Because of His Grace, Phaneroo is

Clad in navy blue jeans, a floral blue shirt and brown shoes, Apostle Lubega offers a firm handshake.

“This will be my first interview in eight years,” he says, before he is accosted by several members of staff and guests, each seeking some form of favour.

“I rarely do interviews but I will grant you this one. Just give me one minute.”

That one minute, he says, was, so he can pray.

“Everything is spiritual,” he begins. “I realised Jesus Christ when I was eight years old during a crusade in Kawempe. I have walked and had a personal relationship with him since then.”

He does not divulge the year he attended the said crusade because then, people will be start guessing  his age.

“I do not want people to know my age. I just want them to keep guessing . I do not mind my age, but let people keep guessing it,” he says, mischievously.

But he acknowledges that after his bachelor’s degree at Uganda Christian University, Mukono, he joined the banking sector in 2008 where he worked for six years at two banks including Kenya Commercial Banl.

Then, he quit banking and on August 7, 2014, birthed Phaneroo .

“I have been ministering since I was eight,” he says of the transition. “And so, it was easy for me.”

According to Lubega, Phaneroo comes from a Greek word meaning ‘To make manifest’ and why the ministry was named so was because “we found a challenge generally speaking in the body of Christ where we are demanded to sow the fruit of the manifestation of this gospel truth”. 

The journey so far

“It has been a journey of faith. One of trials and tests because we are predominantly a younger generation,” he says.

And like all pioneers, they started with nothing.

“The sweat, tears, commitment, sacrifices made is something you can never explain to a lay person to understand. But, we also must ascribe to the Grace of God that has been available for us. Up till now, I do not know how Phaneroo thrives but all I know is that there is a God who makes it work and for me is the most humbling experience.”

So, how have you managed to attract many young corporate followers? I inquire.

“The gospel was designed to give answers to questions and not to minister questions instead.  I believe that is the one thing that we ministers must hold cardinal and appreciate. Young people (we actually have a great number in their 50s, 60s) have questions and are looking for answers and whether we are able to give those answers or not is the question of whether they will come to you to get answers or not,” he says.

But Phaneroo, which Lubega describes as ‘an army, a generation, a movement,’ has in its ranks ‘golden mothers who help raise girls to be good home makers’ as well as ‘dads who are there to guide and direct our steps’.

Is Phaneroo Lubega and Lubega Phaneroo?

He shakes his head, as if to say why anyone would even think about it. 

“Every movement by divine purpose or design God has ordained certain people to give direction and I probably happen to be that person for Phaneroo,  the vision bearer. But, Phaneroo is not about Apostle Grace.  Infact, many people do not know me beyond the altar. Many people do not even know me personally. Phaneroo is bigger than me. That is why Phaneroo members are very active people because everyone sees their part,” he says.

It is estimated that there are more than 10,000 followers of the ministry  who meet every Thursday and Sunday for fellowship and one of the ministry’s biggest challenges to date is space.

“God knows just how much we need space for people to come,” he says.

On if he ever imagined such an impact nine years ago, Lubega says “For me, every day Phaneroo is a wonder. It humbles me, every time. I still get on that altar and feel like the first time I stepped on that altar. I still go there with awe and a lot of honour and gratitude to God that he has given me the opportunity,” he responds.

On the Guinness World Record attempt

“We have always wanted, as the great commission is – ‘Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature’, - that for every platform that God has given us to be able to preach the gospel,” he says. 

He continues that, the feat was not predominantly for the Guinness World  Book of Records, but to celebrate their nine-year anniversary.

“We just wanted to do something we believed or hoped had never been done in its magnitude. I have never seen a group of thousands of people like I saw on Sunday (July 30) who gathered to clap for Jesus for three hours and 16 minutes. Some actually did for four hours. It is beautiful to know that ‘I have done that for Christ’. Our work is to please God at whatever cost. My course as an individual is to preach Christ given the opportunity.”

Conception

The idea, he says, was conceived through the spirit of gratitude towards God, for what he has done for the ministries in the last nine years before dismissing claims from some sections of the public – mostly on social media – that the feat was not done for Jesus but for his own benefit.

“One, I think they do not know Phaneroo Ministries and two and above all, they do not know God. If somebody says we were trying to seek some cheap popularity, they do not know me or Phaneroo. God has given me so much in my life that if I wanted attention, there is a way I would get it without making people clap,” he says, adding that the campaign achieved its objective ‘to put Jesus in people’s faces’ whether some are offended or not.

“Maybe they were jealous and some demons were let loose. The point is the moment you are all going to preach Jesus Christ you should expect some backlash and persecution. But, I forgive them. I do not judge them. We all have a course. One day, I will show what I have done for Jesus and they will show their tweets,” he says before his handlers remind him of a pending community engagement. 

“Let me tell you. God has anointed prophets, pastors, evangelists, teachers and people such as bankers, and chosen them to be that light to bring the answer before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Jesus is coming back soon.”

To whom is that directed?

Matter-of-factly, he says there are people who are in this (ministry) for their own gain, who pursue their own interests and ideals.

“But I also believe there are genuine people who are being misunderstood because it happened in the days of Jesus, in the days of Paul and the prophets before, and it will always happen. For me, among the things God called me to do, he did not call me to tell the difference between a fake man of God and a true one. Like Paul says, when I was among you I sought to know nothing and be acquainted of nothing save for Christ and Him crucified. For Him, he sent me to preach Jesus Christ and the Cross. Now for the rest of what is fake and what is not, that’s God’s business to handle. I did not call them!”

Last books read

Max McKeown’s – ‘Adaptability: The Art of Winning in the Age of Uncertainty  – it is good for entrepreneurs and people who are managing or those who want to start business. It will help you adapt to the timesand seasons.

Antiquities of the Jews by Flavius Josephus. It takes you back to certain cultures and principles that the Jewish have practiced over time. A well collected explaining what the bible tells us every day and to understand how the world functions.

The Bible. I read the Bible everyday.