BISHOP CHRISTOPHER SSENYONJO, Uganda: ¨Spiritual mentor, pastor, and guide--at great cost to his reputation and security--inspires ALL¨

Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Integrity-Uganda Founder

¨In August of 2007, I had the privilege of visiting with members of Integrity-Uganda in Kampala. During my two weeks there, I was continually struck by the fortitude and courage of gay and lesbian young adults who were taking great risks for the sake of human rights in their country. Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, as chaplain to Integrity-Uganda, was their spiritual mentor, pastor, and guide. His love for these young people - at great cost to his reputation and security - is an inspiration. The hospitality that he and his wife, Mary, offered to them and to me is a memory that I cherish.

The Rev. John Kirkley . The Episcopal Church Diocese of California

It was a great joy to be able to return this hospitality when Bishop Christopher visited the San Francisco Bay Area in May. Our celebration of the feast of Pentecost was especially grand with the Bishop as the guest preacher at St. John the Evangelist y El Buen Samaritano, San Francisco. A bilingual liturgy (Spanish & English) with the Gospel lesson spoken in 14 languages was the perfect setting for Bishop Christopher's prophetic witness to the power of God's love to transcend differences and unite us in common mission.

The Right Reverend Marc Handley Andrus is the eighth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California

That evening, Bishop Christopher was the guest of Bishop Marc and Sheila Andrus for a reception at their home. He spoke with humility and gratitude about the difference we can make in Uganda by opposing the anti-gay legislation proposed there. His profoundly moving stories about the need for dialogue, education, and advocacy regarding LGBT human rights in his home country underscored the importance of our continued financial support of Integrity-Uganda's work. It is a matter of life and death.¨ HERE

ALL AFRICA ANGLICAN BISHOPS CONFERENCE, August 23 to 29
Entebbe, Uganda

Dr. Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury

Dear African Bishops of the Anglican Communion,

You are from over 400 dioceses in Africa. You are Anglican Bishops who are expected to gather together with the Archbishop of Canterbury at a one-week All African Bishops' Conference that will take place in Uganda from August 23 to 29, 2010.

Bishops, are you prepared to minister pastorally and sensitively to ALL, irrespective of sexual orientation?


"Securing Our Future: Unlocking our Potential,"(Hebrews 12:1-2)

Bishops of the Anglican Communion from over 400 dioceses in Africa are expected together with the Archbishop of Canterbury. A one-week All African Bishops' Conference (AABC) will take place in Uganda from August 23 to 29. HERE

According to Edward Gaamuwa, the chairman of the organising committee, the council of Anglican provinces of Africa meeting in Pretoria, South Africa in 2001 resolved to hold an African Anglican Bishop Conference to focus on African needs.

"The Anglican Church is very old in Africa but African problems and issues are still being treated as an appendix to other issues at the church's international forum," Gaamuwa said in an interview.

Some of the aims for this conference include mobilising the bishops to tackle the obstacles that continue to keep the continent in conflict, poverty, corruption, poor leadership and disease.

There is also the need to create a platform for interaction and partnership development and also to expose church leaders to various models for resource mapping, investment, management and global technology.

And how the Anglican Church in Africa is spearheading and participating in global initiatives that seek to address the threats to human dignity...read it all HERE


The persecution of LGBTI Anglicans/others ought NOT BE IGNORED by African Anglican Conference Bishops meeting in UGANDA!

It´s particularly troubling that the LGBTI Anglican/other ¨issue¨ that is confronting deep rooted ¨immoral fiber¨ of ¨exclusionists/haters¨ in Uganda, Nigeria, Kenya isn´t even on the AGENDA for the African Anglican Bishops ...apparently an excuse for easing tension for the also attending more ¨inclusive¨ South African Bishops. Anglican Bishops from South Africa whom I´m amazed would have need to be ¨protected¨ when THEY are the very BRAVE ones in Africa who have REAL EXPERIENCE when ministering ¨hands on¨ to LGBTI Anglicans.

Clearly much of what the ¨African Bishops Conference¨ intends to rehash are regional problems that have little or nothing to do with ¨listening to solutions¨ or avoiding more bloodshed when excluding and abusing LGBTI Anglicans in Africa (and addressing forced ¨closeted behavior¨ that is deadly for everyone and contaminates families and everyday lives with ongoing deceit). True, Africa is riddled with dictatorships, bloody civil wars, greedy property grabs, heterosexual social disease, child witchburning and rampant, vertical, corruption throughout society HERE ...but the persecution of LGBTI citizens ought NOT BE IGNORED!

Many African Anglican powerdriven Bishops such as Archbishop Orombi/Uganda--who excommunicated and removed the retirement pension of Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo for the fabricated ¨crimelike¨ stewardship of ¨ministering to LGBT Ugandans¨-- aren´t able to face REALITY and live in a world outside of their own narrow-minded and self-righteous self-protecting. Meanwhile, many African bishops continously pontificate and demonize others and further/endorse the ignorance, fear, bigotry and hate often directed against their/our brothers and sisters at The Body of Christ (see pending anti/kill-lgbt law pending before the Parliament of Uganda, the thieving of Anglican Church property in Zimbabwe and the failed Anglican Church endorsement AVOIDING ¨human rights equality¨ changes for a new constituition in Kenya...it passed popular vote ANYWAY and citizens have a dim view of religious leaders, Archbishop Wabukala/others, in Kenya as a result HERE ). Anything to save face, cover-oneself for ill-actions, outshout and play ¨big man¨ while avoiding the REALITY of facing a wrongful, yet popular, lie and taboo against ¨the Gay¨ invasion HERE . The ¨agenda¨ of encouraging deadly fears amongst bigots is, in fact, a spiritually irresponsible sin of omission at the Anglican African Bishops Conference next week in Uganda.

LGBTI Anglicans and others are exploited, victimized, raped, enslaved and demonized in UGANDA, NIGERIA, KENYA and CENTRAL AFRICA

HERE, and HERE, and you must read HERE, Nigeria HERE,
Kenya HERE, Sudan HERE and the Anglican Province of Central Africa HERE.

Lord have mercy

· Thanks to Bishop Christopher Ssenyonjo, Uganda
· Thanks to Integrity, Uganda and U.S.A.
· Thanks to Changing Attitudes, United Kingdom
· Thanks to The Rev. John Kirkley, Diocese of California
· Thanks to Bishop Marc and Sheila Andrus, Diocese of California
· Thanks to Anglican African Bishops Conference, Uganda
· Thanks to Box Turtle Bulletin, sidebar

THE ALL AFRICA BISHOPS CONFERENCE, venue:

Imperial Resort Beach Hotel
August 23 to 29
Entebbe, Uganda
PO Box 895,Entebbe, Uganda
Telephone: +256 (0) 414 303000
Fax: +256 (0) 414 303333
Web: www.imperialhotels.co.ug/impresortbeachoverview.html