KAMPALA – The leadership of the Church of Uganda – COU has threatened to break-away from the Canterbury based Anglican governance, in protest of same-sex marriages.
The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, noted in a Christmas message on Tuesday that his headed establishment was only waiting for an official communiqué from the on-going Church of England College of Bishops to decide its next action.
“I want to make it very clear that the Church of Uganda will always uphold the Bible’s teaching that marriage is between one man and one woman; and that is the God-ordained context for sexual relationships. We don’t support fornication; we don’t support adultery; and, we don’t support homosexuality.
“There are rumours that the Church of England will soon vote to provide some form of blessings for homosexual relationships.
“We are grateful for the Church of England who gave us the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But, we will never follow you in supporting homosexuality. You may be the ‘Mother Church,’ but let’s be clear that such a decision will mean you have abandoned the very faith of Anglicanism you so generously shared around the world.
“You may still be the Church of England, but you will no longer be Anglican, because Anglicans uphold the Bible. This is why the Church of Uganda is so passionate about the Gafcon fellowship of Global Anglicans and why we support the 4th Gafcon Conference in Kigali in April 2023,” noted Archbishop Kaziimba, in a statement.
The Gafco movement was formed in 2008 in Jerusalem after more than 1000 members of the Anglican Church broke away from the Lambeth Conference citing moral compromise, doctrinal error, and the collapse of biblical teachings.
The Archbishop turned his guns towards the promoters of the vice, especially those recruiting children into homosexuality, warning: “If anyone causes one of these little ones…to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea, as enshrined in Matthew 18:6.”
“I want to alert students, parents, and teachers that there are bad people trying to attract children into homosexuality by promising them money and sponsorship. Children – please report such people to your Head Teacher and parents.
“I urge the government to set up a simple system whereby children can report these people to the relevant authorities who can investigate and take appropriate action.
“Parents – please watch over your children during the school holidays. Spend time with them, and disciple them. Just as God gave his only Son to us at Christmas, so you must also give yourselves sacrificially to your children.
He appealed to parents to encourage their boy children to grow up into God-fearing men who respect their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, as well as all people.
“Let’s rise a new generation of boys who honour and respect the women in their families so we can put an end to the majority of gender-based violence in this country,” he preached.
Archbishop Kaziimba noted that the country had lost a number of people since last year, due to numerous ailments including Covid-19; Ebola, road accidents, crime, as well as preventable diseases, encouraging the bereaved families to ‘look up to Jesus – he is a Wonderful Counsellor!’
“We also thank the Ministry of Health, Health Care Providers, and, especially, community leaders in the Ebola-affected areas.
“Because of your dedication and cooperation you have brought us to where we are in the Ebola outbreak. I thank God that Mubende and Kasanda districts will be able to travel and enjoy Christmas…..,” he said, cautioning Christians to stay alert during the festive season.
He encouraged Christians to revise their spending culture during this festive season so as to serve ahead of the school-fees period of January.
