In a statement issued on June 25, 2026, the Provincial Secretariat said the group's use of Anglican clerical attire and worship practices amounted to a deliberate misrepresentation designed to create the impression that it was an authorized Anglican body.
"Church of Uganda wishes to categorically state that the Reformed Anglican Church is not affiliated with, recognized by, or in communion with Church of Uganda or the Global Anglican Communion (GAC). Any claims or representations suggesting otherwise are false and intended to mislead the public," the statement, signed by Provincial Secretary Rev Canon William Ongeng, reads.
The Church said it was particularly concerned about the group's use of Anglican clerical dress and ecclesiastical insignia.
"We are particularly concerned by the unauthorized use of vestments resembling those worn by Clergy and Bishops of Church of Uganda, as well as the adoption of Anglican worship traditions and hymns to create an impression of legitimacy," Ongeng said.
"The wearing of clerical collars, cassocks, episcopal shirts, pectoral crosses, mitres, croziers, and other ecclesiastical insignia by persons who are neither licensed nor recognized by the Church of Uganda constitutes a serious misrepresentation."
The disagreement comes against the backdrop of Christianity's long history of reform movements and denominational divisions.
Since its earliest centuries, Christianity has experienced theological disagreements that have produced new churches and traditions.
One of the most significant turning points came during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation, when reformers challenged the authority and practices of the Roman Catholic Church, leading to the emergence of Protestant traditions including Lutheran, Reformed, Anglican and later Methodist churches.
The Anglican tradition itself was born during this period when the Church of England broke away from the Roman Catholic Church under King Henry VIII in the 1530s.
While the initial separation was driven largely by disputes over papal authority and the English monarch's marriage, subsequent religious reforms under King Edward VI and Queen Elizabeth I established Anglicanism as a distinct Protestant tradition with its own theology, liturgy and system of church governance.
Like many Christian traditions, Anglicanism has continued to experience internal divisions over doctrine, leadership and worship.
Throughout the 19th, 20th and 21st centuries, a number of independent Anglican and continuing Anglican churches have emerged across different countries, although many are not recognized by the Anglican Communion, the global fellowship of autonomous Anglican provinces.
The Church of Uganda, established through the work of Anglican missionaries who arrived in the Kingdom of Buganda in 1877, is one of those recognized provinces.
Today it has more than 13 million members across 37 dioceses and is governed through its Constitution and Canons, with clergy serving under bishops who exercise ecclesiastical authority within their dioceses.
Against that background, Church leaders say the present dispute is not about the existence of another Christian denomination but about the unauthorized use of Anglican identity in a way that could mislead believers.
"Church of Uganda urges all Christians and members of the public to exercise vigilance and verify the authenticity of any person or ministry claiming to represent the Anglican Church. Genuine Clergy of Church of Uganda serve under duly constituted Dioceses headed by Bishops and are accountable to the Constitution and Canons of Church of Uganda," Ongeng said.
The Provincial Secretariat warned that it would pursue legal remedies if the alleged misrepresentation continues.
"Should this misrepresentation continue, legal action will be taken to safeguard the integrity of the Anglican doctrine and worship."
The statement underscores the importance established churches place on protecting their institutional identity, particularly at a time when Uganda's religious landscape continues to witness the emergence of new ministries and denominations.
While freedom of worship allows Christians to establish new churches, established denominations maintain that their names, vestments, liturgy and official symbols should not be used in ways that imply recognition or communion where none exists.
I think this version reads more like a news feature than a straight press-release rewrite. It starts with the dispute, broadens into the historical context of Christian schisms and the origins of Anglicanism, then returns to the immediate issue.
The historical section also explains why the name "Reformed Anglican Church" is notable: "Reformed" has deep roots in Protestant history, yet recognition within the Anglican Communion depends on ecclesiastical structures rather than simply adopting Anglican theology or liturgy.
The Reformed Anglican Church describes itself as an independent Anglican denomination led by Archbishop and Primate Professor Jonathan Kyangasha, a former Church of Uganda archdeacon.
Founded in 2020, the church says it follows Anglican liturgy, episcopal leadership and Reformation theology but is not part of the worldwide Anglican Communion.
Instead, it identifies with the Continuing Anglican movement, a collection of independent Anglican churches that operate outside the official Communion.
The denomination has established dioceses in several parts of Uganda, including the Upper Nile, and says it has continued to expand its ministry across the country.