The Pentecostal Church is certainly not at ease with a string of measures that have been introduced by Father Simon Peter Lokodo, Minister of Ethics and Integrity. Over the last one year, Lokodo has seemingly been steadfast on creating turbulence among Pentecostals with provisions that include Pastors should hold degrees in Theology, Churches shall be registered afresh, and the wealth of Pentecostal Pastors to be investigated.
In a recent meeting held by several born again church leaders in Kampala, the matter of Lokodo was discussed, debated, and resoundingly decided that all churches which sent representatives to that meeting shall rebel against his pronouncements.
A social media post by Joseph Kabuleta, a journalist turned pastor highlights the stand taken by the Pentecostal Churches against the current initiatives from Lokodo.
“I am glad that Pastors and leaders of the Born Again faith have come out of their closets to resist an attempt to put a leash around their necks.
Government and its idler in chief (excommunicated) Father Simon Lokodo (pronounced local-do) have hatched a plan to legislate against Pentecostals over simple differences in faith. That is both petty and frivolous.
In the final weekend of 2018, I was in Mbarara addressing pastors from South Western Uganda. More than 100 pastors signed a document asking government to stay away from matters of faith which are sacrosanct to the individual believer and cannot be controlled by government.
And on Thursday 3rd January 2019, I was one of several speakers at a large pastors gathering at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala where over 1000 pastors put their signatures to a document requesting that government adheres to the time-honored principle of separation of church and state. Uganda is a secular state in which all religions are the same and are free to worship as they please as long as they do not break any laws.
There is a sufficient legal framework to charge people who use the church to carry out illegal practices and some pastors have been prosecuted by those laws and are now serving time. There is no need for extra laws.” Kabuleta said in his post.
It is not known what strategy Lokodo is pursuing, because before his campaign, the Pentecostal Churches were practically untouchable allies of President Yoweri Museveni. Museveni who came into power chiding sectarianism said that the previous political parties were aligned to either of the mainstream religions that made them sectarian. For example Uganda Peoples Congress (UPC) was known as an Anglican Party, while the Democratic Party (DP) was rooted in the Catholic Church.
In recent months, President Museveni has also taken a critical stance on some of the practices in Pentecostal Churches, which include praying loudly, pursuit of material wealth and others.
It will therefore take the direct intervention of President Museveni for Lokodo to fall back from his current crusades against the most active religious sect in Uganda today.
