Heavens, not all ‘balokole’ are Pentecostals! No!
Sep 10, 2002
SIR— I wish to add my concern to that of another reader concerning the upcoming census.
SIR— I wish to add my concern to that of another reader concerning the upcoming census. His concern was that the smaller tribes are usually grafted on to bigger tribes and not given an identity of their own.
My concern is with the religious aspects of the census. With all due respect to Pastor Joseph Sserwadda of Victory Christian Centre, Ndeeba, and secretary of the National Association of Born-Again Churches, I would like to correct a gross misleading of the masses through advertisement on his Radio Impact and on Top Radio, concerning the upcoming census. He has a drive to ensure that Pentecostal balokole are categorised as a separate group or denomination in the census. This has been accepted by the census authorities. However, I strongly disagree with the adverts on these radio stations advising all balokole to be identified as Pentecostals and that they should say “yes†to question 14 on the census questionnaire. I would like to inform Pastor Sserwadda that his is a very narrow definition of born-again Christians. Not all balokole are Pentecostals. Among the main stream denominations, that is the Anglican, Presbyterians, Baptist, Methodist, there are born-again Christians (balokole) who are not Pentecostals. I wish also to remind Pastor Sserwadda that the term “balokole†was first used here in Uganda during the East African Revival, which began in the Anglican Church.
The Population Secretariat should check this bad advert.
Rita Mulungi Kakooza
Kampala
My concern is with the religious aspects of the census. With all due respect to Pastor Joseph Sserwadda of Victory Christian Centre, Ndeeba, and secretary of the National Association of Born-Again Churches, I would like to correct a gross misleading of the masses through advertisement on his Radio Impact and on Top Radio, concerning the upcoming census. He has a drive to ensure that Pentecostal balokole are categorised as a separate group or denomination in the census. This has been accepted by the census authorities. However, I strongly disagree with the adverts on these radio stations advising all balokole to be identified as Pentecostals and that they should say “yes†to question 14 on the census questionnaire. I would like to inform Pastor Sserwadda that his is a very narrow definition of born-again Christians. Not all balokole are Pentecostals. Among the main stream denominations, that is the Anglican, Presbyterians, Baptist, Methodist, there are born-again Christians (balokole) who are not Pentecostals. I wish also to remind Pastor Sserwadda that the term “balokole†was first used here in Uganda during the East African Revival, which began in the Anglican Church.
The Population Secretariat should check this bad advert.
Rita Mulungi Kakooza
Kampala