[Anglican Communion News Service] From the Church of Uganda:

On June 22, 2012, at a press conference held at the Archbishop’s Palace, Namirembe, the Rt. Rev. Nicodemus Okille, dean of the Church of the Province of Uganda, announced that the Rt. Rev. Stanley Ntagali was elected the 8th archbishop of the Church of Uganda.

The election was held during a meeting of the House of Bishops that day at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe.

The election was by secret ballot and was presided over by the provincial chancellor. Ntagali was elected with more than a two-thirds majority, per the constitution of the Church of Uganda.

Bishop Ntagali was consecrated Bishop on  Dec. 19. 2004 and has served as the bishop of Masindi-Kitara Diocese for eight years.

Born in Ndorwa County in Kabale District in 1955, he shifted with his family to Wambabya Parish in Kizirifumbi Sub-county in Hoima District when he was 16 years old. On Christmas Eve 1974, at the age of 19, he accepted Jesus Christ as his personal Lord and Saviour and was born again.

He began working as a teacher in Wambabya Primary School, and later spent two years as a missionary in Karamoja Diocese. He did his theological training at Bishop Tucker Theological College, St. Paul’s Theological College, Limuru, Kenya, and the Oxford Centre for Mission Studies in the UK.

After serving as a missionary in Karamoja Diocese, he served the remainder of his priestly ministry in various capacities in Bunyoro-Kitara Diocese until 2002, when he was appointed provincial secretary.

As a bishop, Ntagali has represented Archbishop Henry Orombi in international meetings, served as the chair of the Church House Board, and led the committee that designed guidelines for retiring bishops.

Ntagali is married to Beatrice and they have five children.

On Jan. 8, 2012 Orombi announced his intention to retire after nine years of service to continue a ministry of preaching, which has been his passion. He said, “I want to devote the rest of my life, while I am still able, to fulfilling this calling full-time.”

Orombi was elected archbishop in July 2003 and was installed on Jan. 25, 2004 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe. He consecrated 25 new Bishops and launched four new dioceses. It is under his leadership that construction has begun on Church House, and his successor is due dedicate it next year.

To be eligible to be archbishop, one must already be serving as a bishop in the Church of Uganda, and must be at least 50 years old. Out of the 35 bishops currently active in the Church of Uganda, 29 were eligible to become acrhbishop.

The installation of the new archbishop is expected to take place on Dec. 16 at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Namirembe. At that time, Orombi will hand over the pastoral staff to Ntagali who will then be invested with the authority to lead the Church of Uganda as archbishop. The presiding bishop at the enthronement will be the dean of the province, who will be the longest serving bishop in the Church at that time.

Between now and December, Orombi will continue to do the work of the archbishop and the Bishop of Kampala Diocese, as well as bid farewell to each of the 34 dioceses.

The archbishop-elect will say farewell to his diocese and prepare to move to Kampala. His current diocese will elect a new bishop, since he will leave his Diocese to also become the bishop of Kampala Diocese.

The previous archbishops of the Church of Uganda have been:

• Archbishop Leslie Brown, a British missionary, was first archbishop of Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire (1961-1966)
• Archbishop Erica Sabiti (1966-1974)
• Archbishop Janani Luwum (1974-1977). Martyred in 1977.
• Archbishop Silvanus Wani (1977-1983). (In 1980, Rwanda, Burundi, and Boga-Zaire became a separate, Francophone Province, and Uganda became its own Province.)
• Archbishop Yona Okoth (1983-1995)
• Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi-Nkoyoyo (1995-2004)
• Archbishop Henry Luke Orombi (2004-2012)