KAMPALA — Pastor Patience Kokundeka Museveni Rwabwogo has been consecrated as an Episcopal Bishop of Covenant Nations Church in Uganda and beyond, two decades after she founded the ministry as a small house fellowship.
Rwabwogo was consecrated during celebrations marking 20 years of Covenant Nations Church at Covenant Hill in Maya, Wakiso District, in a ceremony led by Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn as chief consecrator.
Archbishop Moses Odongo and Bishop Joshua Lwere served as co-consecrators. Bishop Osborn presented the newly consecrated bishop with her certificate and Bible.
The ceremony brought together senior Christian leaders, government officials, family members, believers and friends, including Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye and his wife, Pastor (Mrs.) Folu Adeboye, global leaders of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG).
Adeboye participated in the consecration, leading the anointing with oil and prayers for Rwabwogo.
The organisers described the consecration as a major milestone in Uganda’s Christian history, with Rwabwogo becoming the first woman to be ordained as a bishop in Uganda.
Presenting her on behalf of the elders of Covenant Nations Church, Mrs Allen Kagina said Rwabwogo’s journey to the episcopal office had been shaped by two decades of ministry, leadership and service.
“Twenty years ago, God planted within her heart a vision that began humbly as a small house fellowship. What appeared small in the eyes of men carried within it the seed of a much greater work,” Kagina said.
She said the fellowship subsequently grew into Covenant Nations Church, which now serves believers seeking to apply their faith to family life, professional work, community service and national development.
According to Kagina, Rwabwogo’s ministry has extended beyond Bible teaching to leadership development, professional excellence, entrepreneurship, economic empowerment and responsible stewardship. “She has consistently proclaimed that the Gospel must transform the whole person,” she said.
Kagina also highlighted Rwabwogo’s focus on young people, students and young professionals, saying she had encouraged them to discover their purpose, build their lives on the Word of God and use their education and talents to serve society.
Through Bible teaching, mentorship, conferences, leadership seminars and evangelistic missions, Kagina said, Rwabwogo had encouraged Christians to become witnesses of Christ in education, leadership, business, public service, family life and national development.
She also pointed to Rwabwogo’s work in promoting cooperation among Christian denominations, including efforts with her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, to bring together Pentecostal pastors, Anglican bishops and other Christian leaders for prayer, revival and evangelism.
The Light Up Uganda for Jesus Gospel Convention was cited as one example of the initiative. “Her ministry carries a pastoral, teaching and prophetic burden: to nurture the flock entrusted to her, to strengthen the Church, to raise leaders, to disciple nations and to advance the Gospel beyond familiar boundaries,” Kagina said.
The elders said the consecration should not be understood as a personal promotion but as a call to greater responsibility and service.
Museveni congratulates daughter
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni congratulated his daughter on her consecration, describing the occasion as significant for both the family and Uganda’s Christian history.
The President first thanked God for the recovery of First Lady Maama Janet Museveni and commended the medical personnel who cared for her, as well as their children Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience and Diana for supporting her during her illness.
“First of all, I thank God for the recovery of Maama,” President Museveni said. “Apart from thanking God, I want to salute and thank the medical staff who have been involved in treating her, and also our children Muhoozi, Natasha, Patience and Diana, who have been together with the medical staff taking care of her.”
Turning to his daughter’s consecration, Museveni reflected on the history of Christianity in Uganda and his own family’s late embrace of the faith. “Secondly, I thank God for making Patience become a Bishop. We are the ancient people of this area. We have been here for four and a half million years,” he said.
Museveni said Islam arrived in Uganda in 1841, followed by Anglican missionaries in 1877 and Catholics in 1879, but several generations of his family lived through those developments without joining the Church.
“My great-fathers were alive; they never joined the Church. My grandparents were also alive; they never joined the Church. It was Mzee Kaguta who joined the Church for the first time in 1947. But in all these years, I had never even heard of a catechist. Today, I have a whole Bishop,” he said.
The President also said his daughter’s Bible studies had challenged some of his own interpretations.
He recalled spending years studying the Bible and said he was surprised by some of the historical and biblical perspectives contained in Patience’s writings.
“I was surprised when I learned from Patience about the descendants of Lot and Esau, who were not Jews. I had never heard anyone talking about it. But when I read Patience’s documents, they informed me about it. I surrendered because she had read the Bible,” Museveni said.
He said Bishop Patience would bring new energy to the Church and thanked Adeboye and Osborn for attending the ceremony.
Museveni also challenged religious leaders to make Christianity relevant to the practical needs of society, citing Jesus Christ’s concern for the sick, hungry and oppressed. “You have heard what Bishop LaDonna said. They are all saying that if a Bishop doesn’t have the spirit of a Bishop, he is just an executive, managing, but not a spiritual leader,” he said.
“This is where you old fellows who talk about religion should come together… He came to heal the sick, feed the hungry and free those in bondage. That is what Jesus came for. But if you religious leaders don’t address that, you are wasting time. That is the substance of your contribution,” he added.
Museveni also disclosed that he and the First Lady had given their daughter 50 cows as part of their traditional practice.
“In our traditional way, I gave Patience 50 cows, and the cows are from Maama and myself,” he said.
First Lady gives thanks
First Lady Maama Janet Museveni described the consecration as a special occasion for the family and the wider Christian community.
In a thanksgiving message, she reflected on Uganda’s history of conflict, displacement and poverty and thanked God for what she described as the country’s progress over the past four decades.
She also gave thanks for her own recovery and acknowledged the prayers of Christians who supported her during her illness.
“Thank You, Lord Jesus, for revealing Yourself as our Redeemer, the One Who paid the price for our freedom. Thank You, Lord Jesus, that You are the Healer, the Great Physician, the Doctor who never refers a case,” she said.
“When I could not pray for myself, You raised up faithful watchmen and intercessors who gave You no rest day and night as they interceded for my life. And You in Your mercy heard their prayers,” she added.
Turning to her daughter’s new office, the First Lady said the occasion was a source of profound joy. “Today, we celebrate the consecration of our daughter, Patience, to the office of a Bishop. We are overwhelmed with joy and thanksgiving at the great honour You have bestowed on us in choosing one of our children to serve You in this capacity,” she said.
She paid tribute to earlier generations of the family and said Patience had answered the call to ministry about 20 years ago.
Maama Janet prayed for God to give Patience and her husband, Odrek Rwabwogo, renewed strength and spiritual grace as they take on their new responsibilities.
She also thanked God for Covenant Nations Church, saying the ministry had grown from a small house fellowship into an institution with a wider reach.
Osborn calls for a transformative Church
Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn commended President Museveni and the First Lady for maintaining their Christian faith despite their responsibilities as national leaders.
She also stressed the importance of unity among Christians, saying believers did not have to agree on every form or interpretation of faith to remain united in their common belief in God.
Osborn said episcopal office carries a responsibility to extend Christ’s ministry, promote justice and help people rebuild their lives. “A Bishop is supposed to lift people up and give them a new beginning,” she said.
She challenged the Church to move beyond preserving institutions and become an instrument for social transformation. “The Church doesn’t need leaders who preserve the institutions, but one that heals nations,” Osborn said.
She urged Rwabwogo to embrace the responsibility attached to her new office and use the position to extend the reach of the Gospel.
Odrek recalls Uganda’s Christian revival
Odrek Rwabwogo traced his wife’s consecration to Uganda’s longer history of Christian revival and evangelism.
He recalled early converts in Ankole, including Mariam Kakyibara, whom he described as the first woman to be baptised in 1902, and linked the sacrifices of early Christians to the East African Christian revival. “Today, the Lord has chosen our own Patience to be the first woman to be ordained Bishop in Uganda,” he said.
He said Uganda’s Christian history demonstrated how people from unexpected backgrounds had been used to advance the faith.
Rwabwogo also reflected on the East African revival and the young men who became prominent in the movement, saying the same spirit of service and faith was required of the current generation.
He warned against a generation that places greater emphasis on intellectualism, political power and material wealth than on faith and godliness. “God is the God of history,” he said.
Rwabwogo said Patience had also influenced their family through her emphasis on repentance, love, discipline and careful speech.
Episcopal symbols presented
The consecration ceremony included the laying on of hands, anointing with oil and prayers for Bishop Patience. She was also presented with a series of episcopal symbols representing her new office.
Apostle Alex Mitala presented the chemere, while Bishop Simon Peter Emiau presented the scarf, or tippet. Archbishop Moses Odongo presented the cross, while Pastor Adeboye presented the ring.
Bishop Joshua Lwere presented the cope, while Bishop Osborn presented the mitre. Adeboye also presented the episcopal staff.
