Pastor Patience Rwabwogo’s consecration underway at Maya

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Worship is underway at the Covenant Nations Church (CNC) Maya Campus in Kyengera Town Council, Wakiso District, where Christians, clergy, government officials and invited guests have gathered for the consecration of Pastor Patience Rwabwogo as an Episcopal Bishop.

The consecration is being presided over by renowned American evangelist Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn, who is the main celebrant.

President Yoweri Museveni, the chief guest, and First Lady Janet Museveni have already arrived at the ceremony.

The President and the First Lady started by laying a foundation stone for the Maya CNC Campus as the congregation broke into the renowned East African renewal hymn, Tukutendereza Yesu.

Bishop LaDonna, clad in full liturgical vestments, presided over the anointing of the new church site, marking the first religious ceremony at the location.

Among the special guests are renowned Nigerian preacher Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye and his wife, Folu Adeboye.

Other dignitaries attending the ceremony include Vice President Jessica Alupo, National Resistance Movement (NRM) National Vice Chairperson Moses Kigongo, ministers, security chiefs including Inspector General of Police Abbas Byakagaba, diplomats and religious leaders.

Pastor Patience and her husband, businessman Odrek Rwabwogo, were ushered into the ceremony in a procession, with Bishop LaDonna following shortly behind as the Covenant Nations Church choir led the congregation in worship.

The opening prayer was offered by Pastor Betty Odongo, the leader of the born-again women movement in Uganda, who thanked God for the milestone. This was followed by special worshippers from Israel.

For Pastor Patience, however, the ceremony represents more than a public event. It marks the culmination of a personal journey of faith, obedience and service that began long before she entered pastoral ministry.

Pastor Patience, who is also the daughter of President Museveni and First Lady Janet Museveni, described her consecration in an earlier interview with New Vision as a call to greater responsibility rather than a pursuit of status.

“I never sought this office. For me, this consecration is not about status or recognition. It is about greater responsibility, deeper consecration and a higher level of service,” she said.

A journey of faith

Pastor Patience traces her Christian journey to the age of 11, when she gave her life to Jesus Christ.

Her faith was nurtured in a family with deep Christian roots. Her maternal grandparents and paternal grandmother were among the early believers in their respective extended families, establishing a spiritual foundation that she says was passed from one generation to another.

She also credits the late evangelist Dr Daisy Washburn Osborn with playing a significant role in her early Christian life.

Dr Osborn gave her the first Bible she ever owned, an experience Pastor Patience describes as planting “the seed of salvation.”

Although her faith remained central throughout her teenage and adult years, pastoral ministry was not part of the future she initially imagined for herself.

“I struggled for years just to accept God's call into pastoral ministry,” she recalled.

Her journey eventually led to the founding of Covenant Nations Church, which began about two decades ago as a small house fellowship where family members and friends gathered for prayer, worship and Bible study.

From house fellowship to growing ministry

CNC has since developed into a growing Christian ministry, with congregations, outreach programmes and a broader vision extending beyond Uganda.

For Pastor Patience, the transformation of the church reflects what she considers God's direction for the ministry.

“There came a point when God made it clear that ministry was not something to fit around my life; it was my life,” she said.

The church has placed particular emphasis on young people, leadership development, discipleship and practical transformation.

The Edward & Erina Kataaha Bible College and the emerging Edward & Erina Kataaha University are part of that vision, combining biblical training with leadership, entrepreneurship and practical skills.

Pastor Patience believes young Christians should not merely be prepared to take leadership positions in the distant future, but should be equipped to influence society today.

“The reformers of tomorrow must be prepared today,” she said.

Faith and national transformation

Her ministry philosophy extends beyond church attendance.

Through her book Jesus' Africa, Pastor Patience advocates for a Christian awakening that contributes to excellence in governance, business, education, innovation and social development.

She often refers to the biblical Joseph, whose wisdom and leadership helped preserve a nation during famine.

Her vision is to raise what she calls “Josephs”, spiritually mature Christians capable of providing solutions to practical challenges facing society.

CNC has also participated in evangelistic initiatives such as the Light Up Uganda for Jesus Mission, which has brought together Christians from different denominations.

For Pastor Patience, such cooperation demonstrates that unity among believers can contribute to wider national transformation.

The road to consecration

The journey towards the episcopal consecration gained momentum following the 2025 Light Up Uganda for Jesus Mission at Kololo Ceremonial Grounds.

Bishop LaDonna Osborn subsequently shared her conviction that Pastor Patience had been called to the office of bishop. The revelation initially surprised Pastor Patience and her husband, Odrek, who had not been seeking such a position.

Yet, over time, she came to understand the development as part of God's continuing purpose for her life.

She has also reflected on the connection between Bishop LaDonna Osborn and her late mother, Dr Daisy Osborn, who introduced her to the Bible and played a role in her early Christian journey.

For Pastor Patience, the consecration therefore represents both continuity and a new beginning, a transition from years of pastoral service into a wider episcopal responsibility.

As worship continues at the Maya campus and the church prepares for the consecration service, the occasion brings together the different strands of Pastor Patience's journey: a childhood encounter with Christ, a calling she initially resisted, the growth of a church that began in a house fellowship, and a new responsibility she now accepts as part of her service to God.