American Evangelical Connections: The Disciple Nations Alliance and Uganda’s “Kill Gays” Bill

Jim Burroway

December 14th, 2009

Grove City College professor Warren Throckmorton and Gay City Newshave separately named the Disciple Nations Alliance as a possible connection to Uganda’s “Kill Gays” Bill through Stephen Langa, whose Family Life Network organized the March 5-7 anti-gay conference that kick started the latest anti-gay pogrom in Uganda. Langa followed that meeting with further meetings, including some with members of Parliament, to promote “strengthening” Uganda’s already draconian anti-homosexuality law, which currently provides for lifetime imprisonment for those convicted of homosexuality. That has ultimately led to the introduction of the Anti-Homosexuality Act before Uganda’s Parliament, which includes the death penalty and other measures seeking to legislate LGBT people out of existence.

Langa, it turns out, is a member of Phoenix-based Disciple Nations Alliance. According to the DNA’s web site, he heads the Uganda affiliate called Transformation Nations Alliance (TNA). The first DNA Vision conference in Uganda was held in 2000 at Stephen Langa’s Watoto Church (then known as Kampala Pentecostal Church). The second conference in 2001 was held at the same church. The DNA’s report continues:

Stephen Langa is a member of the Africa Working Group of Samaritan Strategy Africa, the network whose objective is to spread DNA training across the continent of Africa. In addition to serving as an Elder at Watoto Church, he also provides leadership to the Family Life Network, a pro-family advocacy organization. He also serves as Director of the Uganda Youth Forum, a youth ministry organization founded by the First Lady of Uganda in 2001.

The mission of Transformation Nations Alliance is to engage and disciple all sectors of society, through a biblical worldview centred, holistic approach to ministry, leading to the restoration of God\’s original plan for creation. Towards this end, TNA has trained and mentored a team of certified Ugandan trainers who regularly facilitate Vision Conferences throughout the nation. Hundreds of Ugandan church leaders have been impacted. In addition, these trainers have been called upon to train the local staff of several large mission and development organizations, including World Vision and Compassion International.

The history of Disciple Nations Alliance is provided on their web site:

The Disciple Nations Alliance began in 1997 as a joint initiative of Food for the Hungry International www.FH.org and the Harvest Foundation www.harvestfoundation.org to envision and equip local churches worldwide to fulfill their strategic role in the transformation of communities and nations. The Disciple Nations Alliance began by promoting a “school of thought” centered on the power of Biblical Truth for cultural transformation, the strategic role of the church in society, and the importance of wholistic, incarnational ministry.

This school of thought was initially spread through five-day “Vision Conferences”which featured the teaching of DNA co-founders and master trainers, Darrow Miller and Bob Moffitt. The first Vision Conference was held in Lima, Peru in 1997. Since then, hundreds of Vision Conferences have occurred in more than 50 nations and thousands of church leaders have been impacted.

DNA and Langa have worked together in the past to influence Ugandan law to the detriment of Uganda’s gay community. In 2006 DNA co-founder Darrow Miller worked with Langa to ensure that the Equal Opportunities Bill, which was then being debated in Uganda’s Parliament, would not include equal opportunities for LGBT people. The question now is what role has DNA played in Langa’s efforts to impose the death penalty for that nation’s gay community?

[Hat tip: Warren Throckmorton and Gay City News]

Click here to see BTB\’s complete coverage of the past year’s anti-gay developments in Uganda.

Lynn David

December 15th, 2009

This appears to be what Stephen Langa was talking about in that letter to Darrow Miller. It is taken from the minutes of the Ugandan Parliament for 12 Dec 2006:

MS BINTU: Mr Chairman, I propose that a new definition of “sex” be inserted immediately after the definition of “person” as follows: “Sex means the natural state of being male or female.” The justification is that, it might be deliberately misinterpreted to suit some peoples’ interests in case we do not define it here.

DR BUTURO: Mr Chairman, I support the chairperson of the committee on account that these days we have interest groups which are seeking to argue that it is permissible for a man to marry a man or a woman to marry a woman. This is unacceptable to the majority of Ugandans and so, it is essential that any amendment we make provides for that situation.

MRS BBUMBA: Mr Chairman, in view of what is happening globally and what has happened recently in South Africa, I support the amendment.

THE CHAIRMAN: I put the question.

(Question put and agreed to.)

Really scintillating isn’t it? Too bad they don’t know of the fullness of what is natural sex for men and women. I wonder what the old definition of sex was. I haven’t been able to find an old copy of the bill (can’t find a new on either for that matter).

Lynn David

December 15th, 2009

Evidently this was Langa’s effort in denying human rights to gays and lesbians, from this link:
http://www.parliament.go.ug/hansard/hans_view_date.jsp?dateYYYY=2006&dateMM=12&dateDD=12
It reads in part:

Clause 16

MS BINTU: Mr Chairman, clause 16 is on Special Powers of Commission. I beg to move that the clause is replaced to read as follows:

Powers of Commission
. . .
6. The commission shall not investigate-

a) any matter which is pending before a court or judicial tribunal or is under investigation by another constitutional commission.

b) a matter involving the relations or dealings between the Government of Uganda and the government of any foreign state or international organisation; or

c) a matter relating to the exercise of the prerogative of mercy.

Mr Chairman, in our amendment the following new sub-clause 6 ( d ), is inserted immediately after sub-clause 6 ( c ) to read as follows: any matter involving behaviour which is considered to be-

i) immoral and socially harmful; or

ii) unacceptable by the majority of the cultural and social communities in Uganda.
. . .
MRS BBUMBA: Sir, with that guidance, I withdraw my proposal. On the amendment on immoral behaviour or generally unacceptable conduct by the majority of our people, it is very important that we include that clause. This is because the homosexuals and the like have managed to forge their way through in other countries by identifying with minorities. If it is not properly put in the clause, they can easily find their way through fighting discrimination. They can claim that since they are part of the minority, they can fight against marginalisation.
.
MR GAGAWALA WAMBUZI: Thank you, Mr Chairman. I stood up to ask for clarification from the honourable minister and the chairperson of the committee on the issue of morality being incorporated. I want to know whether our ladies may not suffer some inconvenience at some stage particularly on the issues of dress code, which might come up and become a very controversial society issue.

For our ladies in the whole of Uganda, big and small, young and old, this issue of dress code can become serious. Some ladies may want very short skirts, others in Karamoja may want to actually move without anything and others may want to put on -(Interjections)- As I said, I am just wondering whether she is comfortable with it. I wonder whether she has thought through it so that later when it comes, as you know we are following affirmative action and it is really for the ladies, I feel that I need to be made comfortable. Thank you, Mr Chairman.

MS BBUMBA: Mr Chairman, I want to thank my honourable colleague for his concern for their ladies. We have already taken into account those kinds of concerns. What we are trying to do is to ensure that their ladies are not discriminated. If the code of dress is going to be the cause of their discrimination, then that is a matter which is going to be dealt with by the commission.

(Question put and agreed to.)

Clause 16, as amended, agreed to.

At least someone had the sense to question just what morals they were going to follow. An Islamic code could just as easily be instituted on Ugandan women from that basis.

But it is sad to see that when a Ugandan says that ‘homosexuals have no rights’ he really means it. There is no recourse for the gay or lesbian in Uganda. Not even to their Human Rights Commision.

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