LIRA | PAG | CONVERGE

They started by walking in a procession along the streets of Lira City and converged at the Mayor’s garden in droves.

These people are Pentecostal Assemblies of God (PAG) members who have split off to form the Yahweh Pentecostal Mission. Yahweh, as they are affectionately known, is holding a three-day evangelistic crusade, and its church leaders have traveled from all over the Lango sub-region, as well as from Kampala and the US.

They were connected to the US team, according to Bishop Joel Mukalu, the leader of the mission, through Pastor Steven Kyambadde.

According to Bishop Mukalu, the purpose of the campaign is to preach the Bible.

He exhorts people to follow Jesus Christ if they want to live long and prosper.

According to Mukalu, the crusade based on Acts 3:19 will also involve deliverance.

Why Yahweh broke away from PAG

When election time arrived, Bishop Mukalu was in charge of the Lira pastorate, but when election time arrived, he was disqualified for lack of discipline, which caused him to split up with his adherents.

Believers playing musical instruments during crusade at Mayors Garden

PAG Lira Ltd was first registered by Mukalu, but it was later canceled after legal objections from PAG Mission.

He later joined Yahweh's Pentecostal Mission.

Churches like the Lira Pentecostal Church have been involved in court fights over property ownership, and the issue has not yet been settled.

About 23 pastorates are part of PAG nationwide. A bishop serves as the head of each pastorate during an elective five-year tenure.

The districts of Lira, Amolatar, Dokolo, Otuke, and Alebtong are included in the Lira Pastorate.

Following allegations of financial irregularities against incumbent Bishop Joel Mukalu, who was up for reelection (after his mandate ended on December 10, 2013), PAG headquarters in Kampala suspended the election at Lira pastorate. The Rev. Mukalu and his supporters protested.

Then, in defiance of Kampala, Mukalu proclaimed himself to be the new bishop and began designating his supporters as church officials.

According to court documents obtained by this newspaper, when Kampala arrived to conduct elections on December 11, 2013, it was met with various accusations, most of which were directed at Joel Mukalu and concerning financial irregularities, dictatorial inclinations, and misuse of PAG property.

A five-personel panel was chosen to oversee the pastorate after the team agreed to postpone the election while they conducted their inquiry.

Mukalu with support from believers refused to step down and hand over the office to the five caretakers. Hence the suit, putting an interim injunction on Bishop Mukalu and Peter Onyang, the District Secretary.

The crisis deepened and Mukalu’s followers on April 8, 2014, announced autonomy from PAG Kampala, an act Kampala resisted

Bishop Mukalu and his cronies, Peter Onyang, Okeng Belboa, and Okao Bosco, all pastors, were put under church discipline.

The defiant Bishop Mukalu is carried shoulder high as he arrived at Lira Pentecostal Church

Their credentials and privileges were withdrawn.

Mukalu and the group also retaliated and put some leaders supportive of Kampala under church discipline. They are Bishop Reverend Sam Angweri, Rev. Wiggle Opio, Polycarp Okello, in charge of the education department, George Opio Aguze, the head of praise and worship, Joseph Ongol, an administrator; and Patrick Olet, the former deacon.

Others are Washington Okello, the youth pastor, Martin Ongune, the man in charge of couples, Dickens Okol, and Terence Bua.

Mukalo insists that his removal is meant to pave the way for the PAG secretariat to take over more property that was acquired by the pastorate locally.

Fighting at Churches

There has been fighting in many churches and property has been destroyed, with several cases of injuries reported.

One of the worst fights took place in August 2015 between rival members in the Amugu sub-county, leaving several people injured, nine houses burnt and property worth over shs50m destroyed.