FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 27, 2001
There has been a lot of media hullabaloo surrounding my work with Integrity-Uganda and the consequent persecutions. This has been a result of my deliberate quietude and low-key in these circumstances lest this noble ministry of listening and dialogue is reduced to fierce dialectic and polarised rhetoric with the Church leadership at home.
However, for purposes of setting my record straight and to adopt a tone for real dialogue and developing debate with people at home, let me say just a few things:
There has been a lot of persecution leveled against me ever since I expressed interest in working with our local Integrity chapter. These have sadly touched various facets of my life like housing, pension and episcopacy in an effort to seclude and intimidate me and my family. I want to assure you that there is no turning back on this road to full inclusion and pastoral sensitivity to all God's people in our Church and therefore, I call upon the good leadership of my Church in Uganda to respond pastorally and quickly to all these unfortunate and open-ended forms of anarchy, which only serve to dent the good image of the Church.
Integrity-Uganda is a local initiative which developed as a result of sexual pluralism in Uganda. It aimed at celebrating the full human sexuality, a gift to be honored and cherished by people of all races, ideologies and cultures. My humble appeal to all Ugandans of goodwill, in various civic, religious and political circles is to rally behind this icon; a precious reminder of how, in the Anglican faith, all our diversities can still be held beautifully together around the instruments of Unity. As counselor, theologian, and bishop for the last 27 years in the Anglican Church of God, I have come to a humble knowledge that our cardinal principal and pastoral context in ministry lies in Paul's apostolic testimony, to bear one another's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2) and this is my guiding principal as I work with Integrity.
I also ascribe my leadership and participation in this Chapter to my strong conviction and response to the Lambeth resolutions of 1988 (64, 153, 155 and 156) and 1998 (I:10 a, b, c, d, and e) to which I have been honored to be part of. In these holy resolutions, my Lambeth brothers agreed to put in place a study and listening process for all us who do not necessarily share in our traditional views, with an aim to instill in each one of us a holy and sacred desire to pray for one another as ALL children of God in dire need for redemption.
Needless to say, however, I am very much aware and understand the passions and strong opinions of my Church (which I still hold in high esteem) towards Integrity. My fervent prayer,therefore, is for the grace to give Integrity-Uganda a chance and to create a context for fruitful listening, which will contribute not only to Peace of our Church in Uganda, but also clarify to all of us, the apostolic and Lambeth modes of caring for one another.
Lastly, I am very much reminded of the old Kisoga (one of the 500 dialects in Uganda) maxim, as I choose not go into further details in this statement. It goes, WE'VE GOT WORK TO DO, NOT WORDS TO SAY. Therefore, I am appealing to each one of us, to get to work and make our Church a better place for all of us.
The Rt. Rev. Christopher Senyonjo,
CHAIRMAN, INTEGRITY-UGANDA
Bishop Christopher will be available through the following contact from March 30, 2001 through April 16, 2001.
Contact: The Rev. Michael W. Hopkins
301-262-3285 (work)
240-351-5516 (cell)
301-474-4495 (home)
301-262-0666 (fax)
stGeoGD@aol.com
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