Press Conference, 11^th January 2012

I welcome you all to the Provincial office and want to wish you a Happy New Year! We thank God for you and that He has enabled you to pass into 2012.

As you know, on Sunday we inaugurated the 34^th Diocese of the Church of Uganda in Ntungamo – South Ankole Diocese – and consecrated its first Bishop – Bishop Nathan Ahimbisibwe. During that service I shared that on Saturday I informed the House of Bishops that I intended to retire at the end of this year, and I was calling for the election of the next Archbishop.

My passion as a Christian and a leader is preaching the Gospel, and that has been my life-long calling. When I have been invited to our Dioceses on pastoral visits, I have always made it an opportunity to preach and invite people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  So, I want to devote the rest of my life, while I am still able, to fulfilling this calling full-time.

The Constitution for the Church of Uganda is very clear that Archbishops serve only a ten-year term, and no more. If they reach the age of 65 before the end of their term, they must retire. If their ten-year term ends before they turn 65, they must retire. For me, my ten-year term was set to expire in January 2014 when I was still 64 years old. So, I am only retiring one-year early in order to focus on a ministry of preaching.

The Constitution is also very clear about the process of electing Archbishops.

• An Archbishop must be at least 50 years old. Currently, out of our 36 Bishops, 29 are 50 years and older, and are, therefore, eligible to become the Archbishop.
• An election of an Archbishop can’t take place if there is any Diocese without a Bishop. So, all Dioceses must have a Bishop in office, which we currently do.

June 22 this year the House of Bishops will come together and elect an Archbishop.

Once we know who has been elected as the next Archbishop, that Bishop will go through a process of saying farewell to his Diocese, because he will shift to Kampala and also become the Bishop of Kampala Diocese. Likewise, that Diocese will begin the process of electing a new Bishop.

It’s my expectation that the enthronement of the new Archbishop will take place in December. At that time, I will hand over the pastoral staff to the new Archbishop who will then be invested with the authority to lead the Church of Uganda as Archbishop.

The Presiding bishop at the enthronement is the Dean of the Province.

For me, I will retire to Nebbi where I have my personal home and continue serving the Lord through preaching while based there.

Until December, I will continue to do the work of the Archbishop and the Bishop of Kampala Diocese.  I have enjoyed working with you and thank you for the way you have supported me and the Church of Uganda during my time as Archbishop. I do look forward to this last year with you and believe that we will continue to have an impact on our great country of Uganda, especially as we look forward to celebrating our 50^th anniversary of independence.

I want to call upon all people of Uganda to join us in prayer for this great exercise.  God, who knows who my successor will be, will take charge if we allow him to do so by prayer.

Thank you very much for coming.

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi

ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA.

Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi has called for the election of the next Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. The announcement came during a regularly scheduled meeting of the House of Bishops on Saturday, 7th January, in Mbarara.

Archbishop Orombi confirmed the announcement in Ntungamo on Sunday, 8th January, during the consecration and enthronement of the new Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, the Rt. Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe.

The election of the next Archbishop will take place in June 2012 by the House of Bishops. The enthronement of the new Archbishop will take place in December 2012.

Archbishop Orombi was elected in July 2003 and enthroned as Archbishop on 25th January 2004.

Archbishops in the Church of Uganda serve a ten-year term and must retire by the age of 65 or at the conclusion of their ten-year term, whichever comes first.

Orombi’s ten-year term was set to expire in January 2014, before he turned 65.

Orombi decided to retire one year early, saying, “I want to use my retirement to preach the Gospel single-heartedly. This has been my single passion and I want to fulfill the call while I can still do it.”

Orombi’s tenure as Archbishop has been marked by reconciliation within conflicted Dioceses, infrastructure development at the Provincial Offices in Namirembe, launching a Decade of Mission, streamlining Provincial operations, a serious engagement with youth around the country, campaigns to eliminate child and human sacrifice, and the long-awaited construction of Church House.

Orombi has been a significant leader and speaker internationally, providing encouragement for the emergence of the Global South churches as leaders for Biblical faithfulness within the worldwide Anglican Communion and interdenominationally.

The angel of the Lord told Joseph, “Mary will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1.21)  The name ‘Jesus’ literally means “The Lord saves.”

The world into which Jesus was born was not a good place. His Jewish people did not have their own country; they were living under an oppressive, colonial government. Their Roman overlords were corrupt, harsh, and recruited other Jews to extort money from them through outrageously high taxes. Zaccheus was one of those Jewish tax collectors the Romans recruited. He stole a lot of money from his people in order to make himself rich at their expense.

There was a lot of idolatry in the occupying government and among the colonialists. They burned incense to the Roman King, and even sacrificed children to other gods.

There was also a lot of immorality in the world into which Jesus was born. There was financial corruption. People engaged in sexual immorality and did many sinful things to satisfy their sexual appetites. They had many sexual relations and then had abortions to kill the children conceived by those unions. There was also homosexual practice, and widows and orphans were abandoned and left to fend for themselves.

The world into which Jesus was born was not a nice place. And, yet, it sounds a lot like our Uganda of today – except that we have our own independence and freedom. We no longer have colonial overlords. Instead, our corruption means one Ugandan is stealing from another Ugandan. We are doing these things to ourselves.

The Uganda of today faces many of the same challenges as the world into which Jesus was born:
•    Corruption has reached epic proportions;
•    There has been a resurgence of idolatry, witchcraft, and human sacrifice;
•    Sexual immorality is killing our people;
•    Greed and selfishness are rampant and leave many people, especially widows and orphans, in helpless states.

And, yet, at this time of the year, we celebrate and remember the birth of a unique baby – one called Jesus because “he will save people from their sins.” As we come to the close of 2011 and prepare to enter 2012, there is still hope for our Uganda because Jesus’ name still means “he will save people from their sins.”

There is still hope for our families and our country…because Jesus is still the Saviour of the world. Our government is very important to the proper order and functioning of our country, but the government is not the Saviour. Only Jesus is the Saviour, because his name still means “he will save people from their sins.”

The best our government can do – the IGG, the Anti-Corruption Court, laws passed by Parliament and enforced by our police and other agencies – is to give us moral and civil speed governors, external rules that are followed by us only because the police force or Parliamentary Investigative Committees have been expanded to put fear into our hearts and ensure our compliance and proper behavior.

But, God said through the Prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament, “The time is coming when I will make a new covenant…It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers….This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel…I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”

In other words, my fellow Ugandans, we must acknowledge that the problem beneath our rampant corruption, witchcraft, child sacrifice, domestic violence, and immorality is the problem of a sinful human heart. Only Jesus. whose laws of love are written on our hearts because he lives in our hearts, can solve this problem Only acknowledging our human problem of a corrupt heart will lead us to the ultimate and true solution to our problems – Jesus – because his name still means “he will save people from their sins.”

So, this Christmas season I want to thank our government for doing the hard work of rooting out corruption through the means available to them. Please, continue to shine light in all the corners of darkness, not just the high profile ones. And, please, follow through on all cases.

But, we must never think this is the only hope available to us. There is always hope because Jesus was born and his name still means “he will save people from their sins.”

So, this Christmas, I want to encourage all of us to dedicate or rededicate our lives to Jesus. In the challenges of our Uganda today, which are no worse than the challenges of the world into which Jesus was born, Jesus is our only hope…because his name still means “he will save people from their sins.”

I send warm Christmas greetings to President Yoweri Museveni, Maama Janet and their entire family and all our government leaders. I also send sincere greetings, along with prayers for a blessed Christmas for the Kabaka and Nabagereka of Buganda, and for our Roman Catholic, Orthodox and Pentecostal brethren, and all those who have looked in hope for the coming of the One who will save people from their sins, Jesus the Christ.

To God be the glory.

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi
ARCHBISHOP, CHURCH OF UGANDA.

THE HOUSE OF BISHOPS OF THE CHURCH OF THE PROVINCE OF UGANDA ELECTS NEW BISHOP FOR THE NEWLY CREATED DIOCESE OF SOUTH ANKOLE

The House of Bishops of the Church of the Province of Uganda sitting at Commonwealth Speke Resort Munyonyo, September 28, 2011 elected Rev. Canon Nathan Ahimbisibwe as the 1^st Diocesan Bishop of the newly created South Ankole Diocese. The Diocese was carved out both Ankole and West Ankole Dioceses.

The Rev. Canon Nathan Ahimbisibwe holds a Masters of Arts Degree in Christian Education from the Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississipi in the USA; a Bachelor of Divinity from Uganda Christian Universty, Mukono and a Diploma in Education.

He joined the priesthood in 1997 under the Diocese of Ankole and was appointed Canon of St. Peter’s Cathedral, Bweranyangi. Rev. Canon Ahimbisibwe has served as Lecturer at Bishop Stuart University in Mbarara; Tutor of theological Education by Extension in Ankole Diocese; and Director of Admissions/ Lecturer at Uganda Bible Institute. He has also served on various Boards.

Currently, he serves as the Chaplain at St. James Chapel, Makerere University Business School.  He is married to Lillian Ahimibisbwe and they have four children together.

His consecration and enthronement will take place at St. Matthew’s Church Kyamate, Ntungamo on the January 8, 2012.

Signed,

Rev. Canon George Bagamuhunda

PROVINCIAL SECRETARY

ARCHBISHOP’S EASTER MESSAGE 2011

APRIL 21, 2011

CELEBRATING VICTORY OVER THE TROUBLES OF THIS WORLD

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.”

“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

When Jesus made the profound declaration, “I have overcome the world”, the disciples must have thought he meant that the end of all their earthly troubles was near. They must have been excited at the prospect of the Messiah overcoming the current leadership and taking over the affairs of all Israel, if you like.

But a few chapters on, the Bible tells us that the disciples were faced with the reality of Jesus’ death, and the pain and disappointment they experienced; the agony of watching their dreams crushed right infront of their eyes.

2000 years later, societies have since grown and developed in many aspects, but we remain the same as humans. Human beings always hope for a better tomorrow, keep trying when they could have given up; keep believing in the power of miracles to make their worlds better. Like the disciples, we cling to every hope that we are given as an ultimate solution to our problems. We cling to money, we cling to power, we cling to Charismatic leaders and to those we believe can bring about the change we hope for.

And many times, like in the chapters that follow this passage- we become disillusioned. We are crushed when our expectations remain unmet. When food and fuel prices are soaring; when our young ones remain unemployed; and when our mothers, wives and sisters die during child birth. Like the disciples, we wonder what happened to the solution we had so much hope and faith in to make our world a better place.

The truth is, we cannot forget the fact that Jesus said, “In this world you will have trouble.” Our troubles are not only physical, but also spiritual, and emotional. We have all sorts of troubles, unending, like a vicious cycle. And we ask ourselves, why is life so hard? When will the days get better? When will we see no trouble? When will our tears stop flowing? When will this end?

Brothers and Sisters, the truth of the matter is that while we are here on earth, our troubles will continue. That is why, it is important to look to the one who overcame the world for victory over your worldly troubles. He made the world, he knows the troubles of the world and he alone can give you grace for your troubles.

The resurrection of Christ is the one assurance we have that we too will overcome the world and its troubles. Jesus’ act of dying and rising again, gives us a different attitude towards the trouble we experience here on earth.

It is true that at the moment, the cost of living in Uganda is very high. The levels of disgruntlement are manifested in the headlines of our papers and on the screen. The growing number of street children, high morbidity rates, poor nutrition and social abominations like child sacrifice rage on. How can we face the challenges of our time?

Jesus is the Prince of Peace. Jesus is also the provider of all our needs; after all he owns Heaven and Earth. It is about time that we realise that our victory over the troubles we face lies in Jesus alone.

Ugandans, your faith is under test. Will you look to Him who remembered you even at his darkest moment.

In the act of dying on the cross, Jesus catered for all these things. At the cross we find freedom from the power sin and death. Through Jesus we find much needed peace to carry us through the storms of life and only through Jesus do we actually get the wisdom to find solutions to our troubles.

My prayer this holiday is that each one of will take time to reflect on the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection; to know that through his death, we receive victory over the world and its challenges.

May you be inspired by Christ’s attitude towards those who oppressed him and abused his rights- that you too will always be forgiving and tolerant of others different from yourselves.

May those in leadership also learn fom Christ; he used his authority not to oppress the poor but to lift them and bring healing and hope into their lives. Leaders are servants of the people, using your power and mechanisms to oppress others is ungodly. Leadership should have space to talk and listen to their people.

Above all, may all Ugandans know and celebrate the victory over sin and death.

I congratulate all Ugandans for completing the elections in relative peace. The fact that you chose to be tolerant of one another and to choose peace over violence is an answer to our prayer. We made a choice to remain a family in spite of our differences.

I send sympathies to those suffering in Japan from the effects of the Tsunami and the nuclear exposure thereafter. I also empathise with all those in the Arab world, particularly, the Christian community as they endure civil unrest and cry for reform. May God comfort all those who call to him in distress.

I ask all Ugandans to continualy adopt peaceful, lawful, and unifying strategies to address their challenges. Disgruntled people should ensure that they do not encroach on the rights of others to go about their business. Government, especially institutions like the Police and Defence forces, should remember that they are servants to the Ugandan people; their duty is to maintain order in society using the most peaceful methods possible. Abuse of power, of authority acts as a catalyst to disgruntlement and produces a vicious cycle of unrest.

I send Easter greetings to His Excellency the President, Maama Janet and the family; The Vice President and his family; The Prime Minister and his family; the Kabaka of Buganda and all cultural leadership and the Members of Parliament in our nation.

I send greetings to all religious leaders in Uganda especially, the Council of Presidents of Inter-religious Council of Uganda, Co-chairs of Uganda Joint Christian Council and all Christians as they celebrate the resurrection of our Lord.

May we make this a season to celebrate the victory we have over our troubles through Christ’s resurrection.

Yes, he is ALIVE!

To God be the Glory!

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi

ARCHBISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF UGANDA

The year 2010 is rolling and coming to a close.  Many things have happened since January.  Your experiences whatever they were, have left impressions.  As we come close to the end of the year, I want you to look back with thanksgiving to God who has carried you through up to now.

Christmas gives us an opportunity to be on the receiving end of God’s gift.  Being mindful of the human predicaments and shortcomings over the years God stepped into the history of humanity.

Luke records the words in his gospel:

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people.  For unto us is born this day in the city of David a Saviour who is Christ the Lord.  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.” Luke 2:10-11, 13-14.

The message from the angel to the shepherds is reassuring like the message we need to hear today.  “Fear not …” is what Ugandans must take hold of.

There is a blanket of fear and anxiety covering this country as we approach next year’s election.  People have the right to fear the future because no one knows what the future holds.  When the God who knows the future speaks to his people, we must listen and believe.  He controls the future and He has positive plans for his people.

The birth of Jesus signifies God’s divine interest in human life and experiences.  God wants humanity to experience his peace and close relationship.  The Scriptures describe Jesus as the “Prince of Peace”. I want to declare to all Ugandans that Christmas must not only be a time of celebrations of eating and drinking but a time of submission to the God who gave us His peace in Jesus Christ.

Will you receive this peace personally and share the same peace with your neighbour.  Make it your aim during this election season which falls soon after Christmas to be a man and woman of peace.  Let the whole of Uganda experience God’s peace so that we will make good judgment come the day of election.

This is my prayer for you:-

• May all the political leaders preach peace as they campaign because governance is only possible when there is peace.  Make Uganda know you as a man or woman of peace because our Lord said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”
• I call upon the electorate to walk with each other in harmony even if you differ in your political affiliations.  Our common good must override our political persuasions.  We must belong to each other as Ugandans, work together and live together an yet remain free to exercise our freedom.  Create space for each other.
• I pray that the security organs will be enabled to provide confidence to the people of Uganda to vote with ease and not with tension.  May you be given great wisdom in dealing with tricky situations when they arise.  May God protect you as you seek to protect Ugandans.

To all Ugandans, I ask God to give you joy to celebrate this Christmas 2010 with peace in your hearts and in your surroundings.  Remember that God is watching over you whether you realize it or not.  He is our God and will never let us down because your interest is his concern.

My Christmas greetings go to the President of Uganda and his family, the Vice President and his family, the Prime Minister and his family.  I send greetings to all the Members of Parliament.

I send greetings to the Kabaka of Buganda and his family and all the cultural leaders in Uganda and their families that God may give great peace during this season.

I greet all the spiritual leaders in Uganda especially the members of the Council of Presidents of IRCU (Inter Religious Council of Uganda).  May the peace of God rule the nation of Uganda.  To God be the Glory for His peace given to us in Jesus.

God bless you.

In His Service,

The Most Rev. Henry Luke Orombi

ARCHBISHOP OF CHURCH OF UGANDA/BISHOP OF KAMPALA DIOCESE

The House of Bishops, sitting on November 5, 2010 elected Rev. Canon Geoffrey Makumbi and Rev. Reuben Kisembo as Bishops of West Buganda and Ruwenzori respectively.

Rev. Reuben B. Kisembo was elected as 6^th Bishop of Ruwenzori Diocese, replacing Rt. Rev. Patrick Kyaligonza who was involved in a fatal accident in February 2010. He will be consecrated on May 8, 2011 at St. John’s Cathedral in Fort Portal.

Rev. Kisembo is presently serving as the Principal of Bishop Balya College and Assistant Diocesan Education Coordinator. Prior to this, he served as an Archdeacon and Parish Priest.  Rev. Kisembo holds a Master of Arts in Theology. He is married and has five children.

Rev. Canon Geoffrey Makumbi was elected as 5^th Bishop of West Buganda Diocese, replacing Rt. Rev. Kefa Kamya. He will be consecrated on January 23, 2011 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Kako, West Buganda Diocese.

Canon Makumbi is the Headmaster of Buzzibwera Secondary School and is also serving as an associate priest at Buzzibwera Parish.  He holds a Masters Degree in Theology as well as a Masters Degree in Educational Management.

Canon Makumbi is married to Deborah Makumbi.

Signed

Rev. Canon George Bagamuhunda

Provincial Secretary

Church of Uganda