The Bishop of West Buganda Diocese, Rt. Rev. Gaster Nsereko, has urged church leaders to imitate God and consistently reflect His character in their lives and ministry, reminding them that they were created in the image of God.
Bishop Nsereko made the remarks while delivering the keynote address during the annual Archdeacons and Wives Retreat of North Kigezi Diocese at Zebra Hotel in Masaka on Wednesday.
The retreat was officially launched by the Bishop of North Kigezi Diocese, Rt. Rev. Onesimus Asiimwe, accompanied by his wife, Ms Florence Asiimwe, archdeacons and their spouses, and is expected to conclude on Friday, June 19, 2026.
Drawing from Ephesians 5:1, Bishop Nsereko challenged participants to imitate God in their conduct and leadership, noting that humanity occupies a unique place in creation because God deliberately created man in His own image.
He observed that while God created other creatures according to their own kind, He made a special declaration when creating humanity, saying, “Let us make man in our image.”
“This means God is the object and man is the image,” he said.
Bishop Nsereko explained that the nature of God is what qualifies humanity to bear His image and emphasized that believers must intentionally reflect God’s character in their daily lives.
“We must therefore imitate His character. An image cannot reflect what is not on the object,” he said.
Bishop Nsereko urged church leaders to consistently reflect the goodness of God in their leadership, relationships, and ministry, noting that faithful servants of God are called to mirror His character before the people they lead.
Retired Bishop of West Buganda Diocese, Rt. Rev. Henry Katumba Tamale, who is serving as retreat leader, called on participants to embrace servant leadership characterized by integrity, dependability, and accountability.
“The means must justify the goal,” he said.
Bishop Katumba encouraged church leaders to remain faithful stewards of the responsibilities entrusted to them and to uphold high standards of leadership in ministry.
In his remarks, Bishop Asiimwe underscored the importance of spiritual renewal among church leaders, noting that the demands of ministry often lead to burnout.
“It’s time to withdraw for renewal, revival, replenishment, rekindling, revitalisation, and many other ‘re’ words,” he said, emphasising the significance of retreats in strengthening leaders spiritually and enabling them to continue serving effectively.
Lay Canon Kellen Nampurira Mugarura, proprietor of Zebra Hotel, welcomed the delegation and expressed appreciation to Bishop Asiimwe and the North Kigezi Diocese team for selecting the hotel as the venue for this year’s retreat.
She described the facility as a place of seclusion and reflection, suitable for spiritual renewal and fellowship.