Church of Uganda Turns to Local Support After Donor Funding Decline

The Church of Uganda has said that its position on homosexuality and same-sex marriage has caused a major drop in donor funding. But the church is still hopeful. It believes God will keep blessing it with supporters who believe in its mission and vision.

According to Mr Balaam Muheebwa, the acting Church of Uganda Provincial Secretary, “The church’s main sources of funding now include offertory, thanksgiving, tithe, personal commitments, and donations.”

But donations have fallen sharply. This happened after donors pulled out because the church decided to condemn homosexuality and same-sex marriage.

Even with less donor money, the Church of Uganda has signed a deal with Paxtel Telecom. This agreement will guide their work together and could open new doors.

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, the Most Rev. Stephen Samuel Kaziimba Mugalu, called the partnership a “Kingdom opportunity to transform the lives of God’s people.”

“We treasure the coming of Paxtel Telecom. We are forever grateful,” Mr Muheebwa said amid thunderous applause. The partnership will use technology to help the community, encourage development, and build a more connected and successful society.

The Church of Uganda has been clear about its views on homosexuality. Archbishop Kaziimba recently spoke against the appointment of Rev. Sarah Mullally as Archbishop of Canterbury. He did this because she reportedly supports actions that go against the Bible’s teachings.

Despite the difficulties, the church will not change its path. Mr Muheebwa said the church is looking for partners who agree with its views.

“Our stand as Church of Uganda is very clear, and we are not about to compromise that, and we have no apologies,” he said.

The deal with Paxtel Telecom comes as the church faces money problems. The amount of offering collected during services has also gone down since the COVID-19 pandemic. The church needs to pay for different projects. These include a pension plan for retired church leaders and developing its unused land.

Paxtel Telecom and the Hamilton Telecom family gave Shs50 million to the Church of Uganda. This money will help improve the lives of retired bishops. The company also gave Shs 10 million to the diocese of Karamoja. The chairman of Paxtel Telecom, Mr John Kamya, said the partnership is about a shared goal. That goal is to use the power of technology to serve the community.