From the East-Central Africa Division Website:
On June 8, 2023, Uganda Union President Dr. Moses Maka issued a statement regarding the current global discussion related to a new law that has recently been created in the nation. As this statement is of international interest, we include it here as well as a link to their original posting on the Uganda Union Mission website. You can find their original posting on the Uganda Union’s website here.
Transcript of Uganda Union Mission Statement:
As a unit of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church, the Uganda Union Mission (UUM) is committed to full and complete alignment with all official beliefs, policy statements, and teachings approved by our world church including the strong commitment by the church to stand firmly for the biblical position on human sexuality with the understanding that marriage is between one man and one woman and that alternative human sexual practices are not in harmony with God's loving design for humanity which is revealed in His Word.
Along with our Seventh-day Adventist brothers and sisters around the world, we decry every form of persecution, violence, and bigotry against any individual or group of people as a result of our biblical belief that all who have been created in the image of God need to come into conformity with God's Holy Word through is power.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uganda is totally committed to the mission of the global Seventh-day Adventist Church body and is focused on propagating the everlasting gospel of the three angel's messages to every nation, tribe, tongue, and people (Revelation 14:6 NKJV) calling all people into a saving relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Our involvement and interaction with any other group of people or organization is in the context of the Church's mission and is therefore not meant to align, support, or condemn. Rather, we seek to reach all with the saving gospel of love, grace and with the compassion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
We neither seek, nor advocate, the imprisonment or killing of individuals engaging in LGBTQ+ practices. On the contrary, we believe that every human being deserves our love and compassion as people for whom our Savior gave His life and whom He has called into a biblical way of living and human sexuality. We believe that on the cross Christ made it possible for anyone to be pardoned for all of their sins. We therefore seek to love and serve everyone on His behalf so that they can experience the great hope that we have found in Him. Our faith teaches us that there is great hope for all of humanity through trust in Christ for salvation and the power to live in accordance with the Word of God. It also inspires us to trust in His commandments as the guide for a purposeful and hope-filled life.
It is important to note that the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uganda has never met to consider the new law regarding homosexuality and therefore does not have any action regarding it. As an individual, I participate in various committees and boards outside the Seventh-day Adventist Church, and these bodies often promote projects and policies for the Ugandan society. However, even I do not speak for the church in such circumstances unless our church representatives discuss and come to conclusions, and no such process has occurred regarding this law.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church in Uganda advocates the Bible as God's message of hope to a world that has fallen far short of the Creator's original design. We believe that the Bible teaches that all people, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity have fallen short of the glory of God and need to surrender to the Creator's design for human identity and relationships as revealed in the Bible. We also believe and rejoice in the fact that all who are willing to trust in God's loving design and plan for their lives will find and share the peace and joy that is only found through an acceptance of the sacrificial love of Christ and following His Word in practical ways of living through complete reliance on God's justifying and sanctifying righteousness.
Pr. Moses Maka Ndimukika. PhD
President, Uganda Union Mission of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Uganda Union Mission Presidential Statement
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