Sunday, 22nd March, 2009
By Josephine Maseruka
A section of born-again churches have denounced the newly formed Born-again Faith Federation, which was initiated by Pastor Joseph Sserwadda, the head of Victory Christian Centre, Kampala.
The executive director of Arising for Christ, Moses Solomon Male and a number of pastors, said on Tuesday that the federation was a ploy by Sserwadda to use Christians to justify the existence of his many NGOs.
The pastors were addressing a press conference at the Nomo Gallery in Kampala.
Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre and Noah Sserunjogi said the churches had not met in any forum to decide on the federation and its leadership.
“Sserwadda must not mislead Christians because there is no consensus on the matter, ” Kyazze stated.
They presented a three-page document titled “False Teaching/Cult Awareness Campaign Progressive Report Covering Incidents since March 17, 2008”.
The group charged that senior pastors in some Pentecostal churches were engaged in sodomy and witchcraft.
“How can you put us together with gays, car thieves, witchdoctors, and husband and wife snatchers?” they asked.
Sserwadda said the umbrella body was formed on the advice of the Government, following a request by the churches to be recognised as a distinct faith.
He said President Yoweri Museveni responded to the appeal in February 2006.
Sserwadda said the federation received its certificate from the registrar on February 19.
Ethics and integrity minister Dr. Nsaba Buturo, however, denied the claim, saying talks were going on, but a conclusion had not been reached.
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/675487
RELATED STORY
Born-again form body to get recognition
http://www.newvision.co.ug/D/8/13/674767
Monday, 16th March, 2009
By Joyce Namutebi
Born–again Christians have formed an umbrella body.
Dr. Joseph Sserwadda of the Victory Christian Centre in Ndeeba, Kampala said on Saturday that the Born-Again Faith Federation of Uganda received its certificate from the Registrar on February 19.
He said the federation would be chaired by a “Presiding Apostle”, an equivalent of an archbishop in the Anglican Church.
Speaking from the federation’s offices on Millennium Chambers in Najjanankumbi, Kampala, Sserwadda said he was elected on February 23 as the presiding apostle for two years.
He is deputised by Bishop Julius Peter Oyet of the Life Line Ministry.
Other office bearers will be elected, he said.
Sserwadda said the body was formed on the advice of the Government, following a request by the Born-gain to be recognised as a distinct faith in Uganda.
“On February 14, 2006 the President responded to our call for recognition. From that day, we have been holding meetings with the ministries of justice, internal affairs, and ethics and integrity,” he said. The federation, he said, would oversee church activities.
“It will be responsible for registering churches,” Serwadda added.
However, ethics and integrity minister Nsaba Buturo denied Sserwadda’s assertion that the Born-again had been recognised.
“We have not done that at all. It is true that we have had meetings over the issues, but we have not reached that conclusion,” Buturo said.
