The East African Diaspora Media Watch (EADM)

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In Summary: It’s now over a month. The air and feel of newness at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Winchester are pulpable. The joy is unmistakable. But first, they prayed and  fasted. They dreamt and waited. And then waited some more. But they neither wavered nor wandered. They steadfastly stayed the course. Yet, feelings of impatience, fear, uncertainty, and anxiety frequently raised their ugly heads. While they grasped the idea of waiting, they loathed it. But patience paid. It was an advance prep for advent. The anticipation, expectation, and anxiety weighed heavily on them. But they waited. We all wait. But a corporate vigil is what Christians have done for millennia. But it is easier said than done. At St. Peters Anglican Church in Winchester, formerly in Belmont, it visited. Waiting has been a guest for this congregation for nearly two  decades. But they persevered. It was an Advent2.0. And, after over sixteen years of ceaseless and painstaking supplications, their prayers were finally answered. On Sunday October 08, 2023, the bride, a fully furnished church with a Reverand’s house was formally unveiled by the Bishop of New England diocese the Rt. Rev. Andrew Williams assisted by retired Rev. Dr. Alex Kasirye, the founding Rector of the church, and current Rector, Rev. Amos Kimera. “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26). Nobody was even more suited to witness the grand opening than our very own, the eagle-eyed EADM New England Correspondent Grace Nakigudde. She inks that the unveiling of the new church home was God’s perfect timing. “Providentially ordered, she pens.” “St. Peter’s Church, you won and earned your righteous bragging rights. It’s your moment for reflective thanksgiving, celebration, testimony, and praise.” What an early Christmas gift it has been! Hallelujah to the Lamb!

Winchester, Massachusetts-- They prayed and fasted. They held annual fundraisers and the community supported them. Through trials and tribulations, they faithfully clang onto the dream of owning a church of their own. It’s now over a month. The air and feel of newness at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Winchester are pulpable. The joy is unmistakable. For the congregation at St Peter’s Anglican Church in Winchester, Massachusetts, the journey seemed to last forever. But they patiently dreamt and waited. That dream finally came to reality at the end of this summer when that much anticipated announcement was made St. Peter’s Anglican Church had finally got a place to call home!

That home is a fully furnished church with a Reverand’s house. On Sunday October 08, 2023, that church was officially unveiled to the community, setting the record as the first Ugandan owned Anglican Church in North America. It was a day of glamour, pomp and jubilations blended with chants of Alleluia and the traditional Tukutendereza Yesu in celebration of such a great milestone. Community members from all walks of life with women dressed in busuutis and men in Kanzus and suits filled the church to capacity.

The ceremony was presided over by the Bishop of New England diocese Andrew Williams. The Ugandan Anglican Church started in the Boston area in 2006 when a group of community members gathered for prayers on Christmas Day in commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The service was led by the Reverand Dr Alex Kasirye who was then working with the Methodist Church in Dorchester. According to Rev. Kasirye, the service was so touching, inspiring, and spiritually fulfilling that they decided to meet up again the following Sunday for another service.

What started as a prayer group soon gathered steam and turned into weekly Sunday services which were originally held at the Methodist church in Waltham. Word spread in the community about the opening of an Anglican Church and the response was overwhelming. The congregation steadily grew in numbers and a committee was set up to formulate bylaws and formalize their operations. There were a host of Ugandan Pentecostal churches in the community but some members who preferred the traditional Anglican way of worship were left out. Thus, the advent of the Anglican Church was music to their ears. With bylaws in place and blessing from the Anglican Church in Uganda, St Peter’s Anglican Church was inaugurated by the retired Bishop of Mityana the Rt. Rev. Wilson Mutebi in April 2007. Since then, the church has been expanding with the congregation growing in leaps and bounds.

The church was originally affiliated to the Episcopal Diocese of New England. But with the disagreement over the ordaining of gay priests, the then Archbishop of the Church of Uganda His Grace Luke Orombi advised them to cut ties with the Episcopal Church. The biggest challenge was to get a church building where to hold the Sunday services since they were holding them at the premises of the Episcopal Church in Waltham. With ties severed with the Episcopal Church, they linked up with the Anglican diocese of New England and rented the premises at First Baptist Church in Belmont. Buying a building in the United States is not a walk in the park. It’s an expensive venture and had to suit the interests of different members of the congregation. They therefore embarked on such a big challenge.

The first fundraising dinner was held in the church basement after which they decided to spread out to bigger function halls so as to attract other community members to raise enough funds for the project. Fundraising dinners were held annually on the last Sunday of November and the response was overwhelming. However, over time, the fundraising drive lost momentum as the number of attendants decreased. Matters were not helped when the Rev. Alex Kasirye retired from the rectorship of the church and relocated back to Uganda.

But when the church received a new Rector, Rev. Amos Kimera on May 15, 2020, a breath of fresh air was blown into the project of acquiring a new church home. Rev. Kimera revived the fundraising drive with the launch of the 3 dollars a day campaign. During the campaign, congregants were encouraged to save 3 dollars a day which would make 21 dollars a week or 84 dollars a month specifically for the church. With money raised over the years, the hunt for a suitable church started. Getting the right church building to accommodate the different interests of people turned out to be a very tedious process. After an intense search through different properties in various locations, the task team finally zeroed in on the church building in Winchester. The campaign that was launched over a decade had finally yielded results.

Rev Kasirye received the news at his retirement home in Uganda. He said he was elated by such good news. He came back to Boston to witness the inauguration of the new church. In his sermon, Bishop Williams said he was immensely proud of the Ugandan community for such a big achievement. He described it as the global movement of the Holy Spirit. He said the Lord has brought us here as (immigrants from various parts of the world) to preach the gospel and restore his Kingdom in New England. He prayed that the church opens its doors to more people and continues to be a place where the gospel is loudly and ceaselessly proclaimed.

Rev Kimera thanked the community for their overwhelming support whenever they were called upon to contribute money for the project. He said the church is not just a monument but a place open for the community to pray, where souls will be rejuvenated. He hailed his predecessors for laying the foundation on which they built. His words were echoed by the head of Laity Mr. Eddy Kawungu who thanked his predecessors for all their efforts in spearheading the cause. Rev. Kimera said this achievement is testimony to the fact that when community gets together, they can do a lot for themselves without relying on outside sources. For a start, the church will have two services on Sundays. The English service will start at 10 am while the Luganda service will start at 1 pm.

The English service is scheduled to mainly appeal to the younger generation some of whom were born in the United States and are not well versed with Luganda. It will have a blend of contemporary gospel worship. Sunday school  will continue to cater for the younger generation. Apart from the Sunday services the Church will continue to hold baptism, confirmation, counseling, weddings, funerals and pastoral care including visiting the sick and the bereaved. Rev Kimera also said that they will work with the town of Winchester administrators to address the challenges facing the different age groups, especially the youth. The newly acquired church is located at 485 Washington Street Winchester, Massachusetts. It has a sitting capacity of 300 people.

Prayer works. Jesus relays. God answers. Even the people of Israel who understood what it meant to wait, we assume, they hardly liked it. Yet, God had been working overtime to reveal His perfect plan for them at the right time. But for centuries after the prophets had announced God’s plan to send a Messiah, the promise continuously eluded generations. Yet, God had neither forgotten nor forsaken them. But they waited. And the Messiah finally came. Yet, as Pasto Louis Giglio has perceptibly stated, “waiting during Advent isn’t all bows and baking.” It is a painstaking exercise as the congregation at St. Peter’s Anglican Church in Winchester can now testify. Waiting on God, for this congregation, was not a waste of time. He worked while they waited. God was closer than they could often realize. While they waited for the perfect church building, Jesus was waiting with them. And to all who witnessed the grand opening of St. Peter’s new home over a month ago, they should recall that there was “a Baby born in a messy manger a few thousand years ago, who has never failed and never faded. He keeps every promise and stays steadfast in every situation.” Prayer works. Jesus relays. God answers. “The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:25-26). The unveiling of the new church home was God’s perfect timing. “Providentially ordered. St. Peter’s Church, you won and earned your righteous bragging rights. It’s your moment for reflective thanksgiving, celebration, testimony, and praise.” What an early Christmas gift it has been! Hallelujah to the Lamb! “For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise.” (Hebrews 10:36).

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