REPORTS
Gay and Christian in
KENYA, UGANDA,
TANZANIA, RWANDA
AND BURUNDI
_________________________________________
- Jose Ortiz and Steve Parelli OUT in Africa -

a REPORT on their Other Sheep work in Kampala, Uganda

- working on behalf of Other Sheep East Africa -
from Friday afternoon, July 25 to Thursday morning July 31, 2008  8 full days

Written, Monday, August 4, Nairobi, Kenya
& Tuesday August 12, 2008, Manchester England

by Steve Parelli, Other Sheep Executive Director
ACTIVITIES ACCOMPLISHED

  1. All Day Seminar on Homosexuality and the Bible
  • Friday, July 25, met at Red Chilly Hideaway with "Pastor" [name withheld] and the planning
    committee of three [names withheld] to go over the plans of the all day seminar
  • Saturday, July 26, all day seminar on homosexuality and the Bible
  1. Held at a conference room in the JBK Hotel, downtown Kampala
  2. Around 45 individuals attended:  mostly gay men, a few lesbians, and one area
    closeted gay pastor (who simply introduced himself and then had to leave; at a later
    date he spoke with Steve and Jose over lunch)
  3. A twenty-two page hand-out was provided for each participant.  The hand-out
    summarized the PowerPoint presentation on the Bible and Homosexuality
  4. In addition to the PowerPoint, three individuals from Kampala addressed the
    seminar:  (1) one on HIV-AIDS, (2) an ILGA representative, and (3) the pastor who
    hosted the seminar
  5. Live vocal music was provided throughout the day by Danny
  1. Steve preached, Sunday, July 27, at a small Pentecostal church; Jose shared his testimony
  • The church is not an open, affirming congregation; Steve's sermon, from Luke 17,
    addressed the need to recognize oppressed minority people-groups without naming
    LGBT people; the ministry of Other Sheep was not introduced
  1. Formation of a Committee of Five for the Purpose of Exploring the Possibility of Creating Other
    Sheep Uganda
  • Monday evening, July 28, in the JBK Hotel room of Steve and Jose, the planning
    committee of three met with two others who attended the seminar to evaluate the seminar
    and consider ideas for future action
  • Wednesday evening, July 30, in the JBK Hotel room of Steve and Jose, a Committee of
    Five was formed for the Purpose of Exploring the Possibility of Creating Other Sheep
    Uganda.  
  1. Committee members are:
  1. An open vocal gospel singer of Uganda; treasure of Spectrum Uganda
    Initiatives Inc; planning committee member for the all day seminar (name and
    email withheld)
  2. Chair person of Spectrum Uganda Initiatives Inc. (chairperson); Human
    Rights Defender; board member of Pan Africa ILGA (name and email
    withheld)
  3. A second planning committee member for the all day seminar (name and
    email withheld)
  4. A third planning committee member for the all day seminar (name and email
    withheld)
  5. Chairperson of Queer Youth Uganda (name and email withheld)
    NOTE:  If you wish to contact any of the above, you may do so by emailing
    Rev. Kimindu, Other Sheep East Africa Coordinator at mnk240@yahoo.com.  
    Rev. Kimindu may forward your email.
  1. This committee of five expressed the need for Other Sheep resource materials to
    be disseminated throughout Uganda
  2. As of the writing of this report, this committee has met on August 4, 2008.  A
    chairperson was elected and Other Sheep Uganda was formed.
  1. Steve and Jose Visit New Life School, Masaka, Uganda, Tuesday, July 29-Wednesday morning,
    July 30.  
  • Steve and Jose traveled from Kampala to Masaka by bus (about a two hour trip) to visit
    New Life School.  The student body performed several choral song presentations in honor
    of our visit.  Their music was remarkable.
  • Steve and Jose lunched with the staff, visited the students in their class room settings,
    and had general interaction with some of the students
  • Steve and Jose spent the evening on a small two building compound situated a short walk
    down the road from the school itself and used to house, sleep and feed some of the
    teachers.  In this case, three teachers were visiting from Holland for seven weeks; also, a
    young doctor, from Holland, too, was residing at the compound; two or three live-in staff
    members are housed in the second facility – these prepare meals and care for other
    needs of visiting faculty.
  • 200 students attend New Life School.  Steve and Jose were very much impressed with the
    facilities, the students responsiveness, and with the teachers' teaching skills
  1. Other Sheep fellowship cell group since August 2007
  • Last August 2007, Steve and Jose made contact with a closeted gay Christian lay leader
    who upon meeting Other Sheep initiated and organized a Bible cell group for closeted gay
    Christians; he arranged to meet with Steve and Jose and with one of the cell group
    members; he reports that the group meets weekly with between four to ten people in
    meeting
  1. Additional individuals with whom we met/ other notes
  • Julia Victor Mukasa, formerly with SMUG (Sexual Minorities Uganda), presently with
    ILGHRC (International Lesbian and Gay Human Rights Commission).
  • Young gay associate pastor from a large Pentecostal Church
  • Priest with the Roman Catholic Church
  • Purchased book Homosexuality: Perspectives from Uganda


                                                    END OF REPORT