He was delivering his Christmas message at his Namirembe residence. “All signs are indicating that they are going the wrong direction and I want to call upon the Church of Uganda, all believers, dioceses…let us strengthen our income generating projects so that we are not lured at all by the straying Church because of money,” Kaziimba said.

Kaziimba said that although the Church of Uganda is grateful to the Church of England for giving them the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they will never follow them in supporting homosexuality.

The Church of Uganda has already cut ties with the Episcopal Church of America, except for those who joined the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) movement to which the Church of Uganda subscribes.

The GAFCON movement was formed in 2008 in Jerusalem after more than 1000 members of the Anglican Church broke away from the Lambeth Conference citing moral compromise, doctrinal error, and the collapse of biblical teachings in parts of the Anglican Communion.

At the center of their disagreement was the 2003 consecration of the Rev. Eugene Robinson, an openly gay priest in the USA as Bishop of the New Hampshire Diocese.

Kaziimba also tipped students, parents, and teachers that there are bad people trying to attract children into homosexuality by promising them money and sponsorship. “Children — please report such people to your Head Teachers and to your parents. I urge the government to set up a simple system whereby children can report these people to the relevant authorities who can investigate and take appropriate action,” he appealed.

He warned those recruiting children into homosexuality that they will face the wrath of God as written in the scriptures in the book of Matthew.

Kaziimba also encouraged parents to watch over their children during the school holidays, spend time with them, and disciple them.

“Just as God gave his only Son to us at Christmas, so you must also give yourselves sacrificially to your children. I especially appeal to parents to encourage their boy children to grow up into God-fearing men who respect their mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and all people. Let’s raise a new generation of boys who honor and respect the women in their families so we can put an end to the majority of gender-based violence in this country,” the Archbishop further noted.

While addressing the Lambeth Conference in July, Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury was quoted by the media trying to appease conservative Bishops by reaffirming a 1998 declaration that gay sex is a sin.

But at the same event, Welby reassured liberals that he would not punish national churches in the Communion that allow priests to marry same-sex couples. The Lambeth Conference is a decennial conference that brings together Bishops from across the world.

There has been a rift between conservatives and liberals in the worldwide Communion over the issue of homosexuality. Groups such as the Scottish Episcopal Church and the US Episcopal Church have endorsed same-sex marriages and admitted gay clergy.

Credit: Virtueonline

“There are rumours that the Church of England will soon vote to provide some form of blessings for homosexual relationships. We are grateful for the Church of England who gave us the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But, we will never follow you in supporting homosexuality. You may be the “Mother Church,” but let’s be clear that such a decision will mean you have abandoned the very faith of Anglicanism you so generously shared around the world. You may still be the Church of England, but you will no longer be Anglican, because Anglicans uphold the Bible. This is why the Church of Uganda is so passionate about the Gafcon fellowship of Global Anglicans and why we support the 4th Gafcon Conference in Kigali in April 2023.”

Kaziiimba’s message was echoed in a much longer Christmas message by Archbishop Justin Badi, Primate of South Sudan. In demonstrating the growing cooperation between the GAFCON Provinces and the Provinces of the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans, the Most Revd Dr Badi said, “we are swimming against the tide and drift of where the institutional leadership of the Communion, is presently moving. We are also seeking to follow the example of God’s faithful people throughout biblical history to remain true to God’s covenant, and to be loyal whatever the cost. And we are spiritually bonded to the wider and historic Communion of which we are a part, whether she remains faithful or not — whether she lives under God’s favour or goes into ‘exile.'”

Badi’s Christmas message was issued on 19 December.

Three paragraph’s are particularly relevant to the questions facing the broader Anglican Communion.

“Turning to the current divisions and issues in the Anglican Communion, Archbishop Badi said the GSFA would play a constructive, yet prophetic role. He explained: “The GSFA is committed to playing its part, under God, to reform and re-vitalise the Communion. To do this, we will need God-given wisdom, discernment and robustness in relating to the Instruments of Communion. We also call for repentance and a re-setting.” He noted that in this call to repentance “we do not exempt ourselves for in every province and diocese there is unfaithfulness to the Lord’s way.”

In terms of the Communion, he emphasised that: “We will diligently follow-up on major issues raised in the course of Lambeth — the first concerning the matter of the ‘ecclesial deficit’ in the Communion — the lack of a structured way in the Communion for holding Provinces accountable to each other in matters of ‘Faith & Order’ and, ensuring that decisions made by an official organ/instrument in the Communion ‘has force in the life of the Churches of the Communion.’ This ‘ecclesial deficit’ continues to threaten and hamper the common life of the Communion.”

Noting that the Archbishop of Canterbury (ABC) has indicated that he does not see the ‘office’ of the ABC as including the role of exercising discipline among the provinces, Archbishop Badi says the GSFA primates will bring forward proposals for mutual accountability and inter-dependence of Provinces, together with a mechanism for Church discipline. Both, he says, “are needed for Anglicans to remain as one Communion of Churches”. He says such a role of guarding and ensuring consistency in essential matters of ‘Faith & Order’ “should be assigned to the Primates’ Meeting or, a suitably-formed new organ of the Communion.”

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