By Aaron Sseruyigo
Archbishop Stanley Ntagali who has been vocal against the practice of homosexuality despite pressure from western world churches has addressed media in regard to his retirement.
The 63-year-old who was elected Archbishop by the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda on 22nd June 2012 and enthroned on 16th December 2012 in St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe, Kampala, said he will leave the management of the Church of Uganda (CoU) in 2020 when he clocks the mandatory retirement age of 65.
He was addressing the CoU Provincial Assembly on 24 August at All Saints Church Nakasero, Kampala.
Archbishop Ntagali has been lauded across Africa for standing for truthful biblical teachings on homosexuality. In 2016, the Church of Uganda boycotted a top Anglican Church summit in the Zambian capital Lusaka over failure by the top church leadership in Canterbury to disassociate itself from the practice.
He earlier this year announced that Uganda will also boycott the archbishop of Canterbury’s Lambeth Conference in 2020.
The 10-yearly meeting is an opportunity to bring the 80 million worldwide Anglican Communion together. But deep divides exist between the 42 provinces, particularly over approaches to same-sex relationships, according to reports.
“As a house of bishops, because things have not changed we will not attend Lambeth 2020,” he said addressing a meeting of GAFCON – a traditionalist group of Anglicans – in Jerusalem.
‘Unless godly order is restored within the Anglican Communion, we shall not attend other meetings invited by Canterbury,’ he said.
In direct criticisms of the West and the Church of England in particular, Africa Bishops in Jerusalem said: ‘Tragically, the gospel has virtually been lost in the nations of the West because the churches have lost the essence of the gospel.’
Born in Ndorwa County in Kabale District in 1955, Ntagali shifted with his family to Wambabya Parish in Kizirifumbi Sub-county in Hoima District when he was 16 years old. On Christmas Eve 1974, at the age of 19, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour and was born again.
He began working as a teacher in Wambabya Primary School, and later spent two years as a missionary in Karamoja Diocese. He did his theological training at Bishop Tucker Theological College, St. Paul’s Theological College, Limuru, Kenya, and the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in the UK.
The previous Archbishops of the Church of Uganda have been the following:
1. Archbishop Leslie Brown, a British missionary, was the first Archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire (1961-1966)
2. Archbishop Erica Sabiti (1966 – 1974)
3. Archbishop Janani Luwum (1974 – 1977). Martyred in 1977.
4. Archbishop Silvanus Wani (1977 – 1983). In 1980, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire became a separate, Francophone Province, and Uganda became its own Province.
5. Archbishop Yona Okoth (1983 – 1995)
6. Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi-Nkoyoyo (1995 – 2004)
7. Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi (2004 – 2012)
