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Use pulpits to preach wealth creation, Babalanda tells pastors
Babalanda said that while pastors were doing commendable work mobilising congregations to embrace God, the challenge of household poverty must also be tackled seriously.
The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda, said congregations cannot serve God effectively amid abject poverty.
By: Tom Gwebayanga, Journalist @New Vision
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The Minister for the Presidency, Milly Babirye Babalanda, has urged pastors of the Seventh-day Adventist (SDA) Church to use their pulpits to promote wealth-creation initiatives as part of efforts to fight household poverty and accelerate national transformation.
Addressing the congregation at the 7-Day Annual Retreat (Camp Meeting) at Nkondo SDA Church in Buyende district, Babalanda said that while pastors were doing commendable work mobilising congregations to embrace God, the challenge of household poverty must also be tackled seriously.
She was welcomed by Pastor Jimmy Kajura, head of the Busoga District SDA Field, district pastors and church elders from Busoga and the Eastern region.
Babalanda said the Government has allowed freedom of worship and recognises religious institutions as key partners in national development, unity and moral transformation. However, she said congregations cannot serve God effectively amid abject poverty.
“As the government pushes for transformation to middle-income status, faith must go along with work to meet the target of reducing poverty,” Babalanda, the chair of Busoga Field SDA Women’s Union and Budiope West MP, Buyende district, said.
She urged church members to embrace home-based projects such as vegetable farming and poultry for eggs in their backyards, particularly among SDA and Muslim communities, as well as piggery for non-Muslims, in line with President Yoweri Museveni’s guidance on wealth creation.
Babalanda also urged church members to embrace established Government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, Youth Livelihood Programme, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and GROW, among others, to generate household income and reduce poverty in communities.
“Our role is to ensure these resources are used with proper financial discipline and hard work to create wealth and jobs at the household level,” she emphasised.
“As the government pushes for transformation to middle-income status, faith must go along with work to meet the target of reducing poverty,” Babalanda, the chair of Busoga Field SDA Women’s Union and Budiope West MP, Buyende district, said.
She urged church members to embrace home-based projects such as vegetable farming and poultry for eggs in their backyards, particularly among SDA and Muslim communities, as well as piggery for non-Muslims, in line with President Yoweri Museveni’s guidance on wealth creation.
Babalanda also urged church members to embrace established Government programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM), Emyooga, Youth Livelihood Programme, Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and GROW, among others, to generate household income and reduce poverty in communities.
“Our role is to ensure these resources are used with proper financial discipline and hard work to create wealth and jobs at the household level,” she emphasised.
For those with ample land, Babalanda guided believers to embrace President Museveni’s 4-Acre Model Concept to help rural families escape poverty.
“Acre 1: Coffee, a long-term cash crop with stable income- Acre 2: Fruits – oranges, mangoes, cocoa – Acre 3: Food crops – maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables for food security – Acre 4: Pasture for zero-grazing dairy cows,” she said.
The minister made the remarks on August 29, 2026, during the annual retreat, which brought together SDA members from Busoga and the Eastern region.
Pastor Kajura hailed Babalanda for raising the SDA Church’s profile, saying that since she assumed office, she has not only popularised the church but also supported its progress.
He said she contributed sh1.2m towards the construction of the church.
“Acre 1: Coffee, a long-term cash crop with stable income- Acre 2: Fruits – oranges, mangoes, cocoa – Acre 3: Food crops – maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes and vegetables for food security – Acre 4: Pasture for zero-grazing dairy cows,” she said.
The minister made the remarks on August 29, 2026, during the annual retreat, which brought together SDA members from Busoga and the Eastern region.
Pastor Kajura hailed Babalanda for raising the SDA Church’s profile, saying that since she assumed office, she has not only popularised the church but also supported its progress.
He said she contributed sh1.2m towards the construction of the church.