Inside bishop’s plan to stop Church reliance on offertory

“My becoming a bishop came as a big surprise, a very new experience, ordinarily most clergy who become bishops are from the parish setting, and for me, I had not done any parish work,” Bishop Mwesigwa reminisces in an interview.

“The best was chaplaincy at Kibubura Girls and Ntare schools. You cannot compare this with parish work,” he adds.

He was ordained bishop on October 7, 2010, and before that he served as the dean of the Faculty of Education at Uganda Christian University Mukono.

Nevertheless, Bishop Mwesigwa says he drew strength to shepherd the people from God.

He quotes John 17:26: ‘I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.’

“I think [my appointment to this position] was by God’s grace, remember here (at the diocese) electing a new bishop had failed two times. It took me a whole year to understand the dynamics, for example, I knew nothing like the synod,” Bishop Mwesigwa said.

Bishop Mwesigwa added that even after being chosen, some Christians started asking him how he managed to get there since he was not known in church circles.

He insists he derives his confidence from God. “God chooses his people” he says.

During Bishop Mwesigwa’s leadership, Ankole Diocese has registered some achievements that include overseeing the construction of several commercial buildings in Mbarara City, which consist of Mothers Union Complex, Pensioners Building, St Luke Mall and Ankole Diocese Golden Jubilee building.

The diocese was also able to open Revival radio station, Revival Television, Revival Junior School, Revival Girls Secondary School and Revival Museum.

The diocese has also promoted a savings culture through the establishment of the Ankole Millennium Savings and Credit Cooperative Society, and also put in place community transformation projects that include coffee and vanilla growing. It has also constructed a children’s cancer ward at Ruharo Mission Hospital.

“My mission is to have many projects for the diocese to be self-reliant. By the time I retire, I want 50 percent of the church funding to be from projects and 50 percent can then come from offerings and contributions by Christians,” Bishop Mwesigwa says. He adds: “If you don’t work on the economics and health of Christians then the spiritual aspect will never grow. Christian ministry should be holistic.”

He said his journey has not been without challenges, especially self-seekers who always try to manipulate religious leaders.

“When you try to be Godly and professional, certainly in the process you will find yourself injuring the feelings of some people but this has helped me to serve the diocese all this far,” he says.

On Sunday, July 21, at a function to celebrate his 14 years of service at Ruharo Cathedral in Mbarara City, several Christians commended Bishop Mwesigwa for being a good example in leading a socially and economically transformed church. 

The mentions

“When we are in meetings in State House and elsewhere to brainstorm on how religious institutions can be allies of government in fostering development, Ankole Diocese is always mentioned as a reference point,” said Col Edith Nakalema, the head of State House Investors Protection Unit.

“The developments in Ankole, the commercial buildings, household transformation projects are a testimony that religious institutions play a big role in social-economic transformation of communities,” she added.

Col Nakalema was also Bishop Mwesigwa’s student at Kibubura Girls Secondary School in Ibanda District.

 “When we are talking of investors in the unit I head, Ankole Diocese is among those I have to protect because it has done much in terms of investments,” she adds.

North Kigezi Diocese Bishop Onesmus Asiimwe said Bishop Mwesigwa and Ankole Diocese have been exemplary in transforming Christians.

“The work that has been done by Bishop Mwesigwa and the diocese is tangible and evident. It is the first diocese to start a television in the entire province. You (Bishop Mwesigwa) have revamped the Church of Uganda schools and started new ones, the community transformation through projects like coffee growing all this is testimony that besides spiritual nourishment we should also put attention to empowering Christians in other aspects of life,” Bishop Asiimwe said.

He said Bishop Mwesigwa is a researcher and writer who has helped in addressing challenges communities face.

 “One of his outstanding researches is about why Born-again Christians live longer. Through his research, he has hosted couples who have lived in marriage for more than 50 years, and these are born-again Christians, some of us are using his findings to preach to married couples, especially men,” he said.

   The Member of Parliament (MP) for Rwampara Constituency, Mr Amos Kankunda, said there has been improved social-economic transformation among the Christians in the diocese due to the involvement of the Church in wealth creation initiatives.

“For us on behalf of the government, we are very grateful to Bishop Mwesigwa. The projects you have initiated on church land like coffee growing have helped communities to replicate the same in their homesteads,” he said.

Mr Kankunda said the public has lost confidence in the institutions of government because of increased corruption and asked church leaders to pray for the country.

“Pray for us because we have much to do to win public confidence and the reputation of some of the institutions we serve,” he said.

Celebrating his service under the theme ‘Gospel and Spiritual,’ social-economic transformation Bishop Mwesigwa noted that Christians need a holistic ministry.

“There is much more to religion and faith. People need to be healthy, people who are dying of diabetes and pressure need to be advised to go for medical checkups, and they need to be economically empowered. As religious leaders, let us focus on a ministry that empowers believers wholesomely,” he said.

Ankole Diocese has 230,000 Christians in 18 archdeaconries and 84 parishes. Bishop Mwesigwa is the 5th bishop of the diocese. He replaced the late George Tibesigwa.

Bishop Onesmus Asiimwe, North Kigezi Diocese

The work that has been done by Bishop Mwesigwa and the diocese is tangible and evident. It is the first diocese to start a television in the entire province. You (Bishop Mwesigwa) have revamped the Church of Uganda schools and started new ones.

Col Edith Nakalema,  head of State House Investors Protection Unit

When we are in meetings in State House and elsewhere to brainstorm on how religious institutions can be allies of government in fostering development, Ankole Diocese is always mentioned as a reference point.

Amos Kankunda, Member of Parliament for Rwampara Constituency

For us on behalf of the government, we are very grateful to Bishop Mwesigwa. The projects you have initiated on church land like coffee growing have helped communities to replicate the same in their homesteads,”

About Mwesigwa

Dr Mwesigwa is married to Dr Alice Mwesigwa, a senior lecturer at Mbarara University of Science and Technology. The couple is blessed with four children.

He was born on September 29, 1962, in Ruhoko, Ibanda District, to Mr Steven Rushota and Ms Julia Kageye.

Bishop Mwesigwa’s childhood dreams were far from the altar but he wanted to become a lawyer.

He holds a doctorate of philosophy in Religious Education from the University of Leeds, a Master’s degree in Education from the Association of Theological Institutions of Eastern Africa in Kenya, and a Diploma in Education from NTC Kakoba in Mbarara. He also obtained an Advanced Level Certificate from Old Kampala Secondary School and an Ordinary Level Certificate from Kako Secondary School.