faith of the Ugandan martyrs is the same faith that took Cranmer, Latimer, and Ridley to the stake. Latimer’s dying words to Ridley were, “Be of good comfort, Master Ridley, and play the man; we shall this day light such a candle, by God’s grace, in England, as I trust shall never be put out.” Yet, as the light of the gospel continues to dim in the Western world, are we not betraying our founding fathers and the Reformation Faith for which they died?

Do we not need a revival of the martyrs’ confidence in the Word of God? A revival in the conviction that this Faith that was worth dying for is the same Faith worth living for today? The heroes of Anglicanism throughout the world are our martyrs.

In 1935, fifty-eight years after the first missionaries arrived in Uganda, a revival broke out in northeastern Rwanda and rapidly spread throughout Uganda, beginning in the western part of the country. At that time, much of Anglicanism in Uganda was nominal. The missionaries had emphasized liturgical and formal expressions of faith, grounded in the catechism. When the East African Revival broke out, the nominal African Christians realized that what they had learned from the missionaries through the catechism and liturgy actually made a difference in their lives.

The influence of the revival cannot be overemphasized. The Ugandan Anglican identity was forged through God’s gift to us of the East African Revival. Genuine repentance, for instance—in which people turned from their old ways of believing and behaving and turned to embrace the God of the Bible and his moral vision—was a fruit of the revival in people’s lives. The missionaries had challenged us to dispense with the fatalism of our traditional African religions. The result, though, was eliminating only the outward and superficial symbols, without touching the roots of those deep beliefs. Gone from our worship were our traditional drums, yet in our hearts people still invoked our ancestors and other spirits. When the East African Revival swept through our villages, it swept away the old roots; our people turned from its lies and replaced them with the truth of Jesus Christ in the gospel. There was true repentance and conversion, and the fruit of repentance was evident in people’s lives. The revival established a new zeal for enthusiastic holiness in African Christianity.

In Uganda, a Christian is one who has a testimony—a story of what their life was like before a living relationship with Jesus Christ; how they heard the message of Jesus Christ and how their life has changed since surrendering their lives to him. The First Letter of John states: “This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:5-9).

The East African Revival taught us about living transparently with one another and before God about our sin. To “walk in the light” is to be eager to confess our sin publicly, to receive forgiveness, and to be restored into the fellowship of the community. The revival spawned thousands of local lay-led fellowships in which Christians gathered weekly to pray and praise, to share testimonies, and to walk in the light with one another.

Initially, the revival was met by resistance from the missionaries and other church leaders because it challenged the status quo of nominal Anglicanism. Over time, however, the revival became part of mainstream Anglicanism in Uganda; today most of our bishops and other church leaders are products of the East African Revival.

Another notable effect of the East African Revival on Anglican identity in Uganda is a renewed passion for mission and evangelism. The goodness of the gospel cannot be hid under a bushel; it cannot be whispered but must be shouted from the rooftops. Even as archbishop, when I make a pastoral visit to a diocese,

I go as an evangelist. When I am invited to speak, I preach the gospel and invite people to come forward and give their lives to Christ. Every diocese in our church organizes regular evangelistic outreaches within the villages and markets in their communities. Ugandan Anglicans are not ashamed of the gospel, “because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes” (Rom. 1:16).

Ugandan Anglicans are not unique in their experience of revival. The Great Awakenings in America, the revivals catalyzed by John Wesley in England, the Welsh revival, and countless others around the world have been a part of Anglican experience. Even the charismatic renewals in the late twentieth century are part of this revival stream within Anglicanism.

Theologically, Ugandan Anglicans share much in common with our evangelical brothers and sisters, yet we have retained the historic threefold order of ministry: bishops, priests, and deacons. This, of course, is reminiscent of the English Reformation, which theologically had much in common with the continental Reformers while retaining the historic episcopate.

And yet our commitment to the episcopate is not just about the good order of the Church. As bishops are successors to the apostles, so our focus through the historic episcopate is on apostolic faith and ministry. A bishop is ordained in apostolic succession to be the apostolic presence in the community. A bishop, therefore, is the ongoing presence and voice of the apostles. He is our link to the early Church, and this link between bishop and apostolicity gives Anglicans our transcultural identity. The implication, therefore, is that the essence of Anglican identity is to be apostolic. More than a simple unbroken line of consecrations, we are to be apostolic in nature: faithful to the apostolic message, submitted to apostolic authority in Scripture, committed to apostolic mission and ministry, and devoted to apostolic worship.

In short, an apostolic church is a missionary church. A bishop is the focus for the mission of the Church, following in the footsteps of Jesus, who commissioned his apostles to preach, to teach, and to heal. The bishop’s apostolic ministry starts with evangelism, because transformation begins with the individual. The bishop himself must have a testimony and set a direction in his diocese for evangelism and church planting. When the early missionaries came in the late 1800s, their understanding of mission was not only preaching but also education and health ministry. So, combined with our churches, there are schools and health clinics, all under the apostolic oversight of the bishop, whose charge is to preach (evangelism), to teach (schools), and to heal (health clinics).

The incarnation of Jesus Christ has been described as the “scandal of particularity.” The One who came, as Savior of all, was born as a particular man—Jesus of Nazareth—at a particular place, with a particular ethnicity, and at a particular time. Our particular experience of Anglicanism in Uganda, too, has some universal applicability. The pillars of Anglican identity in Uganda—the martyrs, revival, and the historic episcopate, all resting on the Word of God—suggest themes with historic precedent from the formative years of Anglicanism in Britain.

Consider, first, the centrality of the Word of God in faith and life. No honest reading of historic Anglican formularies and the English Reformers can deny the central place of Scripture in Anglicanism. Our worldwide communion is in danger today of confusing doctrine and discipline. The various disciplines of the autonomous provincial churches can be contextualized, but doctrine, based on Scripture, transcends all such cultural distinctions.

We would not be facing the crisis in the Anglican Communion if we had upheld the basic Reformation convictions about Holy Scripture: its primacy, clarity, sufficiency, and unity. Part of the genius of the Reformation was its insistence that the Word of God and the liturgy be in the language of the people—that the Bible could be read and understood by the simplest plowboy. The insistence from some Anglican circles (mostly in the Western world) on esoteric interpretations of Scripture borders on incipient Gnosticism that has no place in historic or global Anglicanism.

At the Anglican Communion’s Global Conference on Dynamic Evangelism in Kanuga in 1995, delegates from most of the communion’s provinces gathered to evaluate the “Decade of Evangelism” at its halfway point. The pattern that emerged from reports was that the growing churches, mostly in the Global South, possessed a confidence in God’s presence and his ability to act and intervene in human affairs; the declining churches seemed to lack such confidence.

But the lesson of the martyrs is exactly this—that we must have confidence in God—and their universal appeal derives from their heroic example. The gospel exists to challenge the worldview of all—even Anglicans—who do not see the joy and beauty of a life lived with confidence in a great and dynamic God who can and does intervene in the affairs of human beings.

The legacy of the East African Revival is its strong emphasis on the need for a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. This emphasis is not unique to Uganda; it is a part of historic Anglicanism, especially in its Reformation heritage and the evangelical tradition. I long for the day when the global reputation of Anglicans is our insistence on a relationship with Jesus Christ that is characterized by personal experience and repentance, and shared through testimonies. “Oh, those Anglicans! How they always talk about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ!”

Finally, a passion for evangelism and mission is at the heart of an apostolic and missionary church. The reason there is a global Anglicanism today is that Anglicans were compelled by the Word of God to share the gospel throughout the expanding British Empire and beyond. In the absence today of such a convenient infrastructure, the future of the Anglican Communion is found in embracing the key Reformation and evangelical principles that have had such an impact in Uganda.

Without a commitment to the authority of the Word of God, a confidence in a God who acts in the world, and a conviction of the necessity of repentance and of a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be hard-pressed as a communion to revive and advance our apostolic and missionary calling as a church.

If, as I have suggested, the future of Anglicanism lies in a revival of the key Reformation and evangelical principles that shaped the Church of Uganda and our mother Church of England, then our instruments of communion need to find a way to serve that vision. I fear, however, that our conciliar instruments are in danger of losing their credibility and being rendered irrelevant. The resolutions of the Lambeth Conference of Bishops have always had a moral authority among the communion’s autonomous but interdependent provinces, yet some of those resolutions are now flagrantly defied and even mocked.

We primates have worked hard in recent years to find consensus even in our present situation of broken or impaired communion. Through the grace of God, our communiqués have been consensus statements, unanimously agreed upon, and they are evidence of our commitment as primates to “make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:3). Yet some provinces have not taken our communiqués seriously, and the primates, as an instrument of communion, have been scorned.

The current crisis presents us with an opportunity to mature into a global communion that represents not just historic bonds of affection but also an advancing mission force for the Kingdom of God that Jesus inaugurated. For this to happen, our instruments of communion may also have to become instruments of discipline. As a member of the primates’ standing committee, I was invited to come to the United States in September 2007 to attend the meeting of the Episcopal Church’s House of Bishops. But I recently wrote the archbishop of Canterbury and informed him that I could not participate.

Among my reasons is this: In February 2007, the primates of the Anglican Communion met in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and made certain requests of the Episcopal church. It is my conviction that our Dar es Salaam communiqué did not envision interference in the American House of Bishops while they are considering our requests. For me to violate our hard-won agreement in Dar es Salaam would be another case of undermining our instruments of communion. My decision to uphold our Dar es Salaam communiqué is intended to strengthen our instruments of communion so we will be able to mature into an even more effective global communion of the Church of Jesus Christ than in the past.

In December 2006, the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda unanimously adopted “The Road to Lambeth,” a statement drafted for a council of African provinces. Among other things, it stated, “We will definitely not attend any Lambeth Conference to which the violators of the Lambeth Resolution [1.10] are also invited as participants or observers.” Accordingly, if the present invitations to the Lambeth Conference stand, I do not expect the Ugandan bishops to attend.

It is important that this decision not be misunderstood as withdrawing from the instruments of communion. On the contrary, our decision reflects the critical importance of the Lambeth Conference: Its value as an instrument of communion is greatly diminished when the persistent violators of its resolutions are invited. If our resolutions as a council of bishops do not have moral authority among ourselves, how can we expect our statements on world affairs to carry weight in the world’s forums? An instrument of communion must also be an instrument of discipline in order to effectively facilitate meaningful communion among its autonomous provinces.

The Church of Uganda takes its Anglican identity and the future prospects of the global Anglican Communion very seriously. Our thoughtfulness in how we participate in the instruments of communion reflects our fundamental loyalty to our Anglican heritage. Likewise, our devotion to the Word of God—expressed through our martyrs, revival, and the historic episcopate—reflects our commitment to the ongoing place of the Church of Uganda as a province of the Anglican Communion.

Henry Luke Orombi is the Anglican archbishop of Uganda.

]]> http://churchofuganda.org/articles/what-is-anglicanism-the-most-rev-henry-luke-orombi-writing-in-first-things/feed 0 http://churchofuganda.org/articles/position-paper-on-scripture-authority-and-human-sexuality http://churchofuganda.org/articles/position-paper-on-scripture-authority-and-human-sexuality#comments Sun, 01 May 2005 11:18:34 +0000 alison http://churchofuganda.org/?p=232

Church of Uganda

Position Paper on Scripture, Authority, and Human Sexuality

May 2005

Executive Summary

The occasion of this Position Paper is the current crisis in the Anglican Communion in which the “fabric of our communion” has been torn at its deepest level because of recent actions and decisions in the Anglican Church of Canada and the Episcopal Church USA (ECUSA) on matters relating to human sexuality. At the same time, we rejoice in the opportunity to reflect more deeply on these matters as they relate in our Ugandan context.

The perspective of the Church of Uganda to the current crisis in the Anglican Communion is that it is fundamentally a crisis of authority, both legislative and biblical. There appears to be no authority within the Communion at all four levels of its Instruments of Unity – The Archbishop of Canterbury, The Lambeth Conference of Bishops, The Primates Meeting and the Anglican Consultative Council. If all four Instruments of Unity can advise against a particular innovation or even heresy, and a province still proceeds and no disciplinary action is taken against that province, then there is a crisis of authority in the Communion. This apparent lack of resolve manifests a deeper crisis: on the place of “the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, as “containing all things necessary to salvation,” and as being the rule and ultimate standard of faith”.

This current crisis of authority, however, is an opportunity for reformation of the Anglican Communion as a whole. We believe that if the term ‘communion’ means the deepest relationship between believers with God in the fellowship of the church, the Communion must base its identity on bonds of truth as well as bonds of affection. The Communion must recognize that false teachers will arise within the church (Acts 20.29-30) and that heresy may divide the church and scandalise her before the world. This truth will include not only the four planks of the Lambeth Quadrilateral, but other essentials of doctrine, discipline, morality and mission.

We in the Church of Uganda are convinced that the Authority of Scripture must be reasserted as the central authority in the Anglican Communion. From our point of view, the basis of our commitment to the Anglican Communion is that it provides a wider forum for holding each other accountable to the Scriptures, which are the seed of faith and the foundation of the Church in Uganda. The Church of Uganda, therefore, upholds Resolution 1.10 of Lambeth 1998 that says, “Homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture,” and calls upon all in the Communion in general and the ACC meeting in Nottingham in particular to likewise affirm it.

The Church of Uganda recognizes that the schismatic and heretical actions of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada maintains its stand of ‘broken communion’ with them, and challenges those provinces that subscribe to the authority of scripture to do likewise, for the sake of Gospel and God’s Church. The Church of Uganda is committed to maintaining fellowship, support and communion with clergy and parishes in these provinces who seek to uphold biblical orthodoxy and ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’.

We concur with the observation of The Windsor Report 2004 (Section C paragraph 97): “… the views of the Instruments of Unity have been ignored or sidelined by sections of the Communion”.

It is our considered view that The Windsor Report recommendations on the Instruments of Unity (Section C paragraphs 105 –107; with additional suggestions as outlined in Appendix One) be critically examined as a matter of urgency with a view to make the member provinces of the Anglican Communion accountable to the said Instruments of Unity and the entire Communion.

We acknowledge that the Windsor Report has made a start in this direction with its proposal of an Anglican Communion covenant, but the covenant needs to be given more substance, including reference to the 39 Articles of Religion. We strongly recommend that a ACC considers and proposes to the Primates a process for the enacting of a covenant to be ratified at the 2008 Lambeth conference.

The crisis – its nature and character

It is important for us at this point to remind ourselves of significant events, meetings and statements from various Instruments of Unity within the Anglican Communion in the period leading to the current crisis in order to understand the nature and character of the crisis.

· In 1998 the Lambeth Conference of Bishops passed a resolution that rejected “homosexual practice as incompatible with Scripture,” and did not advise the “legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions.”

· In June 2002 the Diocese of New Westminster in Canada voted to authorise the blessing of same-sex unions in their diocese and Bishop Michael Ingham gave his permission for such blessings to proceed.

· In August 2003 the General Convention (the equivalent of our Provincial Assembly) of ECUSA – the Episcopal Church USA – voted to confirm the election as bishop of a divorced father of two children who had been living in a same-sex relationship with another man for fourteen years. In many respects, this was the culmination of years of theological and moral innovation on the part of ECUSA.

· In October 2003 the Archbishop of Canterbury convened an emergency meeting of all the Primates to discuss the crisis the New Westminster decision and the ECUSA election had caused in the Anglican Communion. The Primates requested that the Archbishop of Canterbury appoint a commission to report a year later on how best to maintain communion “within and between provinces when grave difficulties arise.” They also stated that if ECUSA proceeded with the consecration of this man, called Gene Robinson, it would “tear the fabric of our communion at its deepest level.” The unanimous consensus of the communiqué was that ECUSA should not proceed with the consecration.

· Yet, two weeks later, ECUSA’s Presiding Bishop, Frank Griswold, presided at Gene Robinson’s consecration.

· In June 2004 – after the emergency meeting of the Primates – the Anglican Church of Canada’s General Synod (their equivalent of our Provincial Assembly) passed a resolution affirming the “integrity and sanctity of committed adult same-sex relationships.” In other words, while not actually approving the blessing of same-sex relationships, they resolved that same-sex relationships are “holy.”

· In February 2005, the Primates met to receive and make recommendations from the Windsor Report of the Lambeth Commission on Communion, commissioned in October 2003. The unanimous request was that the “Episcopal Church (USA) and the Anglican Church of Canada [would] voluntarily withdraw their members from the Anglican Consultative Council for the period leading up to the next Lambeth Conference.”

· In April 2005 the Executive Council of ECUSA (equivalent to our Provincial Assembly Standing Committee) resolved to “voluntarily withdraw our members from official participation in the ACC as it meets in Nottingham…. [However,] we are asking our members to be present at the meeting to listen to reports on the life and ministry we share across the Communion and to be available for conversation and consultation.”

· In May 2005 the Council of General Synod (equivalent to our Provincial Assembly Standing Committee) of the Anglican Church of Canada affirmed “the membership of the Anglican Church of Canada in the Anglican Consultative Council with the expectation that the duly elected members attend but not participate in the June 2005 meeting of the Council.”

This simple recital of recent events reveals the depth of the crisis of authority in the Anglican Communion. The inability of the Archbishop of Canterbury or the Primates to exercise discipline on erring provinces demonstrates the crisis of legislative and ecclesiastical authority. And, the lack of respect by ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada for the guidance of the Communion’s leadership reflects a crisis of relational authority. The sum total of all this leaves us inevitably with fundamental questions about the nature and character of communion in the Anglican Communion.

The deeper crisis however in the Communion is the place of scripture in defining the nature and character of communion. The sanctioning, promoting and celebrating of unbiblical sexual practices demonstrates a departure from the ethical norms and standards enunciated in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament.

Human Sexuality in Biblical perspective

The Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments teach that God’s design for sexual relationships is male-female. The biblical examples of meaningful same-gender relationships are never depicted in sexualised ways (cf. Ruth and Naomi or married men like David and Jonathan). The creation mandate of Genesis chapters one and two, that establishes the basis of natural law, shows that God’s design and intention is for humanity to be expressed in the male-female relationship. From companionship to procreation, the male-female relationship is the only relationship that is extolled as normative sexually.

In Genesis 3, when sin and rebellion entered God’s good creation, distortion and tension entered the male-female relationship, including the distortion of sexual desire and all their manifestations. These distortions have impacted on all people and the created order. Homosexuality, bestiality, incest, pedophilia, fornication, adultery, polygamy / polygyny and polyandry are all manifestation of perverted sexual desire.

Concerning homosexual behaviour and relationships in particular, from a plain reading of Scripture, from a careful reading of Scripture, and from a critical reading of Scripture, it has no place in God’s design of creation, the continuation of the human race through procreation, or His plan of redemption. Even natural law reveals that the very act of sexual intercourse is an experience of embracing the sexual “other”.

In Christ, however, people and their sexual desires are redeemed, and restored to God’s original intent. Through repentance and faith, relationships are restored to their original creation design. From Genesis to Revelation, in the sphere of human relationships to the redemptive plan of God, Scripture is clear that God’s plan is man and woman becoming united in one flesh, what the church and Scripture has called marriage. Indeed, marriage can even be seen as a divine agent of sanctification. When sin separated man and woman at the fall, God begins to reunite through marriage. Redeemed marriage is an image of the union between Christ and his Church. Ephesians 5.20ff as well as being a teaching on marriage, is also an exposition of the union of Christ and his Bride, the Church, based on an analogy of union that is assumed to take place in marriage.

The heritage of Holy Scriptures in the Church of Uganda

The story of the Church of Uganda is one of obedience to the preaching and teaching of the gospel, according to the Bible. When the early missionaries announced the gospel of Jesus Christ to our fore fathers and mothers, they responded to the word of salvation. They acknowledged that Jesus is Lord and Saviour and for that reason gladly obeyed His word in Scripture. The transforming effect of the Bible on Ugandans generated so much conviction and confidence that even ordinary believers were martyred in the defense of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ that it brought. The adherents of the East African Revival, that broke out in the late 1920s and early 1930s (a movement that has shaped the ethos of our Church), were simple people who learned to take God at His Word. For the Church in Uganda, to compromise God’s call of obedience to the Scriptures would be the undoing of more than 125 years of Christianity through which African customs, belief, life, and society have been transformed for the better. For instance:

1. Most traditional African societies were solely based on oral culture, which limited its ability to share ideas beyond the clan or ethnic group. For many centuries most of the African languages were un-written. The Bible was the first book in African vernacular. Thus African languages have been enriched and recorded.

2. For many of our tribes, revenge was an esteemed virtue. If a family had been violated, the first instinct was to gather the clan or ethnic group, arm them, and seek revenge on the family, clan, or ethnic group of the offender. As the Bible came with the authority of Christ, it revealed a God that is greater than the evil spirits and the kingdom of darkness that controlled so many people’s lives. In this realm of relationships, the Bible has had a profoundly transforming effect with the teaching of Jesus on forgiveness.

3. Traditional Ugandan society was driven by family loyalties with little basis for loving those beyond your blood ties. Strife and mutual exploitation were rampant. The Bible brought the teaching of Jesus to love your neighbour and even your enemy. And, while there are remains of this old culture, the Bible gives a moral and spiritual basis for transforming culture. At the same time, the Bible affirms certain esteemed values of our culture like community life and hospitality – we have found our home in Scripture.

4. Some traditional African societies believed, for example, that if women ate chicken they would grow a beard. So, women were often denied access to nutritious food and other social benefits on the basis of superstitions. When the Bible came alive during the East African Revival, the Holy Spirit convicted men of sins of oppression and began the progressive empowerment of women that is continuing today.

5. Perhaps the most degrading form of gender inequality was the African tradition of polygamy and divorce at will, which left many women neglected or even destitute. The biblical teaching of marriage between one man and one woman in a loving, lifelong relationship liberated not only women, but also the institution of marriage and family.

6. Traditional African objects of worship, which were limited to families and clans, had established a system where no central beliefs could be held or shared beyond the ethnic setting. Ancestral spirits, natural phenomena like earthquakes, lakes, and mountains, could not satisfy the African’s quest for the living God. The Bible’s revelation of Father as Creator of all things, the Son as redeemer, and the Holy Spirit as the life-giving Spirit of God brought hope for deliverance from the fatalism that resulted from worshiping created things rather than the Creator.

7. The Bible has also been a transforming agent in modern / contemporary Africa societies. The growth of the Church in Africa is a contemporary phenomenon. Most African societies are more cosmopolitan in nature and relate a lot more. The churches have been at the forefront of transforming society. The Bible message, through church leaders, has significantly contributed to the ongoing transformation of politics. Even Archbishop Janani Luwum was martyred for calling our political leaders to Biblical accountability.

8. It is the Church’s commitment to the Authority of Scripture and the Biblical values of abstinence before marriage and faithfulness within marriage that enabled the Church in Uganda to provide leadership in formulating a national response to the HIV/AIDS that has finally brought down the infection rates making Uganda the success story it has become in the fight against the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

9. Contemporary Ugandan society has been transformed through Scripture’s teaching and we no longer live only in our ethnic enclaves and there are inter-marriages. The gospel has caused us to form a new tribe from every language, nation, tribe, and tongue.

For us in the Church of Uganda, the Bible is the cherished source of authority that is central to the faith, practice, and mission of our Christians. It is an absolute treasure that no one can take away. For ministers, the Bible is the basis for ministry: preaching, teaching, Christian nurture pastoral care and counseling. If you take away the Bible from our bishops and clergy, they have nothing to offer the world. For all God’s people, obedience to this Bible is the source of confidence, abundant life, and joy.

As a Church we are committed to the contextual issues relating to our mission which include (without being limited to) widespread dehumanising poverty, HIV / AIDS, malaria, conflicts, Islam and secularism. We strongly believe that the proclamation of the Good News of the gospel of the risen Lord and Saviour (Jesus Christ) is an answer to these issues confronting us as a Church in Mission today.

We also believe the Church of Uganda has a mission to the Anglican Communion to share the treasure of the Scriptures and to call other parts of the Communion to recognize and to submit to the Authority of Scripture as the place of transformation into abundant life.

Accordingly, we believe that the Anglican Communion would then have a gift to offer the world. Repentance and obedience to Scripture is not judgment; rather, it is the gateway to the redemption of marriage and family and the transformation of society.

The Church of Uganda’s position on Homosexuality and a torn Communion

We believe that God is calling the Church of Uganda to seek continual transformation from the Word of God written, in preaching repentance and faith in Christ and develop ministries of pastoral care that don’t ostracize, shun, or reject those tempted by homosexual desire. We acknowledge that God is calling us to come alongside those who give into the temptation of homosexual desire and show them the power of the Word of God to bring joy, peace, and satisfaction to their life through repentance and obedience to God’s Word.

On the matter of equating the ordination of practicing homosexuals and the blessing of same-sex unions with the ordination of women, we are insulted by the comparison. In our African context, there has always been a place for women’s involvement with spiritual activities. It was the patriarchal approach of the Western missionaries that clouded this aspect of our African heritage.

When the East African Revival swept through our communities, it called for the equality of women and men, and began the process of restoring women to traditional roles as spiritual leaders in their communities. The Revival movement was a strong contextualising force. In the 1950’s and 1960’s when African Christians took over leadership, we find a number of women seeking theological training and even aspiring for ordination. And, all of this was happening before women’s ordination was approved in the West.

Women’s ordination in Uganda was a movement of the Holy Spirit independent of the West’s promotion of women into ordained ministry. Therefore, to say that homosexual unions and ordination is an extension of a so-called biblical principle of liberation is insulting to us. It belittles women and their ministry, and equates a perversion with God’s movement toward women’s ordination in Uganda.

As a Church we are determined to uphold and encourage the biblical teaching on marriage and promote the ethical demands thereof while providing the necessary pastoral care and counseling for those with difficulties in this regard. In obedience to Jesus’ teaching, the Church of Uganda frowns on divorce. Divorce is part of a broader context of brokenness. Problems of divorce do come up, but we don’t compromise the high ethical demands on believers. We look upon brokenness with grace and truth. On the one hand, we affirm what scripture affirm; we don’t approve. On the other hand, we find ways to minister in His grace to these people, with pastoral care and counseling in the love of Christ.

The Church of Uganda, therefore, upholds Resolution 1.10 of Lambeth 1998 that says, “Homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture,” and calls upon all in the Communion in general and the ACC meeting in Nottingham in particular to likewise affirm it.

The Church of Uganda recognizes that the schismatic and heretical actions of ECUSA and the Anglican Church of Canada maintains its stand of ‘broken communion’ with them, and challenges those provinces that subscribe to the authority of scripture to do likewise, for the sake of Gospel and God’s Church. The Church of Uganda is committed to maintaining fellowship, support and communion with clergy and parishes in these provinces who seek to uphold biblical orthodoxy and ‘the faith once delivered to the saints’.

Proposed Resolutions

1. Recommend enhancing the existing instruments of unity through functional approaches.

a. The Primates commend doctrine and church order to all provinces of the Anglican Communion and serve as a Council of Advice to the Archbishop of Canterbury;

b. The Anglican Consultative Council becomes a forum for sharing best practices of mission and ministry with other provinces;

c. The Lambeth Conference of Bishops is the plenary gathering of bishops with the Primates as the core;

d. The Archbishop of Canterbury is a presiding bishop among the primates.

2. Recommend suspending all ACC activities until a covenant is written and at least four provinces have ‘opted in.’ ACC activities resume at that point and new members are added as they ‘opt in.’

3. Request the primates to appoint a covenant drafting group to present a draft covenant to the Lambeth 2008 meeting for approval. Please include some sections of the historic 39 Articles in the content of the covenant. Need to make recommendations on the content of the covenant vis-a-vis what the Windsor Report says. A covenant which includes these essential elements:

i. Essentials as contained in the 39 Articles;

ii. Nature of leadership which we hold to certain ethical standards and a process of discipline for those who breach them;

iii. Mission – being obedient to the Great Invitation of our Lord to follow him, and the Great Commission to make disciples of all nations;

iv. Church discipline

4. We call upon the Anglican Consultative Council to affirm that homosexual practice is incompatible with Scripture and cannot advise the legitimising or blessing of same sex unions nor ordaining those involved in same gender unions.

5. We commend the Primates for exercising their God-given episcopal ministry to guard the faith of the church and pledge to them our ongoing support and call upon other provinces and the Anglican Consultative Council to do likewise.

6. We commend provinces for the development and implementation of abstinence and faithfulness programmes for reducing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and encourage the sharing of best practices among provinces.