The Ugandan Government would soon weed out the ‘mushrooming’ fake Pentecostal churches, the ethics minister, Dr. Nsaba Buturo, has announced. « We are trying to put in place regulations that would control these new churches, » he said.

Officiating at the fundraising of Bumbeire Church of Uganda in Bushenyi district on July 23, Buturo said under the new regulations, anyone planning to establish a Church would be required to present a recommendation letter from the senior members of Church institutions like the Archbishop and the National Fellowship of Born Again Churches.

He revealed that his ministry was drafting a proposal to have churches, which have been operating as non-governmental organisations (NGOs), scrapped off the list.

« Such churches, whose motive is not straight, should not be treated like NGOs which deal in community work, » he affirmed.

Over sh12m was raised towards the completion of the church. There have been media reports recently of pastors involved in sodomy, extortion of money and using electric gadgets to perform « miracles. »

President Yoweri Museveni last week called for the arrest of pastors of Pentecostal churches who use deceit and trickery to extort money from their followers.

Present were the Bishop of West Ankole diocese, Yonah Katoneene, the health state minister, Richard Nduhura, the urban development state minister, Urban Tibamanya, and MPs, Mary Karooro Okurut (Bushenyi) and Emma Boona (Mbarara).

Source: Ugandan Daily New Vision, Kampala/Uganda