Pastors shall be judged more strictly
Sep 06, 2007
Recently, the newspapers have been reporting alleged sexual and financial scandals in local Churches. Sodomy, sex slaves, electric shock machines and extravagant lifestyles of Pastors have become the talk around town and the subject of letters to the editors.
BY THE REV AARON MWESIGYE
Recently, the newspapers have been reporting alleged sexual and financial scandals in local Churches. Sodomy, sex slaves, electric shock machines and extravagant lifestyles of Pastors have become the talk around town and the subject of letters to the editors.
As Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda, I want to offer our perspective;
1. To all pastors, priests, deacons and even bishops – the Bible calls us to live a life “above reproach†and not to be a “lover of money†(1 Tim. 3:2-3). We will be held more accountable to the same standard of godliness and holiness to which all Christians are called. The Bible says that we who teach will be “judged more strictly.†(James 3:1). The Bible also has harsh words for false shepherds. So, woe to you if you are found to be a shepherd leading God’s flock astray. Let us reclaim our Christian tradition in Uganda and walk in the light. Let us examine ourselves and cry out to the Lord, “Search me, O God, and know my heart†(Psalm 139:23).
2. To my fellow Ugandans, I want to say four things:
a) Let us be discerning. It takes people to be deceived. Some Pastors may be preaching lies, but you do not have to believe them. It is the responsibility of every Christian to know for him or herself what the Bible teaches and to evaluate whether or not the preacher is speaking the truth. If what a preacher is saying sounds like it is too good to be true, then it is probably not true. There are no short-cuts to blessings. The path to resurrection victory runs straight through the cross.
b) God wants to bless us. God wants us to be blessed. But, we must understand that the purpose of being blessed is to be a blessing to others, not to hoard blessings. God promised Abraham that he would bless him, so that through him the whole world could be blessed (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:17-18; 26:4; 28:14). So, we cannot have the blessing of Abraham without also having the responsibility of Abraham; in other words, to be a blessing to others.
c) The Bible says, “A man reaps what he sows†(Gal. 6:7). If I put a sh50,000 note in the ground and pour water on it, I will not grow a shilling tree. The seed of faith that God is asking us to sow is the seed of obedience and the seed of righteousness. God says the tithe belongs to Him – the first 10% of what we produce (Malachi 3:6-12).
The people in the Bible were no poorer than we are, and still God called them to recognise that everything belongs to Him, and we give Him back the first 10%. When we tithe, God then says that He will shower blessings upon us. What we are sowing is obedience. And, the Bible says obedience brings blessings.
d) If you are seeking blessings more than the “Blesserâ€, that is, more than God who gives the blessings, then you are worshipping an idol, and you need to repent. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,†and leave the rest to God! (Matthew 6:33).
Finally, what we need in Uganda is a good biblical, theological and practical understanding of the relationship between salvation and money, between spirituality and wealth, and a solid commitment to the practice of tithing, stewardship, giving and transparent accountability. No longer should we glorify poverty.
But we should also not blindly adopt the prosperity gospel. We need theologians and Bible scholars in our Churches to come together and articulate a balanced theology that can be grasped even at the grassroots level.
The writer is the provincial secretary of the Church of the Province of Uganda
Recently, the newspapers have been reporting alleged sexual and financial scandals in local Churches. Sodomy, sex slaves, electric shock machines and extravagant lifestyles of Pastors have become the talk around town and the subject of letters to the editors.
As Provincial Secretary of the Church of Uganda, I want to offer our perspective;
1. To all pastors, priests, deacons and even bishops – the Bible calls us to live a life “above reproach†and not to be a “lover of money†(1 Tim. 3:2-3). We will be held more accountable to the same standard of godliness and holiness to which all Christians are called. The Bible says that we who teach will be “judged more strictly.†(James 3:1). The Bible also has harsh words for false shepherds. So, woe to you if you are found to be a shepherd leading God’s flock astray. Let us reclaim our Christian tradition in Uganda and walk in the light. Let us examine ourselves and cry out to the Lord, “Search me, O God, and know my heart†(Psalm 139:23).
2. To my fellow Ugandans, I want to say four things:
a) Let us be discerning. It takes people to be deceived. Some Pastors may be preaching lies, but you do not have to believe them. It is the responsibility of every Christian to know for him or herself what the Bible teaches and to evaluate whether or not the preacher is speaking the truth. If what a preacher is saying sounds like it is too good to be true, then it is probably not true. There are no short-cuts to blessings. The path to resurrection victory runs straight through the cross.
b) God wants to bless us. God wants us to be blessed. But, we must understand that the purpose of being blessed is to be a blessing to others, not to hoard blessings. God promised Abraham that he would bless him, so that through him the whole world could be blessed (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:17-18; 26:4; 28:14). So, we cannot have the blessing of Abraham without also having the responsibility of Abraham; in other words, to be a blessing to others.
c) The Bible says, “A man reaps what he sows†(Gal. 6:7). If I put a sh50,000 note in the ground and pour water on it, I will not grow a shilling tree. The seed of faith that God is asking us to sow is the seed of obedience and the seed of righteousness. God says the tithe belongs to Him – the first 10% of what we produce (Malachi 3:6-12).
The people in the Bible were no poorer than we are, and still God called them to recognise that everything belongs to Him, and we give Him back the first 10%. When we tithe, God then says that He will shower blessings upon us. What we are sowing is obedience. And, the Bible says obedience brings blessings.
d) If you are seeking blessings more than the “Blesserâ€, that is, more than God who gives the blessings, then you are worshipping an idol, and you need to repent. Jesus said, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness,†and leave the rest to God! (Matthew 6:33).
Finally, what we need in Uganda is a good biblical, theological and practical understanding of the relationship between salvation and money, between spirituality and wealth, and a solid commitment to the practice of tithing, stewardship, giving and transparent accountability. No longer should we glorify poverty.
But we should also not blindly adopt the prosperity gospel. We need theologians and Bible scholars in our Churches to come together and articulate a balanced theology that can be grasped even at the grassroots level.
The writer is the provincial secretary of the Church of the Province of Uganda