Church of Uganda

A few posts back, on June 18th, I described the BUILD programme in the Church of Uganda - Biblical Understanding for In-Service Leadership Develeopment. Since returning to the UK I have discovered that this is supported not only by CMS but also by Crosslinks, which has committed funding for the next three years - on a tapering basis, to encourage BUILD to become self-sustaining. (Jem Hovil, who is an adviser to the BUILD programme, is a Crosslinks Associate). The Crosslinks website has more details: www.crosslinks.org/team/projects/projects2007_build.htm

Followers of the Anglican Communion's troubles might also be interested in the Archbishop of Uganda's recent article on Anglicanism in Uganda, and the Church of Uganda's approach to the crisis in which the Anglican world is currently engulfed: www.firstthings.com/article.php3?id_article=6002

Here's an extract:

'In the Church of Uganda, Anglicanism has been built on three pillars: martyrs, revival, and the historic episcopate. Yet each of these refers back to the Word of God, the ground on which all is built: The faith of the martyrs was maintained by the Word of God, the East African revival brought to the people the Word of God, and the historic ordering of ministry was designed to advance the Word of God.
So let us think about how the Word of God works in the worldwide Anglican Communion. We in the Church of Uganda are convinced that Scripture must be reasserted as the central authority in our communion. The basis of our commitment to Anglicanism is that it provides a wider forum for holding each other accountable to Scripture, which is the seed of faith and the foundation of the Church in Uganda.
The Bible cannot appear to us a cadaver, merely to be dissected, analyzed, and critiqued, as has been the practice of much modern higher biblical criticism. Certainly we engage in biblical scholarship and criticism, but what is important to us is the power of the Word of God precisely as the Word of God—written to bring transformation in our lives, our families, our communities, and our culture. For us, the Bible is “living and active, sharper than a double-edged sword, it penetrates to dividing soul and spirits, joints and marrow, it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). The transforming effect of the Bible on Ugandans has generated so much conviction and confidence that believers were martyred in the defense of the message of salvation through Jesus Christ that it brought.'