More than 700 young people from across the Diocese of Kampala gathered at All Saints’ Cathedral on Friday for the diocese’s first-ever youth convention, aimed at strengthening unity, faith and a sense of purpose among young Christians.
Held under the theme “Anchored in Holiness, Set Apart for Service,” the convention brought together youth from Kisugu, Ntinda and Makerere archdeaconries, as well as young people from the All Saints’ Cathedral deanery.
Diocesan Youth Coordinator Rev. Richard Musinguzi said the convention was organised to bring young people from different churches together to worship, share experiences, learn from one another and build relationships.
“We wanted to bring the young people together, to know our young people and also to bring them together,” Musinguzi said.
He said the programme also seeks to help young people understand their identity and purpose under God and resist peer pressure. It included Bible study and small-group discussions, while the Family Health Initiative partnered with the diocese to sensitise young people about teenage pregnancy and behavioural change.
The Assistant Bishop of the Diocese of Kampala, the Ven. Rev. Canon Frederick Jackson Baalwa, told the gathering that holiness should be a consistent part of a Christian’s life and should ultimately lead to meaningful service.
“Be holy when you are at school. Be holy when you are at home. Be holy when you are in a taxi. Be holy wherever you are,” Baalwa said.
The Dean of All Saints’ Cathedral, the Very Rev. Canon Rebecca Margaret Nyegenye, challenged young people to take the message of holiness seriously, particularly in an environment where sexual immorality and lust are increasingly normalised.
She also raised concerns about school social activities such as proms, questioning the practice of pairing young people and its possible influence on their behaviour.
“Where there is lust, there is sexual immorality. It begins small and we end up into all these things,” Nyegenye said.
The daytime programme mainly focused on teenagers aged 12 and above, while the evening programme brought together university students and young workers.
Musinguzi said the convention will become an annual event as the diocese seeks to strengthen unity and connections among young people across its churches.
