I am not retiring from preaching gospel - Ntagali

The Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, Stanley Ntagali, has said he will continue doing evangelical work after retiring.
Archbishop Ntagali made the remark at a farewell service organised for him at St Matthew Cathedral Kyamate, South Ankole Diocese last Sunday.
He is set to retire in March next year after seven years at the helm of the Church of Uganda.
“I have been away from home for long but for you people who have retired as reverends you know that we do not retire, we simply go off offices, we never retire from preaching the gospel and doing the work of God. This will even give me more opportunities to preach and make people understand God as I will not be doing administration work,” he said.

Humble beginnings
Archbishop Ntagali likened his rise to head the Church of Uganda to the enthronement of King David as king of Israel when he was a mere shepherd.
Archbishop Ntagali said he started as catechist, served as a priest in Karamoja, an archdeacon, and a diocesan secretary.
“While I was doing all this work, I was even not in the land I was born in; the Province sent me to Karamoja, we spent all the time with my wife taking cover from the bullets. But for the nine years I spent there, it became home, I and my wife learnt Kiswahili, which we used to preach in Tanzania and Kenya, I came back to Masindi, which is a ‘United Nations’ of Uganda. The only challenge with many, they do not remember where God has brought them from,” Archbishop Ntagali said.
He added that much of what he had promised during his reign had been accomplished, including completion of the Church House that had stalled for long.
He said he leaves two new dioceses that are yet to be operationalised as he goes to his new home in Kikube District.
Archbishop Ntagali called upon Ugandans to seek divine intervention to curb murder, corruption, human sacrifice and homosexuality.
“People have abandoned God, they have made money their God; they have made politics their God, their possessions have become their God and this is threatening the country,” he said.
He added: “People are not taking care of themselves, they have abandoned their souls and bodies. There are hundreds drinking in bars when we are here in church, promiscuity has increased, politics has become too dirty, men are becoming guests at their homes and children become orphans when they have parents. Where among these children growing like that, shall we get leaders?”
Ntungamo Resident District Commissioner George Bakunda called for amendment of the church constitution to enable the clergy stay in office if they are still energetic and serving well, even after reaching the mandatory retirement age.
South Ankole Diocese Bishop Nathan Ahimbisibwe said Archbishop Ntagali accomplished much, including standing firm on the traditions of the church.
The archbishop was gifted with money and a heifer by the Christians.