UK: Church minister won’t preach ‘anti-gay message’ at Ugandan rally
A Baptist Union minister in Milton Keynes says she has no intentions of preaching any “anti-gay message” at a religious rally to be held in Uganda on New Year’s Eve – and denies the event could be seen as homophobic.
A campaign blog called ‘Stop Ugandan Anti-Homosexuality Bill’ published claims that Reverend Jacqui Green of Stony Stratford Community Church was planning to attend the rally “for the second time” on New Year’s Eve.
The blog alleged that Rev Green first attended the eighth Annual National Prayer Day, held in the Ugandan capital Kampala, on 31 December 2013.
Although Rev Green confirmed that she is due to attend the ninth Annual National Prayer Day event on New Year’s Eve at Uganda’s national stadium, Rev Green stressed: “I am NOT attending a homophobic anti-gay rally and have NEVER preached an anti-gay message nor would I endorse any form of homophobic intolerance being preached.”
A statement from Rev Green to PinkNews read:-
I became aware today (15th Dec 2014) that an online blog is circulating about me which is false and untrue. I am privileged to have been able to visit Uganda since 2010 and have many Ugandan friends.
On December 31st 2014 I will preach at a “National Prayer Event” in Kampala, as I did last year. I am NOT attending a homophobic anti-gay rally and have NEVER preached an anti-gay message nor would I endorse any form of homophobic intolerance being preached.
My sermon given at the stadium in 2013 is available and you will find NO mention of homosexual issues. In fact in my five years in Uganda I have never preached about Homosexuality.
The call of God on my life is to preach about Jesus. Knowing Jesus and experiencing His Love brings us Life and Freedom.
I seek to demonstrate that as I share life with many different people in Uganda helping them to know their worth to their Creator and to enjoy their relationship with Him.
Human rights campaigners welcomed the move, but also feared it would only represent a brief respite before new anti-gay legislation is introduced.
Signed by President Yoweri Museveni in February, the act called for ‘repeat offenders’ of homosexuality to be sentenced to 14 years in prison and made it a criminal offence not to report someone for being gay.
Same-sex sexual activity is already illegal in Uganda.
