A small Christian fellowship that began in a Ugandan home two decades ago has grown into a church ministry whose founder, Patience Kokundeka Museveni Rwabwogo, has now taken on one of the most senior roles in its leadership.
Rwabwogo was consecrated as an Episcopal Bishop of Covenant Nations Church during celebrations marking the ministry’s 20th anniversary at Covenant Hill in Maya, outside Kampala.
The ceremony, led by US evangelist Bishop Dr LaDonna Osborn, brought together church leaders, government officials, members of the Rwabwogo family and Christian worshippers from Uganda and beyond.
Rwabwogo becomes the first woman to be ordained a bishop in Uganda.
Her elevation comes after two decades of ministry that began with a house fellowship and expanded into a church involved in preaching, leadership development, youth mentorship, evangelism and community initiatives.
Bishop Osborn, who served as chief consecrator, was joined by Archbishop Moses Odongo and Bishop Joshua Lwere as co-consecrators.
The ceremony included the laying on of hands, anointing with oil and prayers, followed by the presentation of episcopal symbols including a cross, ring, cope, mitre and pastoral staff.
Pastor Enoch Adejare Adeboye, a prominent global leader of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, also took part in the ceremony, leading the anointing and prayers for the newly consecrated bishop.
From fellowship to church leadership
Presenting Rwabwogo on behalf of the elders of Covenant Nations Church, Allen Kagina said her appointment followed years of consideration of her character, doctrine, leadership and service.
She said the ministry had grown from a modest beginning into a church seeking to influence not only religious life but also families, businesses, professional communities and national development.
Kagina said Rwabwogo had placed particular emphasis on young people and young professionals, encouraging them to combine faith with education, leadership and service.
Her ministry, she said, had also sought to bring Christians from different denominations together through prayer, evangelism and revival meetings.
Among the initiatives cited was Light Up Uganda for Jesus, which has brought together Pentecostal, Anglican and other Christian leaders.
The elders said the consecration should be viewed not as a promotion but as a call to greater responsibility.
President Yoweri Museveni congratulated his daughter, saying her consecration was significant both for the family and Uganda’s Christian history.
Reflecting on his own family’s religious background, Museveni said his father was the first member of the family to join the Church in 1947.
He joked that he had spent years studying the Bible but had learned new perspectives from his daughter’s own studies.
Museveni also urged religious leaders to connect Christianity with the practical challenges facing society, arguing that the Church should help heal the sick, feed the hungry and support people facing hardship.
“A Bishop is supposed to lift people up and give them a new beginning,” Bishop Osborn said during the ceremony.
She urged the Church to focus less on preserving institutions and more on transforming societies.
“The Church doesn’t need leaders who preserve the institutions, but one that heals nations,” she said.
In her remarks, the First Lady Janet Museveni described the occasion as a day of thanksgiving for both the family and the wider Christian community.
She reflected on Uganda’s turbulent past, including conflict, displacement and poverty, while pointing to what she described as the country’s progress in recent decades.
She also thanked supporters who had prayed for her during her recent illness and expressed gratitude for her recovery.
Turning to her daughter’s consecration, she said the family was deeply honoured by Rwabwogo’s decision to devote her life to Christian ministry.
She prayed for renewed strength for Rwabwogo and her husband, businessman and presidential adviser Odrek Rwabwogo, as they take on the responsibilities of the expanded ministry.
The family also marked the occasion in a traditional way, when President Museveni saying he and the First Lady had given their daughter 50 cows.
Odrek Rwabwogo placed his wife’s consecration within Uganda’s longer history of Christian revival, recalling early converts and the East African revival movement.
He said the new bishop’s ministry had developed through years of service rather than a pursuit of prominence.
