Dear brothers and sisters in the Lord, praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Today is a very special day for me, [2 March 2025] Maama Margaret, and our entire family as we celebrate five years of my ministry as the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda. Ebenezer – thus far the Lord has brought us!
As you may recall, I was enthroned on 1st March 2020 as the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda and installed on 8th March 2020 as the 8th Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala. Shortly after, on 20th March 2020, a nationwide lockdown was declared due to the COVID-19 pandemic, causing severe disruptions, including the closure of churches.
By the grace of God, we embraced media ministry to continue reaching our congregations. I am deeply grateful to the media houses that offered free live coverage of our services from my residence every Sunday in both Luganda and English. These include NTV Uganda, NBS TV, Bukedde TV, BBS TV, Sanyuka TV, UBC TV, Namirembe FM, and our very own Church of Uganda Family TV, which we acquired during those challenging times.
I also extend my gratitude to Words of Hope Ministries for their partnership, especially during the pandemic. They supported us in streaming all our services on the Church of Uganda social media platforms and their own.
Anglican Youth Fellowship (AYF) Choir was not only singing but also offering us their Public Address System. It was during this period that we launched the Online Church of Uganda. I thank Rev. Prof. John and Rev. Dr. Lydia Kitayimbwa for their leadership in this innovation.
One of the greatest burdens on my heart was the debt on Janani Luwum Church House. Although the building was completed, the debt was significant, and I desired for us to be debt-free and generate revenue for self-sustainability. When we introduced the Love Gift Campaign, many doubted that we could raise 60 billion shillings. But we serve a faithful God! By His grace, we completed the loan repayment, and today, Church House is fully ours.
I am grateful to Hon. Canon Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, who chaired the organizing committee for my enthronement. She has remained a consistent and dependable partner in ministry. Recognizing the need for an income-generating project for the Archbishop, she initiated the idea to build the Archbishop Nkoyoyo Guest House. She has mobilized resources to bring it to its current stage. Canon Ruth, may God bless you for your dedication and service.
Over the past five years, I have had the privilege of consecrating 18 Bishops and opening three Cathedrals: All Saints Cathedral Kampala, St. Phillips Cathedral Moroto in Karamoja Diocese, and St. Matthew’s Cathedral Buhugu in North Mbale Diocese.
By the grace of God, I have completed my official pastoral visits to all the dioceses. I say “official” because I regularly visit these dioceses. For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, I personally visited all active and retired Bishops, as well as the widows of late Bishops. These surprise visits allowed me to understand their living conditions and offer pastoral care.
Church of Uganda remains steadfast in upholding family values and the supremacy of the Bible. We continue to lead the fight against moral decay. This is one of the reasons we broke away from the Church of England – because we do not, and will not, compromise our stand on biblical truth to embrace homosexuality. We have maintained strong fellowship with the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) and the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans.
In line with this commitment, Church of Uganda hosted the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Bishops Formation Retreat at Lweza Training and Conference Centre on 19th February 2024. Just two weeks ago, I led a team of Bishops and their spouses for a retreat in Cairo, Egypt. These and other capacity-building initiatives have strengthened our Bishops and Clergy in leadership, spirituality, accountability, and networking.
We have also established key partnerships through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) with mission and development partners such as One Child, NAADS, NARO, and Life International, among others. These collaborations have enabled us to reach both clergy and laity with transformative programs, particularly in agriculture through our livelihoods function and family strengthening through the Becoming One Ministry.
Through these partnerships, we are also protecting Church land from encroachment. With the support of the Ministry of Lands, Housing, and Urban Development, we have so far secured over 1,000 land titles. I thank Hon. Judith Nabakooba and her team for working closely with Church Commissioners Holding Company Limited to title all our land across the province. We are also exploring ways to utilize this land sustainably for future generations.
On Friday 28th February 2025, we officially launched the Environment Focus Month for Church of Uganda. This initiative was approved by the Provincial Assembly in August 2024, designating March as Environment Month to raise awareness about environmental conservation.
The intense heat we are experiencing today is largely due to deforestation, especially by those seeking timber. I reiterate my call to all Bishops of the Church of Uganda to make it mandatory for every confirmant to plant a tree during confirmation and for every clergy member to ensure a tree is planted for each child baptized. We must take responsibility for preserving God’s creation.
I also wish to address the issue of human rights, which has generated public debate and led to some accusing Church leaders for what they refer to as being silent. Let me be clear: The Church of Uganda, through the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda, has actively engaged key stakeholders, including the President, to advocate for justice and human dignity.
Our approach emphasizes meaningful dialogue and constructive engagement rather than public demonstrations or media-driven advocacy, which can sometimes be exploited for personal or political gain. We remain committed to genuine advocacy that is rooted in the teachings of Jesus Christ, seeks practical solutions, and upholds the dignity of all Ugandans. The Church will continue to stand for justice while fostering peace and reconciliation.
I extend my sincere appreciation to H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the President of the Republic of Uganda and his government for collaborating with the Church to bring meaningful household and community transformation. I also thank all our mission and development partners for your support.
Finally, I thank my dedicated staff at the Provincial Secretariat, led by Rev. Canon William Ongeng, the Provincial Secretary. Together, we have achieved much, and with the Lord as our helper, we will accomplish even more for His glory.
Let us continue imitating God’s goodness by doing good. Galatians 6:9.
To God be the glory!
The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu
ARCHBISHOP OF THE CHURCH OF UGANDA
