Avoid your father's battles - Bugembe advises Yiga's son

KAWAALA  | YIGA  | BUGEMBE


PASTOR Wilson Bugembe, the founder and Senior Pastor of Worship House in Nansana, has called upon Pr. Andrew Jengo the presumed successor of Pr. Yiga of the Revival Church in Kawaala to, "Avoid wars that his father had with people and some church leaders, but lead the deceased's followers on the right path in pursuit of Christianity."

"Do not get engaged in controversial issues that your father had with people. This is a point to start a great relationship with them and lead God's people well," he advised Jengo.

It is believed that Jengo is going to take over from his father as the lead pastor at the church. Pr. Bugembe gave him the advice after his sermon at the vigil which was held within Revival Church in Kawaala.

Popularly known as Abizzaayo, Yiga breathed his last on Monday at St Francis Hospital Nsambya, where he had been hospitalized for several weeks. Before his death, he was on collision course with several pastors who disagreed with him on his tenets of faith that he preached, and how he conducted himself and the church sessions.

Pr. Wilson, who was speaking to thousands of mourners at the vigil used the example of sons of Robert Kyagulanyi (alias Bebe Cool) and Moses Ssali (alias Bebe Cool). Solomon Kampala, son of Kyagulanyi, is a long-time childhood friend to Ssali's son Alpha Thierry.

"The two boys know that their fathers are no very close friends, but for them, they are close friends. That is what it should be Pr. Jengo. Kindly, do not get involved in battles your father left. Start a new chapter in your life and that of the Church," Pr. Bugembe explained.






Pr. Bugembe, also told the followers, who had spent almost an hour in a praise and worship session which he was heading that he was a good friend of Pr. Yiga, "But disagreed with his line of the gospel. He was off, in some of the issues in the Bible and we disagreed on that and that will not change."

But he cautioned the followers, that a debate over issues of the gospel or any matter, does not mean we should have been enemies. "A debate does not mean being enemies. It is okay for people to disagree but still be friends."

He also used the same session, as Pr. Yiga body lay in Church at the vigil, to ask the followers to forgive Pr. Jackson Ssenyonga, for what he said about Pr. Yiga and how he said it. "Please forgive him. No one is perfect. For the body of Christ to remain strong, we need to forgive one another. Please forgive those you feel have offended you."

During a press conference on Tuesday last week, Pr. Jackson Ssenyonga said things that have been happening in Yiga's Church resulted in some women contracting HIV/AIDS. He also accused the deceased of using the church to mislead his followers.

Ssenyonga, however, expressed willingness to support widows and children left behind by Yiga.

"We have ladies with children who have fallen victim to that. Some are sick while others are not. From a good heart or well-intentioned expression, I want to offer support to those women and children that have been left behind and do not know whom their father is or knew but were not allowed to say anything," he said.

"If you are a victim and Yiga brought this illness or these situations in your life, bring your children to Christian Life Church." The pastor said they will perform a DNA test and that if a child is found to have a matching DNA with that of Yiga, which is already on record, they will be supported.

"It is not about Yiga because he is gone. It is about the people that are left behind. How will their life be because of interacting with Yiga," he said.

Pr. Bugembe said that the followers should not take offense of so many things being said, but forgive whoever they feel has offended them. "Pr. Yiga has gone. But as God's children who are still here, it is upon you to forgive and keep working well with all those who preach the right gospel, for the glorification of the Lord's kingdom."

Pr. Bugembe's show up at the vigil, follows that of other Pastors; including Pr. Robert Kayanja, founder and Senior Pastor of the Miracle Centre Cathedral, and Pr. Aloysius Bugingo of the House of Prayer Ministries International. Other dignitaries who have in the past shown up the vigil include the Premier of Buganda Charles Peter Mayiga and the Lord Mayor of Kampala City Elias Lukwago.

Pr. Yiga is slated to be buried today (Sunday), near his Church.