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Bufumbira’s century of Christianity
Christians praying during the celebrations to mark 100 years of the Christian mission in Bufumbira county . PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA
What you need to know:
Great journey.1912 may have seemed like any other year for the residents of present day Kisoro District. However, 100 years later, they are proud to be celebrating the incredible things the Christian mission has brought their society.
Meri Nyamanzi, 90, was born in Rwaramba Sub-county, Kisoro District. She saw the beginning and participated in strengthening Christian revival in Bufumbira County, Kisoro District, Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda in the 1920’s. After getting saved at a tender age, her family members became hostile to her because they believed in pagan practices.
“I was given a choice of denouncing Christianity to remain at home or be ex-communicated. I chose ex-communication and took refuge at our church teacher’s home. They welcomed me and gave me cotton clothes to replace the animal skin I was dressed in,” she says.
Fortunately, her family later accepted her despite calling her mad. Nyamanzi is one of the hundreds of Christians who gathered for four days from August 9 to August 12 at St Andrews Cathedral Seseme Muhabura Diocese to celebrate 100 years of Christian ministry and evangelism in Bufumbira County.
The beginning
In an animated occasion, the believers sang praise songs in honour of the founders and also in worship of the Lord. Speaker after speaker appreciated the efforts of the Christians that braved the then hostility of community chiefs that harassed them and prevented them from preaching the word of God. Rev Canon Samuel Mfitumukiza, a retired cleric of Muhabura Diocese and now a lecturer at Bishop Barham University College in Kabale, elaborated the history of Christianity in Bufumbira County.
“The first mission started with a reconnaissance mission to Bufumbira in 1912 and was led by Rev H.B.Lewin, the then rural dean of Ankole-Kigezi Diocese. In 1913, Zakariya Balaba, a Muganda catechist was posted as the missionary church teacher. In 1919, the missionaries from Rwanda led by Dr Algie Stanley smith and Dr Len Sharp consolidated and rooted Christianity and evangelism in this area. In 1922, The first 27 Anglican Christians, two of whom were women, got baptised. Between 1924 and 1928, the first Christians (12) got wedded,” Rev Mfitumukiza said.
He added that amidst various challenges of resistance to missionary work in the area, the Anglican Church in Bufumbira was growing stronger with more people getting attracted to church work.
The Muhabura Diocesan secretary Rev Can Baker Habimana says in 1967, the Diocese of Kigezi was curved out of the Ankole-Kigezi Diocese and in 1990 Muhabura diocese was carved out of diocese of Kigezi. He added that Muhabura Diocese started with 20 parishes with five archdeaconries and by 2000, more 17 parishes were created to make a total of 37.
“Bishop Earnest Shalita had a vibrant Christian ministry from 1990 to 2000 but was hit by succession wrangles for seven years (2000-2007) and this left many Christians divided. The situation normalised after the consecration of Bishop Cranmer Mugisha as the second bishop of Muhabura Diocese as he emphasised the preaching of unity and reconciliation,” Rev Mfitumukiza said.
At the celebration, the out-going archbishop of Church of Uganda, Henry Luke Orombi, flanked by Most Rev John Sentamu, emphasized unity and reconciliation. “Stop pretense in Christian ministry. We need to be faithful to the people we serve as Christians and clergy. Stop being hungry for worldly things. Be focused on the work of God and you will get everything including eternal life. I opted to retire from being an archbishop so that I can do the business of selling Jesus Christ in the whole world. We need to see total unity and reconciliation if this diocese is to prosper,” Orombi said.
Archbishop Orombi also asked Christians to pray for political stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo so that the suffering of innocent civilians can come to an end.
The Bishop of Muhabura Diocese, Cranmer Mugisha thanked the Christians and the clergy for the existing team work saying it is a good sign of reconciliation. Bishop Mugisha says doing God’s will, sharing Christ’s love and serving his people is the mission of his diocese while the vision is to have an empowered church that transforms the community and everyone is able to appreciate the love of Christ.
“Mission and evangelism, promoting education, offering quality health, water and sanitation services, development and income generation and general strategies for poverty alleviation are some of the development activities currently being implemented in Muhabura Diocese,” Bishop Mugisha said.
Weapon against illiteracy
The head of laity, John Tereraho says developing Muhabura Diocese as a Uganda Christian University study centre into a fully-fledged constituent college to offer a variety of under and post graduate courses is one of the future plans of his diocese as a way of fighting illiteracy.
“Establishing a diocesan commercial agricultural extension programme with a strong component of agro-forestry for environmental conservation, completion of Muhabura Diocese guest house, establishing.
community health resource centres to promote maternal and children good health, building a hotel to commemorate the century of Christianity in Muhabura diocese are some of the future plans of his diocese,” Tereraho said. Like the other Christians in the diocese, he believes reconciliation and Unity have been the key to being able to celebrate 100 years of Christianity in the district.
