Church of Uganda elects new Archbishop today

The House of Bishops of the Anglican Church of Uganda convenes this morning to elect and later in the afternoon announce the 9th Archbishop of the Church of Uganda.

The House of Bishops is the body that elects the Archbishop and it comprises of all active Diocesan and Assistant Bishops from the 37 dioceses. The Provincial Chancellor presides over the election.

The new Archbishop will be enthroned in March next year taking over from Stanley Ntagali.

Archbishop Ntagali was elected and enthroned as Archbishop on December 16 2012 at the age of 57. He turns 65 years old on March 1, 2020 and that is the mandatory age of retirement. 

Provincial Secretary, Rev. Canon Captain William Ongeng said yesterday in a press statement that the election of the new Archbishop will be announced today at the Provincial Office of the Church of Uganda, Namirembe. 

According to the statement, the Archbishop automatically serves as the Diocesan Bishop of Kampala Diocese as well as Archbishop of the entire Church of Uganda.

“So, Kampala Diocese will say farewell to their Bishop and prepare to receive a new Bishop, who is also the Archbishop,” says Can Ongeng.

Under the arrangement, to be elected an Archbishop, one must be a Bishop in the Church of Uganda aged at least 50 years old and that all dioceses must have bishops with no vacant dioceses.

On what should the church’s Christians do to prepare for a new Archbishop, the provincial secretary said: “The Christians should be praying fervently for a smooth transition and for God’s will to be done in the election.”

A source at Namirembe yesterday said that the House of Bishops will first elect the bishops of West Lango, South Rwenzori and Kumi dioceses on the evening of Tuesday.

“Thereafter, the bishops will converge again to elect the Archbishop,” said a source that declined to be named.