Bios of American and Ugandan Leaders in "Transforming Uganda"
Rachel Tabachnick printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Oct 14, 2010 at 09:38:22 PM EST
Bruce Wilson's "Transforming Uganda"(video) demonstrates the significance of the Transformations movies and the International Transformation Network (ITN). There has been little press about either, or the New Apostolic Reformation to which they belong, although the Transformations movies feature political and religious leaders including Pres. Yoweri Museveni; Sen. Sam Brownback; Kenyan Thomas Muthee, known for anointing Sarah Palin; and Apostle Julius Oyet, recognized by the Ugandan Parliament when the draconian anti-gay bill was introduced. ITN has entities in the U.S., including Transformation Hawaii, whose honorary chairman is gubernatorial candidate Duke Aiona. Following are short bios of the leaders in "Transforming Uganda."
See the article, Six Reasons Why Americans Should Care About What is Happening in Uganda, written as a preface for this list of bios.

The bios are listed below after the time signature indicating the first appearance of that person in the 20-minute video "Transforming Uganda."  The bios are not necessarily in order of prominence and also include groups and media included in the video.  The information given for individuals and ministries are not to infer "guilt by association" but to show the remarkable global interconnectivity of these charismatic networks and their links to political and religious leaders around the world.

Bios of Leadership in Transforming Uganda

Links to the video "Transforming Uganda"

http://www.vimeo.com/8749833    [high resolution]

http://www.vimeo.com/8762603    [medium resolution]

http://www.vimeo.com/8763207    [low resolution]

[1:04] George Otis, Jr.

Otis heads Sentinel Group and produces the Transformation series of movies, beginning with The Transformations released in 1999 continuing to the present.  The movies are presented as documentaries of prototype communities which they claim to have been transformed through spiritual warfare.  This includes spiritual mapping, described as the reconnaissance work necessary before spiritual warfare to battle the demonic `strongholds` in an area.  They claim that  after the strongholds are defeated, the spiritual DNA of the geographic area is altered, allowing revival and Christian dominion over government and culture.  Transformation is described as bringing miraculous results:  reduction of crime and corruption; healing, including AIDS; and instantaneous repair of environmental damage.  

Otis heads Transformation Associates and was one of the original leaders, with C. Peter Wagner, in the formation of the New Apostolic Reformation (NAR) which emerged from the independent charismatic sector of Christianity (also called neo-Pentecostal, neo-Charismatic, or the Third Wave). Otis' book Informed Intercession (1999) is an early text on spiritual mapping and Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare(SLSW).  

[2:00] Cindy Jacobs

Cindy Jacobs is a major prophetess in the New Apostolic Reformation.  She also heads Generals of Intercession and is the authority over the Reformation Prayer Network a state-by-state "spiritual warfare" network with an emphasis on impacting politics. The Reformation Prayer Network utilizes David Barton's Christian nationalist histories.  Jacobs and Ed Silovso (bio below) were two of the original sources of the NAR brand of spiritual warfare and spiritual mapping as seen in the Transformations movies.  Jacobs is seen at about 2:00 in this video calling for the expulsion of the demon of homosexuality.  

Jacobs participated in Lou Engle's   The Call Sacramento on Sept 3 - 4.   Engle, who was one of the leaders supporting California Proposition Eight, is not included in the "Transforming Uganda" video, but on May 2, 2010 Engle hosted "The Call Uganda," a rally at which Ugandan religious leaders spoke in favor of the Uganda's anti-gay bill, as shown in "Missionaries of Hate."  Endorsers of "The Call Uganda" are listed at the end of this article.
 

[2:10] Adel Swart

 Adel and Werner Swart (bio below) work for ITN.  Based in South Africa, which has a very active Transformation movement, they have spent several years working on building transformation networks in Uganda.  Adel is seen in the beginning of the video stating, "God has given us the key in Mama Janet and opened the doors to Africa."  This  is a reference to the access to other African First Ladies given to ITN by Janet Museveni.

[2:47] Ed Silvoso

Argentinian Ed Silvoso heads Harvest Evangelism and is founder and CEO of International Transformation Network, which has branches in the U.S., Africa, Asia, and South America.  Silvoso, brother-in-law of evangelist Luis Palau, partnered with C. Peter Wagner, George Otis, Jr., and Cindy Jacobs in developing and popularizing the concept of spiritual mapping.  ITN has moved their annual conventions from Argentina to Hawaii, home of ITN's Global Chairman Francis Oda.  Silvoso and Oda have worked closely with Lt. Governor Duke Aiona, currently running for governor, and claim to be to be "discipling" the state of Hawaii..

Silvoso's ITN has Transfromation organizations in numerous states including California, Minnesota, and Florida.  ITN initiated Pray New Jersey, which serves as a model for several dozen other similar U.S. programs. Elk River, Minnesota is described as another success of the transformations movement and is described in Transformation literature as a "detonator city."  ITN is in the process of renaming and moving their website information to a site titled Transform Our World.  This link is to a page promoting the California Canopy of Prayer.  

[3:24]Transformation: Change the Marketplace and You Change the World, by Ed Silvoso (book)

Quotes from the book:

"Now we are going for entire nations - in fact, for all the nations in the world."

"As soon as the now ex-gay man came up from the waters [baptism], he was struck by the power of God, evicting the demonic forces that had controlled him for so long and rewiring his psyche correctly to enable him to feel like a man again."

"...the Babylonian systems intentionally prefer to push a futile non-God approach that benefits no one but the manufacturers of condoms, as a Ugandan leader confided to me."

[3:42]Transformations Series (Movies)

The Transformations series of movies, produced by George Otis, Jr. (bio above), have been shown around the world for the purpose of demonstrating prototypes for Christian dominion. Uganda is considered by the Transformation movement to be a great success story.  The second movie in the series, Transformations II: The Glory Spreads (2001) includes a vignette on Uganda which features numerous leading religious and political figures.

An Unconventional War, is the fifth in the series and tells the story of spiritual warfare against the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. The movie features Julius Oyet working with President Yoweri Museveni and the military to destroy the altars of Joseph Kony, leader of the LRA rebel group, and supposedly destory his supernatural powers. This movie also features Apostle John Mulinde and Sen. Sam Brownback.  Link to Transformation trailers.

Transformations II includes claims that the spiritual transformation of Uganda has resulted in thousands of miraculous healings of AIDS.  This is echoed in a Charisma magazine 2006 cover article in which the author describes the miracle cures as "elevating the church" and claims they were verified by doctors. A crucial element of "transformation" is the belief that charismatic signs and wonders will bring about mass conversion.  Meanwhile, by 2008, AIDS experts in Uganda were warning that, "Unverified faith healing is posing a threat to adherence to antiretroviral therapy (ART) by persons living with HIV/Aids."

In addition to those listed in the bios, Transformations II also features the following (titles as shown in the 2001 movie): Minister of Ethics and Integrity Miria Matembe, Jackson Senyonga, Robert Kayanja, Joseph Serwadda, Archbishop Livingstone Mpalanyi Nkoyoyo,  Ugandan MP Cecilia Atim-Ogwal, Former PM Paul O. Etiang, MP Beatrice Byenka, Sr. Assistant Police Commissioner Stephen M. Oonyu.

Miria Matembe was the first Ugandan Minister of Ethics and Integrity, and in the Transformations movie describes herself as the "Moses of Uganda."  In his recent Harper's article, Jeff Sharlet quotes Matembe as saying to him, "I was the first person to fight homosexuality!" She continued, "My activism is guided by godly principles. Therefore, I don't support homosexuality as a human right." Matembe is recognized as a champion of women's rights and became a fellow for the National Endowment for Democracy in 2006.

The first Transformations movie featured Kenyan Thomas Muthee, now better known for anointing Sarah Palin at Wasilla Assembly of God.  In that service Muthee stated, "When we talk about transformation of a community, it is where we seek God's Kingdom and infiltrate and influence seven areas of our society."    See a lengthy 2008 report on the significance of the Transformation movies at this link.

[Correction 10/15/10: Sen. Sam Brownback was incorrectly listed under Transformations II. He was in An Unconventional War which was released in 2005.]

[3:49] John Mulinde

John Mulinde is head of World Trumpet Missions, based in Kampala, Uganda, with additional staff in Orlando. Mulinde's ministry resumé includes serving on the board of Janet Museveni's Uganda Youth Forum, a faith-based NGO.  (Stephen Langa also lists the Youth Forum on his resumé. Langa is the Ugandan head of Transforming Nations Alliance to transform the "seven pillars of society" and has also promoted the anti-gay bill.)  Mulinde is a Transformation Associate in George Otis' network and serves on the international board for Tom Hess's Jerusalem House of Prayer (JHOP) in Israel which hosts events for the Knesset's Christian Allies Caucus.  Mulinde is featured throughout Transformations II and several subsequent movies in the series. Mulinde hosted and spoke at Lou Engle's The Call Uganda rally. As recently as 2009 Mulinde taught for the Institute of Campus Revival and Awakening conferences, held on the Yale University campus.

Mulinde participated in an event held in 2004 when C. Peter Wagner and his top International Coalition of Apostle (ICA) leaders Chuck Pierce and John Kelly traveled to Africa to facilitate the movement of Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya into a "Kingdom mentality" organized under "apostolic government of the church." Wagner anointed Jackson Senyonga, founder of Christian Life Ministries in Uganda and the U.S., as the apostolic representative for that region of Africa.  (John P. Kelly is now the presiding apostle over the ICA.)  Joseph Thompson and George Otis, Jr. also accompanied Wagner, Pierce, and Kelly on this trip.  Thompson is from Nigeria and served as associate pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, led by Ted Haggard at that time.  

[4:00] President Yoweri Museveni

President Museveni is reported by Jeff Sharlet to be a member of The Family and is described as their "key man in Africa."  This sentiment is echoed by the Transformation entities although they have worked even more closely with Janet Museveni.  President Museveni is featured in the movies Transformations II and An Unconventional War. (The producer of the movies clearly had access to Museveni. These were not interviews taken from other media sources.) The Constitution was amended in 2005 to remove term limits and allow Museveni to win a third five-year term.  Many churches criticized the change to the constitution but the National Federation of Born-Again Churches anointed Museveni as their candidate and held rallies in stadiums around the nation. It appears that he may run again in 2011.  

Also in 2005, Museveni appointed Matthew Crouch as the honorary consul for Uganda to Hollywood.  Crouch is head of Gener8Xion Entertainment and the son of Trinity Broadcast Network founders Paul and Jan Crouch.  TBN is broadcast in Uganda on Lighthouse TV (inaugurated in 1997).

[4:37] First Lady Janet Museveni

First Lady Museveni has worked closely with Ed Silvoso's ITN, attending conferences in Argentina and inviting Silvoso to Uganda.  The First Lady is a Member of Parliament (Ruhaama County) and was appointed to the cabinet of her husband in 2009.  She has played a primary role in the shift in Uganda's AIDS prevention program toward an abstinence-only policy, holding virgin marches and referring to condom usage as the equivalent of theft and murder.  The Museveni's daughter Patience Museveni Rwabogo founded Covenant Nations Church in the suburbs of Kampala and heads the "Kampala City for God" campaign with her cousin Joseph Okia.

[4:50] Laban Jumba

Apostle Jumba is head of Intercessors for Africa and is seen in Transformations II reading the proclamation on New Year's Eve (ushering in the year 2000) dedicating the nation to God.  Jumba is part of the leadership team of Deliverance Church of Uganda, an umbrella organization for indigenous churches, which was one of the endorsers for Lou Engle's The Call Uganda.

[5:47] Ratu Josefa Iloilovatu Uluivuda

Iloilo is the former president of Fiji featured in the Transformation movie titled Let the Sea Resound and also in The Quickening. Iloilo became president after the coup which overthrew Prime Minister Mahendra Chaudry, a former trade union leader and the first Indo-Fijian prime minister of the nation (and proponent of gay rights).  Let the Sea Resound celebrates the coming together of church and state after the coup and includes claims of miraculous healing of environmental degradation.

[6:41] Bishop Grivis (Grivas) Musisi

Bishop Grivis Musisi is head of Prayer Palace Ministries in Uganda, also listed as a nonprofit in Crestwood, Kentucky under Musisi's name. (He inherited the ministry of Deo Balabyekubo in 1995.) Musisi partners with High Adventure Ministries to broadcast Dunamis radio in the Kampala area.  Bishop Musisi is seen in the video (from Transformations II) claiming that he has overseen 372 miraculous healings of AIDS. Musisi later instituted home AIDS care from his church, stating that quite a few people seeking healing were dying, as many as 15 in one week, although he still maintains that some are miraculously cured.

Musisi's partner High Adventure was founded by the late George Otis, Sr., father of George Otis, Jr. of Sentinel Group. The elder Otis is remembered on the High Adventure website as one of the first evangelical leaders to realize the significance of Israel's role in the end times and is also credited by peers such as Pat Boone for prophesying to Reagan in the 1960s that he would become president. Otis broadcast medium and shortwave radio out of Lebanon, and later expanded to China/Asia and Central America/Cuba.  High Adventure now broadcasts in Iraq, has a new station in Haiti, and is one of the charismatic evangelical partners in the Galilean Resort complex being built in Israel along with John Hagee, Gary Bauer, Morris Cerullo, Pat Robertson, Jay Sekulow, Robert Stearns and others.

[8:00] Allen Kagina

Allen Kagina is Commissioner General of the Uganda Revenue Authority and is featured speaking at the 2008 ITN convention in place of First Lady Janet Museveni who was scheduled but could not attend that year. Silvoso says to her at the end of the video, as she is surrounded by ITN leaders, "Uganda is poised to be the first nation to be transformed... because tax collection has been sanctified, because the Central Bank has been sanctified... I believe we are witnessing a major breakthrough in nation transformation.  God has not only has brought together a team around the First Lady, an M.P., she has the political authority, the legal authority..."

[8:00] Werner Swart

(See Adel Swart above.) Werner and Adel Swart work with ITN and are based in South Africa. In the video Werner Swart claims that ITN is discipling 14,000 churches in all regions of Uganda including the Covenant Nations Church of Patience Museveni Rwabogo, (daughter of President and First Lady Museveni).

[9:34] Joseph Okia

Joseph Okia is first cousin of Patience Museveni Rwabogo and serves at her Covenant Nations Church in the suburbs of Kampala. Okia's resume lists him as owner of King Solomon Investments and CEO of Transform International Uganda. At the 2008 ITN conference, Okia stated, "Once Uganda is restored, Africa will be restored.  Once Africa is restored, the earth will be restored.  And so when you invest in Uganda, we are talking about reaching the whole world... Uganda is critical and important for world conquest."

[9:55] David Bahati

David Bahati is the Ugandan MP who introduced the draconian anti-gay bill in the Parliament.  He is reported by Jeff Sharlet to be a member of The Family and has also been involved in the activities of the College of Prayer (described below).  

In the August 22, 2010 Sunday Life section of the Daily Monitor, David Bahati is featured in a complimentary article and describes his reasoning for the anti-gay bill.  Bahati accuses the rich for trying to influence the world with their homosexuality agenda, which he calls a great threat to society and future generations.
"This habit is learned and can be unlearned," he adds, quoting the Bible: "Homosexuality is an abomination punishable by death." When I asked him how, as a Christian, he can advocate for a death penalty, he replied, "It is in Leviticus. Go and read - the penalty for homosexuality is death."

[10:20] Benson Obua Ogwal

MP from Mototo who sponsored the anti-gay bill with MP David Bahati. Like Bahati, he is a participant in Uganda's College of Prayer.  The blogger who writes under the name "gayuganda" wrote about his December 2009 correspondence with  Obua- Ogwal, who is  his Member of Parliament.  It begins, "This bill means the difference between life or death for me."

[10:37] Julius Oyet

Julius Oyet was recognized by the Ugandan Parliament when the anti-gay bill was first introduced.  He is General Secretary of the Born Again Federation which claims over 10,000 churches and is also head of the Ugandan College of Prayer (COP).  COP is based in the suburbs of Atlanta and developed a "Servant Leadership Team" including David Bahati to work with the Ugandan Parliament.  In this video Julius Oyet describes the work of College of Prayer.  Oyet also works with the marketplace apostles of the NAR in the "Reclaiming the Seven Mountains of Culture" campaign as an expert on the "government mountain" and teaches for Wagner Leadership Institute, the international training programs founded by C. Peter Wagner, founding apostle of the International Coalition of Apostles (ICA).

Oyet was the star of the Transformations movie An Unconventional W