Mukono diocese enrolls ailing retired clergy on the monthly payroll.

Mukono, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Retired Anglican clergy in Mukono will not have to wait until the age of 80 years to start earning the 25,000 stipend for the elderly from the government.  Bishop James William Ssebaggala has taken a revolutionary step by enrolling them on the payroll from which they will be pocketing twenty times than what elders in the country get.

Explaining the unprecedented move, Bishop Ssebaggala said that unlike the Catholic Church which has got systematic arrangement to cater for its retired priests, the Church of Uganda does not have that arrangement yet.

According to the bishop, the church ministers render all their time in the ministry forgetting about the time of retirement. He says it has been unfortunate for many retiring ministers whose retirement package has only constituted what was contributed by their Christians usually comprising a mattress, bed sheets and food stuffs to last their families for only about one week.

To bail out God’s servants from that embarrassment, Bishop Ssebaggala has now instituted a 500,000 monthly stipend for the retired priests and 300,000 shillings for the lay readers.  

To sustain this retirement package program, the bishop has launched the construction of a 10billion shillingcommercial building in Mukono town where the diocese upon its completion will be able to get money for its clergy so that they can live in decent standards after their active church service.  

Rev. Venerable Edward Kironde Balamaze of Ndeeba Archdeaconry also laments about the poor health the retired Church of Uganda clergy are currently experiencing.

According to bishop Ssebaggala, the diocese has got over 50 retired clergy but the number of the retired lay readers is yet to be confirmed.

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