Priesthood & Remuneration: A Digital Age Challenge for the Anglican Church of Uganda to Skill Clergy to attain Financial Sufficiency

Abstract

The scholarly article examined the extent the Anglican Church of Uganda's priests were being remunerated and skilled to attain household financial sufficiency. To investigate the thesis concern, historical analysis methodology was relied on. Study results revealed that sustainable and adequate remuneration of clergy are serious puzzles that Church of Uganda leadership is struggling to solve. Rural-based clergy are working under harsh conditions. Some workplace residential houses have leaking roofs and the sanitary facilities are horrible. At grass root levels, sustainable income generating projects that would boost the remuneration needs of clergy are not visible. Even when agriculture is practiced by clergy, many lack the practical skills to engage in value added farming that would yield bumper returns and fetch substantial household incomes. Year in and out, clergy wallow in economic poverty worse than the flock they pastor. Many of them are financially incapacitated to support their children to access quality education and to acquire vocational skills. Big numbers of clergy retire from active pastoral services without having built simple houses at their ancestral homes.  Hearteningly, job security measures that guarantee old age pension survival of clergy are none existent. Currently, retired clergy are isolated, and rejected. Many are suffering from old age-associated infirmities. Even when there exist church policies that regulate the remuneration of clergy in a parish setting, the policies have never undergone contextual incarnation to address the changing remuneration needs of African clergy. To solve the puzzle, it is recommended that the Church of Uganda Provincial Assembly needs to craft a sustainable income generation plan to support clergy to acquire multiple stewardship professional skills. Clergy with specialized skills, can innovate and manage church enterprises that would attract revenues. In addition, if religious bodies interface with government, then, clergy remuneration policy can be crafted that would greatly benefit Pastors.