Pastor Aloysious Bujjingo, the founder and lead pastor of House of Prayers Ministries International, in Makerere Kikoni has paid courtesy visit to mourn with relatives and friends of the late Pastor Augustine Yiga alias Abizaayo.
Bujjingo on his visit to Revival Church Kawaala handed 2 Million shillings to help with burial arrangements to the late Pastor Yiga’s son Andrew Jengo and promised to render more help when needed.
Bujjingo who described Yiga’s death as a total shock also intimated that they first met when Yiga was still at Pastor Sserugo’s place in Kazo.
He fondly recalls how they used to play draft (a board game) together, he expounded that it’s that bond coupled with synonymous Christian values that led to their close friendship.
Bujjingo narrated that they then formed a formidable evangelism team, and from there is where Yiga started his Revival Church in Kawaala.
“I’ve encountered Yiga many times, but never have we quarreled. You can testify that I’ve never abused him, and neither has be abused me,” Bugingo said, affirming that him and Yiga have been friends regardless of their scarce communication and Christian doctrinal differences.
Bujjingo narrated that in his home village Masaka, death is an alarm reminder for unity to prevail, and on such occasions, everything else is set aside in solidarity to go and mourn with the bereaved family, unless only if you’re the killer, maybe, would you contradict the procession.
“In Masaka where I grew up from, we’d not even go to the gardens but all march to the home of the deceased, to comfort the bereaved family members,” Bujjingo said, asserting a common synonym that a friend in need, is a friend indeed.
“And I personally respect my principals, in that if at all I have a burning issue about you, I look for you, sit you down and tell you about it while you are still alive, I don’t do it against your lifeless body,” he said.
Further disregarding those faulting the late Pastor, he added, “I want to tell believers and my fellow evangelists that like this assignment, so is judgement, it is not for us, but for the almighty who sent us.”
Bujjingo with fondness recalled the last time he came face to face with Augustine Yiga, “We met across the stairs at Bat Valley, we momentarily held hands, and hugged.”
“I paused for a moment and asked him, are you still saved? He said yes,” Bujjingo emotionally narrated, stressing that him and the late have come so far, from the time they used to preach on the streets as poor young men with only God as their valid possession.
Bujjingo said that he was at the time renting the place for his ministerial work, and Pastor Yiga’s Revival Band had also staged an event there, since it’s a place typically designed for theatre and drama.
Youthful Jengo Yiga, son to the late Pastor Yiga has been running his father’s church in his absence. Maidenly setting his eyes on Jengo, Bujjingo comforted him, and reminded him that as preachers, it’s understandable that Yiga’s body has left, but the soul has stayed, pledging to always encourage each other.
“I’m not going to say sorry for your father’s death, I’ll just praise the Lord’s name. Death is the way for all of us. Yiga has died a young man, I am 4 years his senior, and his children are logically my children. I have therefore come to this house like a father,” he stated.
“One last thing I want say on air, is that my office is wide open for you, at any time. You can come and we discuss on how best to run the ministry,” Bujjingo added, cutting a fatherly figure.
The 21-year-old preacher acknowledged Bujjingo’s parenthood over him. Jengo declared alliance with Bugingo’s House of Prayer Ministries International.
Jengo also lightly reminisced about his father’s draft story with Bujjingo which he identifiably described as synonymous with him because his late father talked about it quite a lot.
Jengo also expressed his readiness to stitch together broken ties with other pastors, bury the hatchet and move on as a new beginning.
“Pastor Bugembe called me some time back before my father’s death, while seeking for permission to go check on him in hospital, he explained to me that what he had with my father was a disagreement about mode of preaching, and that does not necessarily imply enmity, and neither will it,” Jengo said.
He also commended other city pastors like Robert Kayanja, and further justified his father’s public foe, Pastor Jackson Senyonga, who criticised Yiga even after his death.
Pastor Ssenyonga of the Christian Life Church held a press conference yesterday and outrightly condemned Yiga’s deeds, describing his death as a warning to Ugandans to pick lessons and stop looking for quick money and fame that they haven’t worked for.
“He has left behind so many children and widows, known and unknown, if there is anyone who has children or was hurt by Pr. Yiga, let them come to Christian Life Church and we help them,” he announced.
Ssenyonga during the press conference also uttered that he hopes that the deceased pastor used his last days on earth to turn to Christ and become born again.
“I thank God that he had a period of sickness which I hope he used to repent and turn to God. I will be happy if I meet Jesus in heaven and I find him there,” he said.
By Baron Kironde
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