By Jalira Namyalo
A city pastor has embarked on a country wide campaign to empower Pentecostal pastors to fight poverty with a view of helping them desist from extorting believers.
The leader of Christian Life Church, Pr. Jackson Ssenyonga says empowering pastors economically will help reduce cases of manipulating their flock to get more money.
He also reasoned that once empowered economically, the pastors would stop depending on offertory as their main source of income for livelihood.
He made the remarks while unveiling a poverty alleviation scheme for pastors and religious leaders, a plan he said would lift the welfare of gospel preachers in the country.
According to Pr Ssenyonga, poverty is one of the major causes of the rampant kidnaps and killings in the country that have ruined several lives.
“We see a lot of people being killed every other day, kidnaps and brutality are spreading across the country. We all know that all these are a result of people indulging in witchcraft. I have consulted with a number of Bishops on so many issues and many pastors have come to me that are in abject poverty, they cannot even survive, leading their lives well and take their children to school,” Pr Ssenyonga said.
He explained that the campaign is also targeting the churches in general and the neighboring communities although started with the pastors.
Pr Ssenyonga revealed that his ministry would put funds in projects that would be agreed on with the church from their findings after consultations.
