MP Alaso wedding splits churches
Dec 26, 2007
The wedding of Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso Asianut, planned for next Saturday, is stirring up more controversy as leaders of the Anglican and Pentecostal churches disagree whether it should be allowed.
By John Omoding
In Soroti
The wedding of Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso Asianut, planned for next Saturday, is stirring up more controversy as leaders of the Anglican and Pentecostal churches disagree whether it should be allowed.
The Church of Uganda of Soroti Diocese said it had no problem wedding the couple. But the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, where Johnson Ebaju married his first wife in 1989, is opposed to the ceremony. Ebaju’s estranged wife, Christina Ikiria, is trying to stop the wedding.
“Biblically, one can only be allowed to wed a second time in church when the original partner is dead.
That is when the church can accept another holy matrimony to take place,†said Simon Peter Emiau, the national superintendent of the Pentecostal Church.
The cleric, who had been Ebaju’s best man at his first wedding, noted that he was not aware of any marital problems between the two, nor had Ebaju sought advice from him on such matters.
Retired District Overseer of the Pentecostal Church in Soroti, the Rev. Francis Atwau, agreed with him. He said the Bible was very clear. “Those whom God has joined together let not man separate.â€
The Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of God, based in Kumi, has also protested against the wedding.
“The wedding due to take place on Saturday between Johnson Ebaju and Hon. Alice Alaso is not holy matrimony,†a letter sent to the Soroti Diocese read. “We declare bondage and dissolution upon it. Please let us stand as a church and give glory to God and fear not man so as to preserve marriage and the rights of women.â€
However, Bishop Charles Obaikol, who is scheduled to preside over the Saturday ceremony, said the diocese had no problem with the wedding since Ebaju divorced his first wife.
“Christine Ikiria and Johnson Ebaju dissolved their marriage in court after living for more than eight years not as husband and wife. They now have no marriage between them after a divorce,†said a statement issued by the diocese.
It added that the Anglican Church only took marriages conducted in recognised Christian Churches as holy. Other churches should have been granted permission by the Government to conduct weddings, it explained.
But in what seems to be a diversion of the official position, the Church of Uganda provincial secretary, the Rev. Aaron Mwesigye, told The New Vision that the planned wedding was unacceptable.
“The church does not believe in divorce at all. Even if they came with a divorce certificate, we would not marry them. We condemn divorce,†said Mwesigye, who is the church’s spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Ebaju’s lawyers have released documents indicating that Ebaju was granted a divorce by the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Nakawa on October 24, 2007.
Despite the controversy, preparations for the wedding are in high gear and invitation cards have been delivered to guests. Close to 4,000 guests are expected.
Alaso declined to discuss the wedding.
In Soroti
The wedding of Soroti Woman MP Alice Alaso Asianut, planned for next Saturday, is stirring up more controversy as leaders of the Anglican and Pentecostal churches disagree whether it should be allowed.
The Church of Uganda of Soroti Diocese said it had no problem wedding the couple. But the Pentecostal Assemblies of God, where Johnson Ebaju married his first wife in 1989, is opposed to the ceremony. Ebaju’s estranged wife, Christina Ikiria, is trying to stop the wedding.
“Biblically, one can only be allowed to wed a second time in church when the original partner is dead.
That is when the church can accept another holy matrimony to take place,†said Simon Peter Emiau, the national superintendent of the Pentecostal Church.
The cleric, who had been Ebaju’s best man at his first wedding, noted that he was not aware of any marital problems between the two, nor had Ebaju sought advice from him on such matters.
Retired District Overseer of the Pentecostal Church in Soroti, the Rev. Francis Atwau, agreed with him. He said the Bible was very clear. “Those whom God has joined together let not man separate.â€
The Pentecostal Evangelistic Fellowship of God, based in Kumi, has also protested against the wedding.
“The wedding due to take place on Saturday between Johnson Ebaju and Hon. Alice Alaso is not holy matrimony,†a letter sent to the Soroti Diocese read. “We declare bondage and dissolution upon it. Please let us stand as a church and give glory to God and fear not man so as to preserve marriage and the rights of women.â€
However, Bishop Charles Obaikol, who is scheduled to preside over the Saturday ceremony, said the diocese had no problem with the wedding since Ebaju divorced his first wife.
“Christine Ikiria and Johnson Ebaju dissolved their marriage in court after living for more than eight years not as husband and wife. They now have no marriage between them after a divorce,†said a statement issued by the diocese.
It added that the Anglican Church only took marriages conducted in recognised Christian Churches as holy. Other churches should have been granted permission by the Government to conduct weddings, it explained.
But in what seems to be a diversion of the official position, the Church of Uganda provincial secretary, the Rev. Aaron Mwesigye, told The New Vision that the planned wedding was unacceptable.
“The church does not believe in divorce at all. Even if they came with a divorce certificate, we would not marry them. We condemn divorce,†said Mwesigye, who is the church’s spokesperson.
Meanwhile, Ebaju’s lawyers have released documents indicating that Ebaju was granted a divorce by the Chief Magistrate’s Court of Nakawa on October 24, 2007.
Despite the controversy, preparations for the wedding are in high gear and invitation cards have been delivered to guests. Close to 4,000 guests are expected.
Alaso declined to discuss the wedding.