Some Christian worshipers in Uganda have been accused of stealing money from offertory bags in churches.
Several churches have seen a rise in the number of empty envelopes placed in offertory bags to the disappointment of priests and religious leaders.
This was first revealed by Balaam Muhebwa, the treasurer of the most important and respected church in the East African country, All saints Cathedral Nakasero located in the capital city of Kampala.
“Although the bags are in most cases filled to capacity, a good number of the envelopes are found empty by the church officials who count the money,” Balaam said, indicating that although Christians are free to put money directly in the bag, many prefer placing the money in envelopes before putting them in the bags.
The vicar of the same church, Rev Diana Nkesiga also confirmed that cases of empty envelopes are also very common during wedding services and thanks giving. And expressing the church’s disappointment in the rise of such acts, Mr. Balaam also revealed that the church has launched investigations into the
motives of those Christians involved in such acts.
But All saints Cathedral Nakasero is not the only church where these rather surprising acts of theft occur. In other churches in the country, Christians simply steal the money using a trick that is not considered abnormal.
“In my church some Christians put big money notes in the bag and pretend that they are getting change but instead remove more money than what they put there,” laments Rev James Mukasa Musazi.
The Reverend believes that the theft mostly occurs when someone places a note of 20,000 Uganda shillings in the offertory bag pretending as if they want to give offertory of 10,000 shillings. But instead of removing 10,000, they remove 30,000 shillings.
Leaders of various churches will soon meet to find ways of curbing church theft in Uganda, Rev James Mukasa Musazi said.
