Bishop from Uganda appears at St. James

Lindsay Sandham

Evans M. Kisekka, bishop of the diocese of Luweero in the Anglican

Province of Uganda, led services at St. James Church in Newport Beach

Sunday.

St. James -- along with All Saints’ in Long Beach and St. David’s

in North Hollywood -- broke away from the Episcopal Church of the

United States last year. All three have placed themselves under the

diocese of Luweero after leaving the diocese of Los Angeles.

“The Province of Uganda and the diocese of Luweero received these

three churches last year as they sought refuge with us in order to

uphold their faith and remain faithful Anglicans,” Kisekka said in a

written statement.

While the other two churches cited the ordaining of an openly

homosexual minister as their reason for leaving, St. James maintains

that its reason for leaving is the hesitation of the national church

to accept Jesus Christ as the lord and savior and its failure to

acknowledge the supremacy of the Bible.

Kisekka, who is spending one full week with each of the three

churches, spent the past week with Pastor Praveen Bunyan of St.

James.

“It’s an honor to be serving with a Godly bishop,” Bunyan said.

Kisekka helped celebrate the Eucharist and led confirmation,

reception and reaffirmation services.

“As their bishop under the worldwide Anglican Communion, I am

heartened to see how these churches continue to grow and prosper,”

Kisekka said in the written statement. “I am here to comfort them and

stand by them as they suffer for their faith. May the commitment of

these churches serve as an example to Anglicans everywhere.”

Connie Weiss of Laguna Niguel was one of many members of St. James

confirmed during Sunday’s services.

“For me, it means committing my life to Christ in a way that I

haven’t before,” she said. “It was like basking in the presence of

God.”

Julie Schulz of Pasadena, who was also confirmed Sunday, said the

touch of Kisekka’s hands on her head during the service felt like a

fatherly presence.

The three local churches are part of a national trend of North

American congregations that have been steadily leaving the U.S.

Episcopal Church since 2003, when an openly gay man was ordained as

bishop of New Hampshire.

Bunyan said St. James left the diocese of Los Angeles because the

majority of its key leaders were not upholding what he considers the

two foundations of the Anglican religion -- accepting Jesus Christ as

the Lord and Savior and accepting the Bible as the authority on

faith.

“We already had a long-lasting friendship with Archbishop Henry

Orombi and the diocese of Uganda,” he said regarding the church’s

decision to place itself under that diocese in particular. “We have

been partnering with them for a long time.”