A group of pastors in Tororo have clashed with the leadership of Ebenezer Gospel Center Church over whether or not Christmas is a Christian tradition worth celebrating.
The disagreement between Tororo District Pastors and Elders Association and Pastor Moses Wodila, of Ebenezer Gospel Center Church in Tororo, stems from a sermon by Pastor Wodila, in which he claimed that Christmas was not Christian. He said celebrating the birth of Christ on December 25th was wrong.
Pastor Wodila argued that Christmas as a celebration is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible and urged members of his church to shift their focus from Christmas.
Pastor Wodila's arguments attracted the attention of the District Pastors and Elders Association, which convened an emergency meeting. During the meeting held over the weekend, the elders ruled that Pastor Wodila's comments were misleading.
Rev. David Omalla, the Director of International Christian Ministries College, who attended the meeting, said confusion about Christmas is a theological misunderstanding. He said Pastor Wodila is trapped between the Old and New testaments and needs theological guidance.
Members of the Tororo District Pastors and Elders Association, resolved to revoke pastor Wodilla's membership, pending his review of his Christian beliefs.
Pastor Wodilla laughed off the matter as baseless. He said that he would continue preaching the truth whether his membership to the Tororo District Pastors and Elders Association is revoked or not.
Ebenezer Gospel Centre Church is one of the biggest Pentecostal churches in Tororo. Established in 2004, the church commands a huge youth following.
But while hundreds of Christians flock into the churches on Christmas day, Pastor Wodilla's church is closed and its members are urged to engage in other businesses outside the Christmas festivities.
