JOSHUA LWERE: LEADER OF PENTECOSTAL CHURCHES REFUSES TO LEAVE OFFICE AS HIS TERM ENDS, OVER 2000 PASTORS VOW TO THROW HIM OUT

● His 2nd and last term has expired, but he doesnt want to go. Is he a dictator in Pentecostal Churches?
● Read about the anti-corruption crusader Joshua Lwere who is accused of transfering  land donated to Balokole into his company
● Meanwhile, Pastors endorse senior Pr. Michael Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre Church to take over from Joshua Lwere

NEWS EDITOR MEDIA TEAM

WHEREAS his 2nd and last term as the General Overseer (GO) of the National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC-U) remains with a few months to end, Bishop Joshua Lwere who also doubles as Senior Pastor of Grace Assembly Christian Centre, Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road has refused to leave office, we can exclusively report! 
A few days to the election of the new General Overseer, the election process has been stopped, aspirants banned on the orders of Lwere from holding consultative meetings and now, a four-days Annual General Meeting (AGM) has been called to amend NFBPC Constitution and remove term lifts so that Lwere can run again. 
The Aspirants for the General Overseer office include; Leonard Sserwadda from Masaka, Fredrick Ssemazzi (former General Secretary (NFBPC ) from Bukasa in Muyenga, Joseph Nsubuga (current National Mobilizer) from Komamboga Kawempe, Moses Odongo (the current National Clerk) from Namuwongo, and renown Pr. David Micheal Kyazze of Omega Healing Centre Namasuba on Entebbe road.
In fact, Pr. Michael Kyazze, a senior Pastor in the Country had traversed the whole country to seek for endorsement by fellow Pastors and wherever he reached, he was shown massive support by the Pastors.  

Indicators already shows, Michael Kyazze is the next General Overseer National Fellowship of Born-Again Pentecostal Churches. 
In our next story, we shall write in details about Pr. Michael Kyazze and other aspirants, who of them has the best manifesto and why;
In today’s story, we shall dwell so much onto Bishop Lwere and why he fears leaving leaving office!

SHAMING BALOKOLE!
A close source has revealed to the News Editor Media that, Joshua Lwere is plotting to tell the AGM that the two years of his 2nd term were wasted under full of lock down so he didn’t perform. He would like his term extended!
Insiders believe, fearing to lose the eye of State House and other government top officials where he has been allegedly getting brown envelopes as a leader of the Pentecostal Churches in Uganda, Joshua Lwere is without shame and fear of God, set to abrogate the NFBPC Constitution and make himself life leader as General Overseer! 
This leading investigative news website has landed on a plot hatched by Bishop Joshua Lwere and a clique of his yes men, call them Bishops, to touch the NFBPC constitution and remove Article 22 (5 b) (b iii) which reads, “After two consecutive terms, the General Overseer may only be eligible for re-election if a period equal or more than the total length that he spent in office has elapsed.”
Meaning, since Lwere’s two terms have elapsed, a new General Overseer should be elected, for he may return to contest for the same office if he wishes to, in the future but not at the expiry of his two terms. So he has to leave office to pave way for the election of the new NFBPC leader.
However, Lwere doesn’t want to leave office, he wants the constitution amended so that he rules for life! 
In fact one of his yes men, a one Rev. Hezekiah Kambayaya who is the District overseer Bundibugyo district on March 3, 2022 posted on social me, that, “I wish NFBPC could make amendments of the constitution so that Bishop Lwere could lead again.” 
This is totally under contestation by over 2000 Pastors country wide, some saying, they will not tolerate Lwere’s dictatorial tendencies in Church. If he detests term limits, let him join active politics and leave National  Fellowship affairs to be managed by competent and God fearing leaders!
“The fellowship has struggled for years to manage its rented head office at Bukesa Capital Community Church owned by Pr. Ssozi. In fact, we were chased from the office for failure to pay rent arrears. The estates manager confiscated our furniture. After failing miserably like this, the person wants to lead NFBPC again.” Said Pastors who want Lwere out.
They accuse him for transfering to his company National Fellowship land in Namanve donated in 2013 by a one James Kisaliza former commissioner URA measuring approximately 1 acre. They say, that is what he has done for the Fellowship in his ten years tenure. 
“Here, we are true and we honour God. We are not liars, we got saved. If our brother Lwere believes in such dirty politics, let him go to open politics where they don’t agitate for term limits.” Said one of the top Pastors who have already vowed to fail Lwere’s unpopular plot.
We have been however shockingly informed that, the plot has been finalised, unless otherwise, Lwere is determined to change the Born Again Pentecostal Churches’ constitution and remove term limits for himself. How is he planning to do it? We shall come back to this later! 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT NFBPC
The National Fellowship of Born Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (NFBPC-U) was formed 32 years ago in 1990.
Records show, it was an idea by the then President Museveni’s Government Minister Balaki Kirya who was a Born-Again. 
General Overseer (GO) of NFBPC is the ultimate leader of the Fellowship of Pentecostal Churches in Uganda.
The first General Overseer was Prof. Simeon Kayiwa of Namirembe Christian Fellowship. 
Kayiwa became GO in 1990 -1995 and was given a second term. 
In 2003, Apostle Alex Mitala took over from Prof. Simeon Kayiwa. His leadership ended in 2013 after 10 years and he left the office peacefully.
The mantle was given to the reigning leadership of Bishop Joshua Lwere in 2013 and his term remains with a few weeks to end.
Surprisingly, unlike his predecessors Prof. Simeon Kayiwa and Apostle Alex Mitala who truthfully served and left when their two terms expired, Lwere isn’t planning to leave office, he has copied notes from some politicians, he wants Constitution amended and influence a clique of a few people who he wants the amended constitution to empower and they vote for him so that he rules for life!

HOW IS THE GENERAL OVERSEER ELECTED
According to the the Constitution of the National Fellowship ov Born-Again Pentecostal Churches of Uganda (2007) as amended in 2010, 2013 and 2016, The General Overseeer is elected by the National Electoral College which is composed of 5 delegates from all Districts/Municipalities, 5 delegates from each 63 provinces and 5 delegates from each of 14 regions.

According to Article 22 (4) b) 
(a); The names of the candidates for the office of the General Overseer shall be forwarded by a minimum of 40% of the District Governing Council (s) from among the members of the National Electoral College, (with national reflection) to the Electoral Commission, which in turn shall forward them to the National Council of Elders for vetting.
(c) The Council of Elders (CoE) shall vet the candidates and forward the approved names to the Electoral Commission.
(d) The General Overseer will be elected at the National Electoral College Assembly by all the delegates eligible to vote.

QUALIFICATIONS OF GENERAL OVERSEER
Article 22 (5) b) (i) says; The person shall only qualify to be General Overseer if; 
(a) Is an active member of NFBPC for at least 5 years and belongs to a local fraternity?
(b) Is with the minimum age of 45 years
(c) Is a reputable leader of outstanding character and moral integrity?
(d) Has at least fifteen years of ministry experience.
(e) Qualifies in accordance to Scripture (1Timothy 3:1 -12)
(f) A person with basic education (“O” – Level or its equivalent) 
(g) Is able to articulate and present the Word of God 
(h) Has a Basic Theological background – from a recognized Theological Institution
(i) Be with a Biblically morally heterosexual (opposite sex) orientation.
(j) Shall not have track record/ history of divorce.
(k) These qualifications shall apply to all NGC officers.

CALLING AGM
In July 2022, Bishop Mark Wamala the General Secretary NFBPC wrote to NEC members, Members of the Council of Elders, the NFBPC Ministers and the NFBPC electoral Commission inviting them to the NFBPC Annual General Assembly scheduled for August 22nd – 25th, 2022 at Lwere’s Grace Christian Centre church located at Sir Apollo Kaggwa Road.
Others invited in the Annual General Meeting intended to clear Lwere for a third term are; The Constitutional review Commission, the five members from each of the NFBPC Regional councils, the five members from each of the provincial councils and the five members from each of the NFBPC district councils.
Bishop Wamala’s letter reads, “This is to officially invite you to the General Assembly as per Article 17: 2b of the Constitution as amended in 2016.”

DETAILS OF LWERE’S GAME PLAN
Because he doesn’t want to leave office of General Overseer, Joshua Lwere’s plot is about taking away the right of eligible voters of the GO and vesting the power into a clique of the House of Bishops, just like it is done in the Anglican Church, and they dictate on who should be the next GO.
Because this will be a new format of electing the GO, Lwere will automatically bounce back as the General Overseer!!
According to Lwere’s strategists, the usual process of election where aspirants move around the whole country, consulting pastors and soliciting for nomination, is already banned.

In a National Governing Council (NGC) meeting that sat in June 24, 2022 at Lwere’s Grace Assembly Christian Centre, the following resolutions were made with immediate effect;
● To hold Annual General Assembly (AGM) meeting which will take place from August 22nd -25th , 2022. (This is when Lwere’s team is planning to hijack NEC members and impose on them constitutional amendments, where General Overseer will be elected by a clique of about 14 people (Bishops).
● All Electoral Commission (EC) activities are suspended until after the Annual General Assembly (AGA), except the training of Commissioners, returning officers and election supervisors.
● All aspiring candidates showing interest and campaigning at all levels from National to sub counties are hereby stopped from doing so.

The statement was signed by; Bishop Joshua Lwere (GO), Bishop Mark Wamala (GS), Bishop George Odouc (NTR), Bishop Daniel Waddimba  (NPRO), Bishop Joseph Nsubuga  (NM), Bishop Moses Odongo (NC), Bishop Don Tumusiime  (RO Ankole), Bishop Julius Kamiza (RO Eastern), Bishop Leonard Sserwadda (RO Southern), Bishop Michael Grace Okello (RO Kigezi), Bishop Francis Gamukama (RO Rwenzori), Bishop Hudson Suubi (RO Central) and Bishop Godfrey Luwagga (RO Kampala). This is a clique fronted to bring back Lwere after the expiry of his two constitutional terms.

DEAL DETAILS
After amending the NFBPC constituition and power to elect the new GO is given to the 14 Bishops, insiders say, these Bishops will convene a meeting from where they will elect among themselves the new GO, probably Joshua Lwere who is the convener and Chairman.
For starters, Bishops are the Regional Overseers (RO) from the 14 regions making Uganda. These form the House of Bishops. 
The regions are; Karamoja, Teso, Lango, Acholi, Westnile, Bunyoro, Rwenzori, Kigezi, Ankole, Buganda Southern Part (Masaka to Mutukula), Central region, Busoga, Kampala and Bukedi. 
So these 14 will converge in a place, pray, and among them find the General Overseer. Lwere and his clique wants to do an episcopal election in a Fellowship, something which is contested by Pastors across the country.
“The Anglican approach in electing their leader cant work in Pentecostal churches. For the Anglican church, it is stimulous from ground. It is the whole Anglican church,but for NFBPC, this is a Fellowship. We are People of different background, coming together with registered legal ministries. You can not hijack and impose on us a leader who isn’t of our choice.” Said one of the Pastors from Karamoja region.
In an exclusive interview with this news website, this Pastor told us, “We put our trust in you to lead us, how dare you can not come back and say you locked the door for us because we are too many, that is why you are seeking mandate from only the Bishops. That is wrong.” 

In the next story, we will write in details a plot by hundreds of Pastors country over to block Bishop Lwere from touching their constitution. How will it end? Please watch the space!

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