As parts of the economy start to reopen, some places of worship feel like they’ve been left out of the discussion. Pictured: Pastor Francis H Kwezi. Courtesy Photo.
A pastor in Uganda has announced intentions of filing a petition to challenge enforcement of President Museveni’s order to keep churches closed, even while he permitted certain bussiness establishments to reopen.
On Wednesday, Pastor Francis H Kwezi took to social media seeking legal advice pertaining to the directive that has now turned into a religious liberty issue.
“We are putting up a draft to present to the President and Parliament on reopening Yahweh’s sanctuaries,” he wrote on Facebook. “We are looking for lawyers familiar with constitution law to advise us how place our petition.”
Soon, he told fellow pastors, “we shall be requesting your signatures, physically and scientifically (electronically).”
Pastor Kwezi said 476 pastors are so far on board.
Under current public health guidelines, Churches all across Uganda are not allowed to hold in-person Church services, and the timeline for the stayed measure is unknown.
Some church leaders aren’t happy about that, saying their constitutional right to religious freedom has been infringed, given that certain businesses are allowed to operate.
On his part, Kampala-based Pastor Cyrus Mwase of Zion Saints Ministries International, on 24 June, 2020, said the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), should draft a health guideline series and appeal to the President.
A true believer in Christ cannot support church closure up to now, he said.
“Church is not all about preaching and teaching the word as that can be done online. It’s not about praying as everyone can pray in their homes since God is everywhere. It’s more of obeying God’s directive to assemble as commanded (not advised but directed, it’s a God directive) in Hebrews 10:25,” he said. “The church can choose to run 4 very brief services to feed it’s 100 member congregation.”
Pastor Cyrus Mwase believes government has to apply the prevailing Covid-19 restrictions “equally” to all places “to show we’re not just against the church.”
The church, he contends, is being treated not on an even ground as bussiness or shopping establishments where you can have scores of people.
“This is why I will never demand churches to open as long as all other similar places are closed. If church buildings aren’t safe are taxis, buses, shopping malls, ‘kikuubo’, even Mulago hospital Kawempe , etc safe?,” he wondered.
President Museveni on Monday stated that Church closure had everything to do with protecting the health and safety of Ugandans. He pointed out, among others, the outbreak cannot be traced within a church setting.
