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KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Church of Uganda has abolished the practice of laying wreaths on caskets during burials in favour of planting trees, as a strategic intervention to promote the protection of the environment.
In a new Strategic Planning Framework for 2026-2030, approved during a joint session of the Provincial Council and the House of Bishops, the Church of Uganda undertook to increase awareness and adaptation of practices that promote environmental protection and mitigate the evident impacts of climate change.
The framework is instructive to all the 39 dioceses of the Church of Uganda, to step up responses towards environmental conservation, climate change adaptation and developing church-tailored preparedness and responses to disasters.
As part of the strategic responses, the Church resolved to abolish the use of wreaths in burials and instead encourage the priests to substitute it with the planting of trees, as a modern ideal practice for honouring the dead; a practice that will be promoted across the province.
Similarly, all priests are instructed to regularly integrate environmental conservation and climate change messages in their sermons, and sensitize Christians on the dangers of polythene bags to the soil and environment.
Each diocese is also required to institute an Environmental Protection Coordination taskforce and appoint focal persons at the diocese and each parish, promote the use of renewable energy and other alternative sources of cooking, to cut down on the use of firewood for cooking.
Part of the obligations of the task force include ensuring that all the idle Church land, institutions and individuals are planted with a mix of fruit trees and other indigenous varieties for food and carbon generation.
Reverend Canon William Ongeng, the Church of Uganda Provincial Secretary, indicates that the new strategic planning framework was developed to guide responses to the emerging challenges that communities are facing, due to habits of environmental destruction.
“This framework was informed by the end-line evaluation of the strategic plan for 2016-2025, the process involved wide consultations with all Bishops, the staff and leaders of key ministries of government,” he says.
The other interventions include using the Church structures to train farmers on climate-smart agriculture practices such as conservation farming, agroforestry, integrated pest management, promoting the use of simple irrigation technologies and disease management right from household levels.
On the other hand, the Dioceses are also required to link and strengthen farmers’ organizations and cooperatives, as key drivers for supporting climate-smart agriculture adoption, and endeavour to strengthen extension services to provide farmers with regular support and guidance.
While launching the new strategic planning framework, Doctor Stephen Kazimba Mugalu, the Archbishop of the Church of Uganda, expressed hope that if well implemented, it will enable the dioceses to adapt to the dynamic changing environment and promptly address emerging issues.
He urged the Bishops to collaborate with government ministries and departments, civil society actors, nongovernment organizations and church structures to achieve the intended strategic objectives.
To actualize the developed planning framework, the Church instituted a 24-member steering committee to oversee its effective implementation across all dioceses.
According to Archbishop Kazimba, they have also developed a monitoring and evaluation tool and templates that will guide the performance assessment in each diocese.
The other areas of focus in the approved strategic planning framework include mission and evangelism to bring salvation and spiritual transformation, promoting socio-economic development, focusing on institutional development and community engagement. They are carried forward from the expiring 2016-2026 strategic plan.
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