In retaliation, Lwandasa said when Jesus was crucified, the other two crosses had sinners beside him, and added that while Jesus’ cross reflects the true gospel of salvation, the other two crosses reflected the poor servants who are today engaged in the evils pointed out by Capt. Baraka.
Two Mukono high caliber evangelism authorities in the Anglican Church and the Born Again fraternity have clashed regarding setting up investments by churches, with one arguing that the church has been reduced to a money minting non-governmental organisation, and the other saying that traditionally, missionary projects especially in the health and education sectors laid the foundation for the modern day church.
The Executive Director for the Uganda Chapter of the US-based Words of Hope Ministries, Rev. Can. Capt. Titus Baraka who is also a prisons, hospitals and youth evangelism activist of the Church of Uganda, believes that the new trend of setting up mega business enterprises by church leaders has led to dwindling of evangelisation with leaders now more bent on leaving lasting legacies in projects.
However, the Founder President of the Love, Peace and Unity Pastors’ Destiny Forum in Greater Mukono who is also the head of Greater Mukono Inter-Faith Fellowships Bp. Samuel Lwandasa is opposed to this school of thought, arguing that personalities like renowned preacher the late Maama Mary Kevin Kearney left projects on which modern day medicine and academics are hinged.
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In an interview last week ahead of his retirement next March from mainstream Anglican church work on clocking the mandatory 65 years, Can. Baraka told reporters that many church leaders have now abandoned what should be their biggest investment, of evangelisation to win lost souls back to God, and are now set on competitively setting up investments so as to leave a legacy when the time for their exit comes.
“Unfortunately, all this is coming at a time when moral decadence characterized by corruption, indecency, land grabbing, robberies, lack of respect for God and for each other, turning our backs to biblical advice and others, are eating away humanity to the marrow,” Baraka lamented.
Without mentioning names, he said many church leaders have made it a habit to frequent ministers who are nearing retirement age, sweet talking them into speaking good words about them to appointing authorities with the intention of seeking to replace the retiring ministers, all of which point at selfish interests beyond preaching to flocks.
In retaliation, Lwandasa said when Jesus was crucified, the other two crosses had sinners beside him, and added that while Jesus’ cross reflects the true gospel of salvation, the other two crosses reflected the poor servants who are today engaged in the evils pointed out by Capt. Baraka.
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Elaborating, he said, “We have places of worship belonging to the other two crosses; while those subscribing to Jesus’ true cross continue to work as expected, the others are working in a counterproductive manner”.
He said that on coming to Uganda, missionaries came with projects including schools and hospitals, and wondered if helping mothers to deliver and teaching children to read and write are bad projects.
He added that true evangelists preach the gospel of words and of action, and that they should be out rightly supported.
In conclusion, Lwandasa said, “I support and mobilise Pentecostal leaders to go ahead with positive projects, and asked them to set up schools and health units wherever they have space for that.