THE KINGDOM DIVIDED: Why Church Rivalries in Uganda Must End

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In recent years, the Ugandan media has been flooded with headlines that read more like tabloid drama than church news. From public spats on social media to legal battles over property and influence, the “fights” between Christian leaders have become a public spectacle.

While these leaders may feel they are defending their honor, the reality is that these conflicts are deeply wounding the very cause they claim to serve. Because, these are not just “Church drama”, it is a profound crisis of stewardship that is damaging the Witness to the Gospel of Christ.

The ungodly desire for wealth and dominance among some preachers as described in James 3:16 creates confusion and every evil things.

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A Poor Witness for the Gospel

The primary mission of the Church is to be a “light to the world.” When pastors trade insults or brag about their material possessions, that light grows dim, the sacred temple of God is defiled, and the reputation of Christians in Uganda is tarnished.

Non-believers looking for hope and transformation instead find a mirror image of the world’s power struggles. When the world sees the Church fighting, they don’t see the love of Christ; they see a bad witness that suggests the Gospel has no power to change the human heart. I want to point out two negative outcomes of these actions:

1. Scandalized Faith: When pastors engage in petty battles and expose each other’s failures, it drives unbelievers away from the Gospel and causes weak believers to stumble.
2. Lost Credibility: The church in Uganda has lost some of its prophetic authority to speak against societal corruption because of leadership scandals and lack of integrity.

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The Trap of Ungodly Competition

We’ve entered a season of dangerous “one-upsmanship.” In some circles, the measure of a successful ministry has shifted from souls saved to:

1. Who is more powerful? Pastors vie for fame as top prophets or miracle workers.
2. Who has the largest ministry? The obsession with membership numbers has led to “sheep stealing,” where believers are lured from one church to another, rather than winning the lost.
3. Who is wealthier? A display of cars, luxurious lifestyles, and “seed-sowing” drives a narrative that Godliness is measured by material gain, causing many followers to worship the pastor rather than God.
4. Whose mansion is more palatial and which pastor has the most security detail or “influence” in high places.

This competition for who is “more powerful” or “wealthiest” is a complete reversal of the Gospel. Jesus didn’t come to be served, but to serve. When leadership becomes a platform for ego, it stops being a ministry and starts being a brand.

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Back to Basics: The Biblical Purpose of the Church

The Church was never intended to be a theater for personal glory. Its biblical mandate is clear:

1. Evangelizing the Lost: Reaching those who don’t know Christ through the proclamation of the simple saving message of the Gospel and not huge membership through hype and compromise, just saving lost souls.
2. Discipling Believers: Helping Christians grow in faith and maturity through the faithful teaching and preaching of the whole counsel of God’s Word. This transformation in the lives of believers is revealed in their conversations, character, and conduct.
3. Glorifying God: The Church and her leadership must ensure that all honor, glory, and praise goes to the Creator, not the preacher. Even though the Scripture calls us to honor and respect our spiritual leaders, it condemns the worship of any person, creature, or thing other than God. Many Christians may be guilty of this – worshipping the man and looking upto him as the source of power and blessings.

A pastor’s responsibility is to be a shepherd, not a CEO or a celebrity. According to Scripture (1 Timothy 3, Titus 1), a leader must be “above reproach,” “not greedy for money,” and “gentle.”

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The Model of Christ: Cooperation over Competition

Jesus didn’t build His ministry in isolation. He worked with a team of twelve diverse men and sent them out in pairs. Even when his disciples argued about who was the greatest, Jesus corrected them immediately, stating that the greatest among them must be the servant of all. Let’s consider the three examples:

1. The Disciples: Jesus sent his disciples out in pairs (Mark 6:7), showing that ministry is better achieved through collaboration.
2. Unity in Diversity: Paul describes the church as one body with many parts (1 Corinthians 12). The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you.” Yet, in Uganda, some churches act as though they are the only ones holding the truth.
3. The True Model: Christ commanded love as the identifying mark of His followers (John 13:35), not an allegiance to a pastor, a church, or a denomination.

If the Son of God practiced humility and partnership, and the Apostles found it necessary and godly, how can we justify building private empires at the expense of our brothers and sisters in Christ and destroying others in order to achieve it?

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A Call to Action

The time has come for a shift in the Ugandan Church:

• To Church Leaders: Repent of the pride that fuels public rivalry. Seek reconciliation privately rather than airing grievances on television or social media.
• To the Church Body: Stop fueling these fires. Don’t cheer for “your” pastor while tearing down another. Hold your leaders accountable to the standard of humility.
• To the Christian Community: Let us return to teamwork. Imagine what could happen if the major ministries in Kampala and beyond pooled their resources for the poor instead of competing for the most “powerful” title.

Let us remember: we serve one King, one Kingdom, and one Gospel. It’s time we started acting like it. The world does not need to see which pastor has the most expensive car, they already have enough of that–they need to see the love of Christ in Action.

Let Peace, Love, and Unity prevail in the body of Christ.

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JACOB KASULE