Non-Pentecostal balokole will choose which denomination to belong to

SIR— We write to respond to Rita Mulungi Kakooza’s letter, “Heavens, not all balokole are Pentecostals! No!” Wednesday’s New Vision. Yes, it is true that not all balokole are Pentecostals. We wrote a letter to the Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development requesting to be enumerated as “ born-again” churches. In the last census (1991), when one stated that they were “saved”, “born-again” or “mulokole”, they were asked which religion they practised before they got converted. They were then registered accordingly. This was incorrect as it gave a wrong impression about our numbers. We therefore asked to be enumerated as we are: “born-again” believers. Our stand is, that the term “born-again” is an all-inclusive term that unites balokole Christians of various denominations. However, the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches is careful about those churches/groups with cultic tendencies. In response to our letter, Mr C. M. Kassami, the PS to the treasury, informed us that the National Bureau of Statistics had included a code: No. 14 “Pentecostal” to cater for the all the balokole. Our request to be called “born-again” was turned down because it was too late to make any amendments to the census registration forms. This was not our doing, it was a decision taken by either or both the Population Secretariat and the National Bureau of Statistics. When Anglican balokole are asked which church they belong to, they will choose where to belong.

Pastor Joseph Serwadda
General Secretary, National Fellowship of Born Again Churches