KAMPALA, Uganda — Internationally recognised evangelist Bishop Dr LaDonna C. Osborn has arrived in Uganda ahead of the consecration of Pastor Patience Rwabwogo as an Episcopal Bishop, urging women to embrace leadership while remaining rooted in their Christian faith.
Osborn arrived at Entebbe International Airport ahead of a series of events leading to Rwabwogo’s consecration on Sunday, August 23, at Covenant Nations Church in Luzira.
The ceremony will also mark the church’s 20th anniversary since its founding under Rwabwogo.
Speaking to journalists after her arrival, Osborn described Rwabwogo as a committed Christian and visionary leader whose elevation to episcopal office would bring greater responsibility to serve the Church and advance the Gospel.
She also encouraged Ugandan women to take up leadership positions in the Church and wider society while maintaining a strong spiritual foundation.
Osborn said women have an important role to play in evangelism, leadership and national transformation, urging them to use their abilities while remaining faithful to their Christian calling.
Osborn’s long connection with Uganda
The evangelist’s latest visit to Uganda carries a strong family and missionary connection.
Her parents, renowned evangelists Dr T.L. Osborn and Dr Daisy Washburn Osborn, conducted major evangelistic campaigns in Uganda, including a widely remembered crusade in Kampala in 1985.
Osborn has continued her family’s missionary relationship with Uganda and returned to the country in 2025 for the Light Up Uganda for Jesus convention.
Her collaboration with Rwabwogo during that visit further strengthened the relationship between the two Christian leaders.
The convention brought together Christians from different denominations for worship, prayer and evangelism.
Rwabwogo prepares for episcopal office
Rwabwogo is set to be consecrated after 20 years of ministry through Covenant Nations Church, which she founded and continues to lead.
She has described the elevation not as a personal promotion but as a new spiritual responsibility.
“This is not about personal promotion. As Scripture reminds us, promotion comes from the Lord. I receive this calling with humility and gratitude because it carries greater responsibility to serve God’s people,” Rwabwogo said.
She has pledged to use the new responsibility to broaden her evangelistic work beyond Uganda while mentoring and encouraging a new generation of women leaders.
Her consecration will involve prayer, the laying on of hands and the formal act of consecration, with Osborn expected to preside over the ceremony.
‘Carrying the Torch’ conference
Before the consecration, Osborn is scheduled to minister on Thursday, August 20, at the Carrying the Torch Conference at City of David in Luzira.
The conference will focus on the responsibility of Christians to receive the Gospel, preserve its message and pass it on to future generations.
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The event is expected to form part of the activities leading to the August 23 consecration.
Bishop Joshua Lwere has welcomed Rwabwogo’s journey in evangelism and leadership, while encouraging women to recognise their capacity to serve and lead within the Church.
A wider role for Rwabwogo
For organisers, Rwabwogo’s consecration represents more than the conferment of an episcopal title.
They describe it as a commissioning into a broader responsibility involving spiritual oversight, Christian leadership and evangelism.
The ceremony is expected to bring together local and international Christian leaders, worshippers and invited guests as Covenant Nations Church marks two decades of ministry.
Osborn’s presence also gives the occasion an added international dimension, while reinforcing a missionary relationship with Uganda that stretches back several decades through her family’s evangelistic work.
The August 23 ceremony will therefore mark both a major transition in Rwabwogo’s ministry and the 20-year journey of Covenant Nations Church.
