His Eminence Metropolitan Jeronymos on the 18th of March 2025, embarked on a 3-day visit to the western part of the country specifically the Ankole region at the invitation of Rt. Rev. Nathan Ahimbisibwe, Bishop of the Anglican Diocese of South Ankole. The Metropolitan was accompanied by His Eminence Innocentios Byakatonda the Honorary Metropolitan of Sozusa.
This was his third time visiting the region as Metropolitan of Kampala in a strategic move towards expanding the Orthodox faith in the Ankole region while benchmarking on the various social-economic developmental programmes established by the sister churches in the area like the Anglican Diocese of South Ankole church of Uganda, with a focus on development and self-sustainability of the Church.
The visiting team was warmly received and welcomed by the Anglican Bishop of South Ankole himself, who also hosted and provided hospitality at the diocese premises for the Metropolitan and his entourage of six members for the 3 days of their visit.
Activities during the visit to Western Uganda
During their stay, on the first day, the Metropolitan and his team toured different projects on the diocese land including coffee plantations, banana plantations, and avocado plantations among others, covering over 20 acres of Church land.
The Anglican Bishop offered educational sessions to the visiting team facilitated by a team of experienced personnel in the field of agriculture mainly on coffee management involving farmland preparation, planting, management, harvesting, post-harvest handling, processing and marketing. This was the same approach on other projects including cattle keeping and poultry farming.
On the second day, the team was taken on a tour of similar establishments but on parish levels. It was evident that the same ideology of self-sustainability was extended to them, justified by the presence of coffee farms, and banana farms among other projects at that level.
The Rt. Rev. Nathan stressed that, with this kind of approach, the church can stand firm in extending the gospel of our Lord without hindrances from the physical demands of the material world which are also necessary for humanity to live happily while serving in the vineyard of our Lord.
On the final day, the team toured a processing plant being established by the government of Uganda in the Ankole region which will help farmers add value to the coffee by processing coffee beans into ready coffee powder which generates more revenue for the local farmers.
Orthodox Metropolitan of Kampala commends efforts in Western Uganda
The Metropolitan was gratified by the brotherly love extended by the host Bishop Nathan and the brotherhood in Christ that exists between the Orthodox Church and the Anglican Church of Uganda as witnessed through the Inter-Religious Council of Uganda – IRCU and also appreciated the knowledge, tremendous work and hospitality offered during the stay in the Diocese.
Concluding the visit, the Metropolitan thanked his counterpart the host Bishop Nathan for being a good shepherd to the people of South Ankole and for the many development programmes initiated by the Diocese. He emphasized to the host bishop that the visit was a great learning experience for himself and the entire visiting team.
Continuing with the Orthodox Church Mission
On the 21st of March, Metropolitan Jeronymos and Metropolitan Innocentios embarked on a mission of traversing the rest of the western part of the country which the church envisions extending even farther starting from the Rubaare Orthodox community in Ntungamo district, Fortpotal region and beyond which will last for more 3 days.
On the Sunday of the Holy Cross, the day of commemoration of the Sunday of the Holy Cross, Metropolitan Jeronymos together with Metropolitan Innocentios co-celebrated Divine Liturgy at Rubaare Orthodox community in Ntungamo District.
Just like other parts of Uganda, the western part of the country is indeed a vast one with many souls yearning for orthodoxy, we believe that with this visit and more yet to come, this region will be blessed to receive Christ through Orthodoxia with prayers of the establishment of an Episcopacy in this region.
The visiting team was comprised of clergy from the western region; Fr Aristotle and Fr Samuel of Rubaare Orthodox community in Ntungamo district and some representatives from Kampala.
As we observe the Great Lent, please keep our Holy Church in your prayers and consider acts of generosity as we strive to extend the Gospel of our Lord in the pearl of Africa.
Weebale inho 🙏
Lord bless the work of our fathers in christ