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We only survived by God’s grace, says Rev Tushangomujuni
Rev Can Joash Tushangomujuni serves Holy Communion during the sunday church service at St Mathew Cathdral Kyamate. PHOTO/PEREZ RUMANZI
What you need to know:
- Rev Tushangomujuni remarked while presiding church service for the first time after relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions that saw church reopening granted by President Museveni last week.
- The Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe on Sunday called upon all religious leaders –worldwide- to preach the gospel of environmental conservation to avoid disaster.
The Dean at St Mathew Cathedral, Kyamate in Ntungamo town, South Ankole Diocese, Rev Can Joash Tushangomujuni has described the three months of church closure as ‘‘difficult for church ministers with survival only possible by the grace of God.’’
‘‘When the lock down was announced, even the church was under serious crisis in that it could not afford transporting the ministers to villages. We simply had to pray to survive and be well,’’ he said.
Rev Tushangomujuni remarked while presiding church service for the first time after relaxation of the Covid-19 restrictions that saw church reopening granted by President Museveni last week.
“The people here, the church ministers faced the most difficult situation. They were idle and had nothing to do. It was difficult to pass through this but we thank God that finally we can get back to doing things the normal way,” Rev Tushangomujuni said.
Several church goers thronged chuches in Ntungamo town, some in disregard of set SOPs. At Kyamate Church, at least 500 people attended the service in a church that hosts over 2,000 seated Christians at ago.
Rev Tushangomujuni also announced a weeklong fasting and prayer at the cathedral led by the Bishop’s Wife Ms Lillian Ahimbisibwe to pray for full recovery of the church and healing of the souls affected byCovid-19.
Environmental conservation
The Bishop of South Ankole Diocese, Rt Rev Nathan Ahimbisibwe on Sunday called upon all religious leaders –worldwide- to preach the gospel of environmental conservation saying that the rate at which Uganda’s forest cover is being destroyed may result in floods and natural disasters.
“According to the Bible (Genesis 2:15) the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it but not to destroy it,” Bishop Ahimbisibwe noted.
Congregants at Saints Church in Ntungamo District on September 26. PHOTO/ ELLY KATAHINGA
Bishop Ahimbisibwe opined that if the situation is not addressed, the world might become a desert before he directed preachers on different platforms to dedicate sermons to environmental conservation in order to contain the extinction of ecosystems.
“As a church, we condemn any human activities that have endangered God's nature because we cannot develop when we have destroyed the Ecosystem,” he added.
Bishop Ahimbisibwe remarked on Sunday at St Mathew’s Cathedral Kyamate while departing for Zambia’s capital, Lusaka, to attend a five-day Environmental stewardship conference aimed at protecting the natural environment through conservation and sustainable practices to enhance ecosystem resilience and human well-being.
As a Church of Uganda representative at the event, he will join over 19 other African leaders to raise awareness against climate change and global warming effects.
Churches in Uganda reopened on Sunday after they were closed in June over Covid-19.
“In Psalms 122, it reminds us that we rejoice with those who said to me: Let us go to the house of the Lord. Our feet are standing in your gates, Jerusalem,” Bishop Ahimbisibwe said.
