Tag: martin ssempa

BBC report on Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009

I can’t find embed code so here is a link to an 11 minute BBC report with footage of Martin Ssempa, Nsaba Buturo, Scott Lively, Yoweri Museveni and others discussing the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

Martin Ssempa said he receives no funding from the United States. Despite Tim Whewell’s disclaimer, it is not clear to me that he is referring to his efforts against homosexuality. Indeed, as I reported Monday, he does receive support from Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas, NV.

The report notes the relevance of the Martyrs of Uganda and King Mwanga. This is important history and as Whewell notes, the claims of homosexuality being “unAfrican” are not consistent with the history. Mwanga was just a teen when he took over the throne and so the pages were not much younger than him. Calling him a pedophile is probably inaccurate. Furthermore, Mwanga had several wives and children so apparently he was not exclusively homosexual. The narrative has had effect on the African consciousness but does not easily fit the resulting stereotypes.

This is an informative and well done report. Go watch and comment.

Canyon Ridge Christian Church issues statement on support for Martin Ssempa

Back in November, 2009, I contacted Las Vegas, NV, Canyon Ridge Christian Church as a part of my reporting on Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill 2009. Canyon Ridge lists the Ssempas as missionaries on their website. Specifically, it has been of interest to learn how American ministries who have significant ties to prominent Ugandan supporters of the bill are reacting. Ugandans have reached out for assistance in significant ways to American churches and the relationships are deep and substantial going in both directions. Some of these relationships have been casualties of the Anti-Homosexuality Bill.

One Ugandan pastor who had been well connected in the US is Martin Ssempa. As is common knowledge now, Saddleback pastor, Rick Warren first went public with a split from Ssempa and then sent a letter and video denouncing the bill as “unchristian.” Colorado based abstinence education group, WAIT Training initially issued a statement neither supporting or endorsing Ssempa. More recently, however, WAIT Training severed all ties with him. Another American ministry, Teen Mania was slated to begin a youth leadership training ministry in partnership with Ssempa but recently put the effort on hold. Teen Mania issued a statement indicating disapproval of the bill and pledged to evaluate ministry partners in order “to ensure that we are not partnering with or supporting anyone who has advocated for a blanket death penalty for homosexual offenders.” Oral Roberts University, where Martin Ssempa is on the school’s Board of Reference has declined to comment on the bill at all.

Recently, Canyon Ridge Christian Church ended their silence with the following statement from Executive Pastor Mitch Harrison:

Canyon Ridge Christian Church partners with missionaries and ministry leaders around the world, including Martin Ssempa, for the purpose of reaching people with the gospel of Jesus Christ and providing humanitarian aid where possible.

 

With the oversight of our elders and missions team, we constantly evaluate our ministry partners and their activities. We will only support those who engage in and promote activities consistent with the redemptive and grace-filled purposes of Jesus Christ in the world.

 

Canyon Ridge Christian Church does not wish to enter into the debate over the legislation in Uganda. We do encourage those involved to seek God’s leadership in humility and grace and to follow Jesus command to love one another as they wrestle with this difficult issue. Our prayers are for the good of the people Uganda.

The bill continues to be a difficult issue for American Christians to navigate. Many leaders I have spoken with are torn in their feelings. They really dislike the bill but they have come to trust their Ugandan brothers and sisters who are among the most vocal supporters of the bill. Make no mistake, I oppose the bill but I do understand the difficulty it is to separate with someone you have considered a friend over an issue of conscience.

Uganda Saturday Monitor: Anti-gay meeting flops

The Saturday Monitor reports today on a meeting in Kampala hosted by Martin Ssempa last Tuesday.

Pastor Martin Ssempa on Tuesday plumbed the depths of notoriety when he offered graphic images of gay sex as proof of the need for tough penalties against homosexuals.

In the immediate aftermath of the presentation, which ended prematurely, Pastor Ssempa said he did not regret his actions. The press conference, the latest in a series of events he is holding in support of the 2009 Anti-Homosexuality Bill, had been called to unveil two Ugandans, a man and a woman, who say their homosexuality has been rehabilitated.

One man, who was part of a group of American students invited to the press conference by Rubaga North MP Beti Kamya, was seen crying, his colleagues consoling him as the group left the National Theatre.

But midway through his presentation, saved on a computer, most of his audience walked out, some visibly disturbed, leaving him to wonder if he had done anything wrong. The cleric seemed genuinely rattled when he asked: “Why should I be traumatised?”

The effect of such efforts are apparent in the report of the American group who left early. Trying to shock people to your position by stigmatizing an entire group with the behavior of a fringe element rarely succeeds. Skeptical or undecided viewers often associate their revulsion with the presenter of the information and not the group targeted. In this case, people who are already convinced that all gays do the things Ssempa presented might very well be strengthened in that belief. However, people who are unsure or undecided might very well see the clear effort to stigmatize. Efforts in the US to stigmatize gays have not worked well, even when presented with the appearance of science (e.g., Family Research Institute). Too many people know someone who is gay for the extreme presentations to make sense. They know that whatever excesses might be true of some are not of necessity true of all, or even of the class of people.
The rest of the article is here.

Martin Ssempa plans million man march to support Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill

From Reuters via the New York Times:

KAMPALA (Reuters) – A Ugandan preacher with close ties to U.S. evangelicals and President Yoweri Museveni’s family said on Friday he planned to organise a “million-man” march in February to support a proposed anti-gay law in parliament.

The east African nation has faced intense pressure from Western governments and human rights groups over anti-homosexuality legislation tabled in parliament as a private members’ bill last year.

Museveni seemed to distance himself and the government from the proposed law on Tuesday, saying it was a foreign policy issue and calling for more talks. The ex-rebel leader said he had been under pressure from Western leaders.

“We want to show how many people support the bill,” Pastor Martin Ssempa told journalists in the Ugandan capital.

“We want to give a postcard that (Museveni) can send to his friend (U.S. President) Barack Obama,” Ssempa said in front of posters saying “Africans Unite Against Sodomy” and “Barack Obama Back Off.” He said the march was planned for February 17.

Read the rest here.

Ugandan readers: Is this a real test for Museveni? Will legislators there fall on their sword over this bill?

Uganda pastors task force video response to Rick Warren

In case the letter did not get across the message, here is the video from the Uganda National Pastors Task Force Against Homosexuality. According to Pastor Ssempa, Rick Warren’s encyclical is having some effect there, prompting this response.

First, the brief introduction and then I will embed the videos.

UGANDA NATIONAL PASTORS TASK FORCE AGAINST HOMOSEXUALITY

Task-force Chair: Martin Ssempa PhD

[email protected]

The Islamiic Office of Social Welfare in Uganda
The Roman Catholic Church in Uganda
Dear Pr. Rick,
Warm New Years Greetings. Further to our letter, kindly find the link to the video version of  our response to your letter.
Uganda Pastors’ response Letter to Rick Warren 1 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YqEw6rq-V8)
Uganda Pastors’ response Letter to Rick Warren 2 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRNyZsYI17Q)
We await your response at your earliest.
Martin Ssempa, PhD
 
The taskforce represents
The National Fellowship of Born again Churches
The Seventh Adventists Church
The Uganda Joint Christian Council which also represents:
The Orthodox Church in Uganda.
Part One

Part two