COU holds Church House debt clearance thanksgiving

The Church of Uganda (COU) has today (January 23, 2025), hosted a thanksgiving service to reflect on how God has enabled them to clear the shillings 60 billion debt used to build Church House. 

The event was held at All Saints' Cathedral in Kampala city.

In 2021, the Church launched the "Yes, We Can!" fundraising campaign at All Saints' Cathedral, Kampala, to save the Church from debts.

Christians attending the thanksgiving service.

The campaign aimed to raise 1,000,000 "Love Gifts" of shillings 60,000 each to clear the construction loans on Church House.

Previously, COU was in crisis talks following reports that the multi-billion Church House building on Kampala Road was at risk of being auctioned over an unpaid shillings 48 billion debt.

Equity Bank had extended shillings 41 billion towards the construction of the 16-story building and was demanding shillings 40 billion in repayment.

But during last year’s Uganda Martyrs Day celebrations at Namugongo, Archbishop Dr Stephen Samuel Kaziimba announced that the debt had been cleared.

Christians worshiping during the service.

Mugalu stated that the Church of Uganda now fully owns Church House.

 Now, according to All Saints' Cathedral Kampala spokesperson Ivan Naijuka, the Church is holding the ceremony in memory of what God has enabled them to do.

 “This Thanksgiving is for the completion of the Janani Luwum Church House debt. All the Bishops in the Church of Uganda and those who retired and some prominent people in this country have been invited because they were part of the journey of paying the debt,” Naijuka said.