What is it About Uganda? Bachmann Campaign Faith-Based Organizer Arrested There in 2006
Rachel Tabachnick printable version print page     Bookmark and Share
Thu Aug 18, 2011 at 03:37:53 PM EST
Peter Waldron, a self-proclaimed Christian Dominionist, is now doing faith-based organizing for Michele Bachmann in Iowa and South Carolina. In 2006, he was arrested in Uganda for having four AK-47s and 180 bullets. According to the Atlantic, one paper stated that Waldron was working with Congolese rebels to capture the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army, Joseph Kony. Another reported that Waldron was forming a Christian political party.  Now Waldron, who claims ties to Martin Ssempa, is promoting a movie. Regular Talk2action readers must have a feeling of déjà vu. A Transformation movie from the same time period was about a spiritual warfare excursion led against Kony strongholds by Apostle Julius Oyet, also a key figure behind the "kill-the-gays" bill.  The movie was produced as a promotion for the spiritual warfare ideology of the New Apostolic Reformation and included interviews with President Yoweri Museveni and Sam Brownback.  What is it about Uganda?
Waldron was quoted in an article in Uganda's Daily Monitor after his arrest in 2006.

"It struck me that, for many Americans of faith, Uganda - a country where homosexuality and abortion are outlawed, where politicians freely mix church and state, and where outward displays of religious devotion are the norm - represents a kind of haven."

Richard Bartholomew describes Waldron.

His theology draws explicitly on Rousas Rushdoony and Christian Reconstructionism, and libertarian rhetoric is put at the service of a theocratic agenda.

Dominionists act upon their belief that government and society should be ruled according to biblical law. American Dominionists seem drawn to Uganda, as if it were some kind of laboratory for experiments to be repeated in other places.  Jeff Sharlet observed this in his research for his books The Family and C Street House, which documented the activities of this American-based religio-political fraternity of politicians and power brokers.

As noted by Richard Bartholomew, Waldron is a Christian Reconstructionist, but Charismatic Dominionists have also been swarming Uganda for years.  The Charismatic brand of Dominionism of the New Apostolic Reformation has the same agenda as Christian Reconstructionism, but more followers and better packaging and public relations. Despite significant differences in their theology, both brands of Dominionism teach that Christians have a mandate to take control over the institutions of society and government.

Waldron is the author of the 1987 book Rebuilding the Walls: A Biblical Strategy for Restoring America's Greatness.  In an interview in 2009 Waldron stated that

"Biblical principles are eternal and the principles that are applied and referenced in this book are principles that must be applied to today in light of the recent election.  As a consequence of the turn of our nation to socialism, away from our historic democracy, our republic, our free enterprise, our capitalist system, these principles are needed today."

The foreword of the book is by George Grant, now known for his statement,
"Christians have an obligation, a mandate, a commission, a holy responsibility to reclaim the land for Jesus Christ -- to have dominion in civil structures, just as in every other aspect of life and godliness.
But it is dominion we are after. Not just a voice.
It is dominion we are after. Not just influence.
It is dominion we are after. Not just equal time.
It is dominion we are after.
World conquest. That's what Christ has commissioned us to accomplish."

Bartholomew also points out that Peter Waldron was on the steering committee of Coalition on Revival and part of Dennis Peacocke's  Anatole Fellowship.  The latter was a project for the purpose of gaining influence in the Republican Party, as reported in Sarah Diamond's book Spiritual Warfare.  The Coalition on Revival (COR) brought together Religious Right figures from many different theological backgrounds. In the 1980s, they produced a set of Worldview Documents laying a ideological foundation for activism to take authority over 17 various areas of culture and government.

The Coalition on Revival included several Charismatic leaders who are now a part of the New Apostolic Reformation, including Dennis Peacocke and Bob Weiner, formerly head of Maranatha Campus Ministries.  C. Peter Wagner is listed as a signer of the COR's  Christian Manifesto for the Church.  The concept advanced in the COR's 17 Worldview Documents, has now been simplified by apostles of the New Apostolic Reformation into the Seven Mountains mandate, a campaign for taking control of: arts and entertainment, business, education, family, government, media, and religion.

The Charismatic Dominionists of the New Apostolic Reformation see Uganda as a prototype for their activism in other nations. At the moment they are celebrating unprecedented access to U.S. political candidates.  This is one of the reasons we should pay attention to what has been happening in Uganda.

Transforming Uganda

The involvement in Uganda of the leadership of what would become the New Apostolic Reformation dates back to at least the 1990s, if not earlier.

The movie Transformations II features a vignette on Uganda that includes interviews with President Yoweri Museveni and his wife Janet and numerous other Ugandan political and religious leaders. It is claimed in the movie that a nationwide revival and godly government resulted in miracles, including the supernatural healing of AIDS.   In An Unconventional War (released on DVD in 2006), Julius Oyet launched a "spiritual warfare" assault on what were claimed to be demonic altars at which Kony and his warriors gained their supernatural powers. The movie included extensive interviews with President Museveni about his support for the project and a brief interview with Sam Brownback. Photobucket Oyet is also known for his role in orchestrating support for the the Anti-Homosexuality bill and was recognized by the Ugandan Parliament when the bill was first introduced.

Brownback has worked closely with the apostles for several years, including participating in The Call events and "reconciliation" ceremonies with Native American Apostles. [Graphic above right: Sam Brownback with Apostles Dutch Sheets and John Benefiel at The Call Nashville in 2007]

The Transformations series of movies is produced by George Otis, Jr. and Sentinel Group. Otis is one of the pioneers of the Strategic Level Spiritual Warfare promoted by the New Apostolic Reformation. Each film shows examples of claimed "transformation" of communities or nations as a result of spiritual warfare and the advancement of evangelical leadership over the community.  The first film was released in 1999 and included a vignette about Kenyan Thomas Muthee. (Muthee is better known by the general public for a less professional video clip in which he was anointing Sarah Palin in 2005 at Wasilla Assembly of God.)

For an excellent summary of the involvement of apostles and leaders associated with the New Apostolic Reformation, see Bruce Wilson's compilation Transforming Uganda, also embedded below. The video is centered on the activities of Ed Silvoso and George Otis, Jr., both pioneers in the promotion of the New Apostolic Reformation's concept of community transformation through spiritual warfare. It is 20 minutes long but provides an overview of the apostles activities in Uganda that is difficult to obtain from print.

Transforming Uganda / medium resolution for DSL - 768Kbs from Bruce Wilson on Vimeo.

Also see the accompanying short biographies of each of the major American and Ugandans leaders in "Transforming Uganda."  Also see Six Reasons Why Americans Should Care About What is Happening in Uganda, a warning that is more applicable today now that we have presidential candidates who have openly embraced leading dominionists, both of the Christian Reconstructionist and Charismatic Dominionist variety.

In 2004 C. Peter Wagner, Chuck Pierce and John P. Kelly, leaders of the International Coalition of Apostles, traveled to Africa to anoint leadership for the "apostolic government of the church" in Uganda, Congo, Tanzania, Rwanda and Kenya.  At that time, Wagner tapped Ugandan apostle Jackson Senyonga, also a star in the The Transformations movies,  as the apostolic representative for that region of Africa. Also accompanying them was George Otis, Jr., producer of the Transformation movies, and Nigerian-born Joseph Thompson, who was Ted Haggard's associate pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs.

Apostle Julius Oyet is also theUgandan National Director of "Healing Rooms," which is under the authority of U.S. Apostle Cal Pierce and the International Association of Healing Rooms.  As seen in Transformations II, the apostles claim that when godly government is installed, AIDS can be miraculously cured.   Oyet is also head of the Ugandan division of College of Prayer, an Atlanta based international ministry with divisions in several African nations. The College of Prayer works with "Marketplace Apostles" and Wagner Leadership Institute  to "take back the seven mountains" and has held training for members of the Ugandan Parliament.

The College of Prayer website now includes this announcement.

On April 18th our team established the 40th campus of the College of Prayer with 248 national leaders in the capital city of Kampala, Uganda. Fred and Sherry Hartley, Mike Plunket, Joel Kangas and Rian Seipler joined Apostle Julius Oyet in establishing this highly strategic new campus.

Anti-Gay Rights Emphasis

The bill pending in Uganda would strengthen laws existing against homosexuality, including the death penalty for some offenses and jail sentences for those who fail to report what they know about homosexual activity.
Although the Transformation movies do not focus on the movement's anti-gay animus, the politicians featured in these movies and are now leaders in campaigns against gay rights from Uganda to Brazil. The same is true with politicians involved in related Transformation organizations, such as Ed Silvoso's International Transformation Network.

Apostle Lou Engle leads "The Call" events around the globe, including one in Uganda in which participants called for support of the "kill-the-gays" bill. The Call events focus on criminalizing abortion, fighting gay rights, and supporting Messianic Jews and the proselytizing of Jews.  Rick Perry's prayer event was patterned after and led by leadership from The Call and the associated International House of Prayer.  Perry's event also featured prayer segments on these same three themes, although the language was considerably toned down. Abortion was termed "shedding of innocent blood" and their campaign against gay rights was couched in terms of fighting "sexual immorality." PhotobucketThe segment on the need to proselytize Jews was couched in terms of a "prayer for Israel" and led by Apostle Don Finto.

As Perry spoke to the audience at his prayer event on August 6, two people stood with him. [Graphic at right.] One was Apostle Alice Patterson, touted by Silvoso and other leading apostles as a transformation expert in the area of the government mountain.  

The Missionary Stream in Reverse

Today the flow of religo-political missionaries does not only go from the U.S. to Uganda, but also the other way.  Oyet has led training on the "government mountain" and spoken around the U.S., including at Apostle Johnny Enlow's Daystar Church in Atlanta.  Enlow is the author of The Seven Mountain Prophecy and the Coming Elijah Revolution, which, as Warren Throckmorton has described, essentially calls for the criminalization of homosexuality.  Enlow also claims that Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were punishment from God for scheduled gay events in New Orleans and Key West. Enlow wrote in 2007 that Atlanta would be the center for this "Elijah Revolution" as prophesied by Oyet.  In the same missive Enlow states,

"Morality, not only CAN be legislated, it MUST be legislated."

Oyet has spoken at conferences in the U.S. as an expert on the "government mountain" of the Seven Mountains mandate.  As Enlow points out in his book,

"One of the primary roles of future government leaders will be to instruct in righteousness. The more God's judgments are poured out on the earth, the more explicitly they will be able to give that instruction."

On his blog, Apostle Jackson Senyonga talks about his work with U.S. apostles and other evangelical leaders under the heading "I remember when we hosted C. Peter Wagner's International Coalition of Apostles in Uganda, East Africa."

I remember when I ministered alongside many strong ministries and ministers. I felt like my name, Pastor Jackson Senyonga humbly fit in perfect with The International Coalition of Apostles. What an honor and privilege to share ministry with seasoned leaders by God's grace. Here in the United States I have spoken in conferences and seminars with men who follow in God's footsteps. Men like Jack Hayford of the Church on the Way and the Kings Seminary, Pat Robertson of the Christian Broadcasting Network ... the late Bill Bright of the Campus Crusade for Christ, John Kilpatrick known for the Brownsville Revival in Brownsville, Fl, and Rick Joyner of Morning Star Ministries from South Carolina.

Senyonga was part of the faculty list for Ed Silvoso's "Light the Bay" event in San Francisco in 2005, along with Duke Aiona, then Lt. Gov. of Hawaii, and Stephanie Klinzig. At that time Klinzig was mayor of Elk River, Minnesota, described by Silvoso as a "detonator city."  See a previous article about the transformation activities in Hawaii and in Elk River.

Uganda has long been considered key to influencing religion and politics in that region of Africa.  It has been touted as the greatest "transformation" success story in media of the New Apostolic Reformation.  Peter Waldron's saga is another piece in the puzzle of unraveling the nature and intent of American Christian Right activism in that country and this one.




Display:
Rachel,

You may have seen the reports ridiculing Bachmann for saying that the people of America are worried about the rise of the Soviet Union (http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2011/08/18/299057/michele-bachm ann-soviet-union-flub/).

This has been categorised as another of her "history flubs", but as soon as I read the full quote, and listened to the audio clip, several things came to mind and I would like your comments if you don't mind.

First, George W Bush made a remark which caused bewilderment and then astonishment when he referred to Gog and Magog and their alleged role in the forthcoming battle (Armageddon) in the Middle East/ Israel (http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/andrewbrown/2009/aug/10/r eligion-george-bush). Specifically, he, and many sects, have linked China and Russia to Revelation's mention of a 200-million-strong army. (This interpretation and connection is, of course, disputed by many others.)

Second, Bachmann's assertion that people "fear that the United States is in an unstoppable decline. They see the rise of China, the rise of India, the rise of the Soviet Union and our loss militarily going forward" is, I think, compatible with this eschatology. Rather than finding it "hard to believe Bachmann that the American people live in continued terror of an "evil empire" that no longer exists." I wonder if she (like G.W.B. and others) was looking forward rather than backward.

Third, the above conjecture on my part made me realise I know a lot about the N.A.R.'s plans for the immediate future (thanks mainly to the efforts of you and your colleagues at Talk To Action, for which I thank you all), but I can't recall reading what they believe is to happen once they conquer the seven mountains and impose their rule over all the world. How do events unfold thereafter and lead to the return of Jesus?

by Brian H on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 08:50:22 AM EST


Dear Rachel: Thanks as always for your insights.
Just an FYI: the movie being promoted by Peter Waldron as mentioned in the first paragraph of your post has been restricted. It requires a password to view it.
Is someone becoming paranoid..... ?

by PastorJennifer on Fri Aug 19, 2011 at 02:01:58 PM EST

This post on the faith in Uganda proved to be a real good one. I am so happy to know that there are so many believers in Uganda. Thank you so much for sharing such an inspiring post. Keep up the good show kosher restaurants new jersey

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