By Spy Uganda
Kampala: The Most Rev. Dr. Stephen Kaziimba Mugalu, Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, has expressed grave concern over the recent resignation of Archbishop Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, following his handling of a child abuse scandal within the Church of England.
In a statement released on Wednesday via his official X handle, Archbishop Kaziimba decried the events leading to Welby’s resignation and reiterated Church of Uganda’s long-standing disassociation from the Church of England due to doctrinal differences.
Archbishop Kaziimba stressed that the Church of Uganda had severed ties with the Church of England several years ago over critical doctrinal disagreements, particularly related to issues of marriage and family.
According to Archbishop Kaziimba, the recent scandal surrounding the mishandling of child abuse allegations has only strengthened the Church of Uganda’s position.
“It grieves us deeply that so many people suffered from the continued abuse of John Smyth over many years simply because the church’s leadership covered up the abuse, failed to uphold biblical moral teaching, and neglected to defend the vulnerable,” Archbishop Kaziimba said in his statement.
He was referring to the case of John Smyth, a British lawyer who was found to be the worst serial abuser linked to the Church of England. The case had remained concealed for decades before a recent independent review exposed the church’s failure to take appropriate action.
Further distancing the Church of Uganda from the Church of England, Archbishop Kaziimba praised the Global South Fellowship of Anglicans (GSFA) as a more fitting alignment for Church of Uganda, highlighting the GSFA’s commitment to biblical orthodoxy and mission work.
The Archbishop reiterated the need for Anglicans to prioritize the safety and well-being of children and called on the Church of Uganda to implement stronger safeguards to protect children from abuse.
“Let this be a moment for all Anglicans to reflect on how we must prioritize child protection and create safe, nurturing environments for children within our churches,” Archbishop Kaziimba said.
Archbishop Justin Welby, the head of the Church of England, announced his resignation earlier this week, following mounting pressure due to a report that revealed the church’s failure to act on allegations of abuse by John Smyth.
The report, commissioned by the Church of England and released on November 7, exposed a disturbing pattern of deference to Smyth by church officials, ultimately concluding that the abuse was covered up.
In his resignation statement, Welby admitted that the church had failed to address the abuse in a timely manner, leading to significant harm and re-traumatization for the victims.
He acknowledged that his earlier belief in 2013, that the situation was being handled appropriately was wrong.
“It is very clear that I must take personal and institutional responsibility for the long and retraumatising period between 2013 and 2024,” Welby stated.
The Church of Uganda had already distanced itself from the Church of England last year, after the Church of England’s General Synod voted to allow prayers for same-sex marriages.
Archbishop Kaziimba had previously declared that the Church of Uganda could not align itself with the Church of England due to this shift in doctrinal positions.
In a statement from the Global Anglican Future Conference (GAFCON) in Kigali, Rwanda, on April 21, 2023, Archbishop Kaziimba reiterated that the Church of Uganda no longer recognized Welby as the “First among Equals” within the Anglican Communion.
“We can no longer recognize the Archbishop of Canterbury as our leader,” Kaziimba said, noting the significant departure from biblical teaching in the Church of England’s stance on same-sex unions.
At the same GAFCON conference, which brought together over 1,300 delegates from 52 countries, Archbishop Kaziimba and other leaders reaffirmed their commitment to Resolution 1.10 from the 1998 Lambeth Conference, which declared that “homosexual practice is incompatible with scripture.”
The conference also endorsed GAFCON’s proposed “Decade of Discipleship, Evangelism, and Mission,” an initiative designed to reassert the importance of biblical fidelity and evangelism within the global Anglican Communion.
“The Church of Uganda will continue to support GAFCON because of its unwavering commitment to mission and discipleship,” Kaziimba declared.
In light of the ongoing child abuse crisis in the Church of England, Archbishop Kaziimba urged Anglicans worldwide to place greater emphasis on safeguarding and ensuring the protection of vulnerable individuals, particularly children, within church communities.
The Church of Uganda has committed to strengthening its child protection protocols and ensuring a culture of care and accountability within its own structures.
