ON 6 JANUARY 1948 a young school teacher, Janani Luwum, was converted
to the charismatic Christianity of the East African Revival, in his own
village in Acoli, Uganda. At once he turned evangelist, warning against
the dangers of drink and tobacco, and, in the eyes of local authorities,
disturbing the peace.
But Luwum was undeterred by official censure. He was determined to confront
all who needed, in his eyes, to change their ways before God.
In January 1949 Luwum went to a theological college at Buwalasi, in eastern
Uganda. A year later he came back a catechist. In 1953 he returned to
train for ordination. He was ordained deacon on St Thomas's Day,
21 December 1955, and priest a year later. His progress was impressive:
after two periods of study in England, he became principal of Buwalasi.
Then, in September 1966, he was appointed Provincial Secretary of the
Church of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire. It was a difficult position
to occupy, and these were anxious days. But Luwum won a reputation for
creative and active leadership, promoting a new vision with energy and
commitment. Only three years later he was consecrated bishop of Northern
Uganda, on 25 January 1969. The congregation at the open-air Services
included the prime minister of Uganda, Milton Obote, and the Chief of
Staff of the army, Idi Amin.
Amin sought power for himself. Two years later he deposed Obote in a
coup. In government he ruled by intimidation, violence and corruption.
Atrocities, against the Acoli and Langi people in particular, were perpetrated
time and again. The Asian population was expelled in 1972. It was in the
midst of such a society, in 1974, that Luwum was elected Archbishop of
Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Boga-Zaire. He pressed ahead with the reform
of his church in time to mark the centenary of the creation of the Anglican
province.
But he also warned that the Church should not conform to "the powers
of darkness". Amin cultivated a relationship with the archbishop,
arguably to acquire credibility. For his part, Luwum sought to mitigate
the effects of his rule, and to plead for its victims.
The Anglican and Roman Catholic churches increasingly worked together
to frame a response to the political questions of the day. Soon they joined
with the Muslims of Uganda. On 12 February 1977 Luwum delivered a protest
to Amin against all acts of violence that were allegedly the work of the
security services. Church leaders were summoned to Kampala and then ordered
to leave, one by one. Luwum turned to Bishop Festo Kivengere and said,
"They are going to kill me. I am not afraid". Finally alone,
he was taken away and murdered. Later his body was buried near St Paul's
Church, Mucwini.
Amin's state was destroyed by invading Tanzanian forces in 1979.
Amin himself fled abroad and escaped justice.
"I am prepared to die in the army of Jesus." Janani Luwum