Pastor Patience Museveni Rwabwogo (L) and her husband Mr Odrek
Rwabwogo (R) | COURTESY PHOTO.
Lead Pastor of Covenant Nations Church, Patience Rwabwogo Museveni has said Jesus Christ came to free nations from religion and offer something so much better—a real relationship with God.
The daughter to Uganda’s President Yoweri K. Museveni said this, and so much more, during a live interview with press as Covenant Music launched an album on 30th August, 2019.
Today, we share her detailed response to each question.
There is a general perception that Covenant Nations Church only welcomes the elite class of people. Is it true?
Patience : I don’t know where that perception could have come from but, that is absolutely the furthest thing from the truth. A church of Jesus Christ is a church for all nations, all people. And the Bible says that, ‘when He is lifted up, He will draw all men to Himself.’ So there is absolutely no criteria or classism or separation of people.
Why is it that you decided to focus on preaching?
Patience : It’s not something I planned, really, it’s not something that I foresaw. The call of God is something that pursues you. When the Lord calls you into ministry, if you walk with Him, if you have a relationship with Him, you have to surrender to it. And that’s what happened to me about 13 years ago. I received the call to minister and preach the gospel. I have been a believer all my life since I was a child. But, I never thought I would be in church ministry. It was not something that I knew, really. But I received that call, and I obeyed.
How has gospel music impacted your ministry?
Patience : This is really our first foray into recording music. We’ve been doing worship in the church. However, we felt the Lord calling us to create a platform for authentic African worship music. And so, what covenant music is about is creating a platform for a community of artists to create and produce music that is authentically African. It is our first foray. I’m not really into the music industry at all but, this is something that the Lord led us into. And this is our first step.
You seem passionate about gospel music, right?
Patience : Well, I love worship. I think that music has a way that it breaks down walls. Sometimes, there are people who are not as open to hearing the Word, but will listen to worship music, or will listen to, you know, gospel music. So, I believe that it has a huge reach, sometimes even further than the conventional preaching.
What are some of your favorite gospel songs: You can mention one, two or three?
Patience : I’m very much into worship groups, like Bethel Music. I don’t know if you’ve heard about them. It is a group out of Bethel Church. Also, there’s another group called Jesus culture. Then there is Housefires. Those are the ones I like right now.
Is there any particular song that you love, one that is really exceptional?
Patience : Yeah, there’s one worship song that’s called ‘Raise A Hallelujah’ (by Bethel Music). It’s kind of new right now. I really like that. I can’t think of anything off the top of my head. But yeah, worship music.
Covenant Nations Church: Is it like any other normal church? Do you have programs like night prayers, concerts?
Patience : Well, yes, I believe so. We don’t compare and see what other people are doing. But what we do, we have our church service on Sunday. We have a Thursday altar, youth services, children’s services and many different programs. We also try to work with other pastors, and churches in the community, especially in the Luzira area. We have an altar that really brings together the churches and pastors in the area. Yeah.
You are a first daughter and a pastor. How is it like when you are at the pulpit preaching? Do people come close to you? Do they open up to you?
Patience : Well, what I would say is that people should come to church and then they will see that we’re a very regular church. When I’m at the pulpit I am a messenger, I’m sent. So that is the only mantle that I wear as someone who is sent to deliver a message; to deliver a word from the Lord. I completely submit myself to the Holy Spirit to be able to to speak through me so there is no other competition going on there. My prayer at that moment is, ‘May He increase, and may I decrease.’
Do you face any challenges being a Pastor, and President’s daughter at the same time?
Patience : I see myself as Patience Rwabwogo, and I have a family background that I come from.
Ministry is hard. It’s not easy, because it’s a constant journey with God. There’s never a point where you say, ‘oh, I’ve arrived, I know everything.’ Following God is a journey. And I think that finally, when you get to the end of the journey, that’s when you feel that okay, ‘I’ve accomplished my assignment.’ But all the way it’s just a journey and a walk of faith. It’s not very easy, but it’s also a joy. It gives purpose and fulfillment, You have a deep sense of fulfillment, knowing that you’re doing what God has called you to do on earth.
There are so many problems that religious leaders are facing currently. For the Muslim community, we have witnessed several murders.Then among Pentecostal leaders, there are pastors who are divorcing. How do you think they should handle themselves?
I don’t want to go into a lot of details. But I think that each person, whether they’re a minister, or just a believer, it’s a personal journey. It’s a personal walk with God. And you should submit yourself to the disciplines of reading the Bible and prayer, and of being constantly transformed by the Holy Spirit.
I think it’s important to be accountable. That’s something that the people who are in the East African revival had. They would walk together as a community, and they would be accountable to each other. So I think that, as believers, as a church, we need to have more of that. I don’t think that there’s time when a pastor, or bishop is beyond temptation or beyond problems. We must constantly submit ourselves and allow the Holy Spirit to work within us – even as we progress. For all of us as believers, that’s something that we need to pursue.
You have a very influential dad and mum. Do you have any particular message or lesson that you learnt from them, and would like to share with the rest of the world?
Patience : Our parents raised us on a really strong foundation of family, and faith. I believe they laid a very good foundation for us. I also believe that God has a call for every person. As you walk with Him, He gives you your direction. So, every one of us has taken a different path. But having a strong family background and a strong foundation of faith, love and acceptance helps to launch you into your future. Our parents gave us a very good foundation but, God has a specific call for everybody. So, as a family, people have gone into different things, following whatever direction God has for them.
Does faith help to keep a marriage strong?
Patience : Well, I believe so, because marriage is God’s idea. It’s not culture’s idea. It’s not society’s idea. It is God’s idea. Personally, I don’t see how you can have a marriage without God in it. I believe that a lot of the issues we have in our society are when you try to do something without the source, or the Author. I think in marriage, partnering with God is an absolutely beautiful thing. It’s a perfect picture of the love of God. Without Him in the picture, it can be very difficult. My encouragement to married couples is to seek God and surrender to Him. Allow Him to be part of your marriage and family.
How do you balance being a mother, a pastor, and very influential person?
Patience : It’s not easy. I’m a business person.We do have a number of company products, we do agriculture, we do real estate and other things; But that was my background. Coming into ministry also takes a lot of time. It’s what I do most of my time now, and being a wife and a mother.
You need a lot of grace to know how to manage your time well, so that you give your family priority and don’t crowd them out with a lot of activities. I believe by the grace of God, He helps you to keep a balance.What’s most important is really your family and then other things.
How did you get saved?
Patience : It was a very personal thing. I gave my life to the Lord when I was 11 years old. It has been the most amazing thing. When you walk with God, He’s your friend. He’s your counsel. He’s your support. He’s your defender. He’s everything. So without Him, I am like a car without an engine. I have no direction. He’s my compass. It has been a personal walk from the very beginning. And I don’t know where I would be without Him.
Kindly speak to someone out there who would like to be spiritually mended, but don’t know where to run to religion-wise?
Patience : Jesus was against religion. Religion is man trying to reach God through their own works and through self effort. Jesus came not to give us a religion, but to give us a relationship. When you know the Lord, you don’t come into a religion, you come into a kingdom, and you have a personal relationship with a King.
My advice to anyone who’s really searching for direction spiritually is, to seek that personal relationship. It is not religion or an institutional thing. Jesus didn’t come to bring religion, he came to bring a relationship. To reconnect us with a father. When you know God, you know your father. That’s what Christianity is. It’s not a religion. It’s a kingdom.
And Jesus said, ‘seek first the kingdom’. He didn’t say seek first religion or even institution, and every other thing will be added to you. So my advice would be for one to seek a relationship with Jesus personally.
