One of the significant events in 2019 among the Born Again Churches (BAC) was the shock waves caused by the proposed Religious and Faith Based Organisation (RFBO) policy introduced by the Ministry of Ethics and Integrity. On the surface the policy seemed to have been written for all Faith Based Organizations (FBO) but with a deeper eye one would not fail to notice that the policy was designed to target Born Again Churches (BAC). No wonder all the other known religions also vehemently rejected the policy apart from one particular group. But, is there something for the BAC to learn from this situation especially in the area of self-regulation?
Let us study the self-regulation mechanisms of other religious groups, internationally the Roman Catholic Church’s hierarchy stems from the Vatican, Church of Uganda (Anglican) from the Church of England, Orthodox in Greece and SDA in the USA, Moslems do not have headquarters as such but pay a lot of allegiance to Mekkah but BAC do not have such hierarchies may be some denomination groups. Here in Uganda, BAC are grouped as either Missionary Churches or Indigenous Churches. Most missionary churches where started by mainly American or British missionaries among others. But the planted churches become semi-autonomous, without much influence like the Vatican has on the Roman Catholic Church Worldwide.
Despite their international structures, the traditional Christian religions here in Uganda have gone ahead to organize themselves into the Uganda Joint Christian Council (UJCC) which was formed in 1963, this is comprised of Church of Uganda (Anglican), Roman Catholic Church in Uganda and the Eastern Orthodox Church in Uganda.
The Moslems formed the Uganda Moslem Supreme Council (UMSC) in 1972, this was after President Amin realized the confusion among the different Moslems sects. This is exactly the same confusion the BAC are in now. In his wisdom Amin got all the Moslem leaders of the different sects locked them in a hotel in Mbale for three days and ordered them to form an umbrella body and that is how UMSC was formed.
The SDA church in Uganda is organised because they had a god father, the late H.E. Samson Kisseka the then Vice President of Uganda who organized and rooted them in this nation before he left power. All these religions came together and formed the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda (IRCU), to work together and agree on common issues that affect them without discrimination but also gives them a platform to work with government on common grounds that may need the intervention religious leaders.
For a long time the BAC did not see the relevance of joining IRCU space, it was much later that the BAC applied and where accepted as part of IRCU. (Why this was a good decision will be a story for another day), but because we lack a strong self-regulation system two members from BAC sit on IRCU while the other religions have one representative. Business cannot continue as usual if the body of Christ is to be salvaged from the accident waiting to happen.
In an attempt to foster self-regulation the BAC have formed umbrella bodies, for instance National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches in Uganda (NFBPC) that brings together mainly indigenous churches. It was started in 1990 by late Hon Balaki Kiirya, who desired to organise the BAC, but seriously started operations in 2000 after the Kibwetere cultic massacre.
Evangelical Fellowship of Uganda (EFU) was also registered in 1995 and brings together mainly the missionary churches. Over the years other umbrella bodies have been formed out of mainly personal and selfish reasons and this to a great extent has worked to the disadvantage of the BAC or the body of Christ in Uganda.
A long side the umbrella bodies we also have denominations for example The Association of Miracle Centre Churches (AMCC), Baptist Union (BU), Pentecostal Assemblies of God (APG) among other. Dominations are very different from umbrella bodies and are usually more self-regulated and organized locally but not sufficient to handle national issues when the aim is to unite the body of Christ. As a result these denominations also find a suitable umbrella body to belong or affiliate to, in order to have impact at a national level.
The time now for the BAC to hold the bull by the horns and call a spade a spade, these many umbrella bodies are not taking us a head but dividing us the more as the body of Christ. Some of these umbrellas have no structures, but have self-appointed leaders, no members, no national reflection, no elections. Some of them just have a team or two to five people only, and survive on the popularity of the founder and media manipulations.
The current national BAC umbrella bodies and denomination leaders seem far from coming together into one uniting body because of several selfish reasons namely; personal egos, competition, personal strive and lack for humility to submit under one leader, but to mention few. If BAC continue this way, the body of Christ in Uganda is rapidly being wasted away and a quick remedy is needed.
The proposed policy is a wrong method to force this kind unity, an in-house groomed solution is the best option. I propose a body known as the Uganda Joint Born Again Churches Council (UJBACC). This body then becomes the main regulator of all BAC umbrella bodies and denominations. If we do not go this way then the BAC elders and spiritual fathers would have just built their own small empires and kingdoms but not genuinely benefited the body of Christ in Uganda.
The author is a Pastor and member of the National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Church in Uganda (NFBPC)
joseph.magongo@gmail.com
