Bishop Christopher Senyonjo, a leading gay rights advocate in Uganda, will be in the Twin Cities this month as part of a three-month tour through the U.S. and the United Kingdom.
Named by Huffington Post as one of the Ten Most Influential Religious Leaders for 2010, Senyonjo will talk about the difficulties facing gays and lesbians in Uganda and in the dozens of other countries where same-sex relationships are criminalized.
An Anglican Bishop in Uganda from 1974-1998, he now directs St. Paul's Reconciliation and Equality Centre for LGBTQ/Straight Alliance in Kampala.
Accompanied by his wife, Mary, Bishop Senyonjo began his tour in Edinburgh, Scotland. Since arriving in the U.S., he has visited San Diego and Portland before coming to Minnesota.
From here, he'll travel on to Chicago, Boston, Washington, New Jersey and New York, where he will receive the Unitas Distinguished Alumni Award from Union Theological Seminary.
The weeklong Minnesota leg of the bishop's tour is hosted by Wingspan Ministry of St. Paul-Reformation Lutheran Church in St. Paul. Wingspan is now a sponsoring partner in the bishop's work in Uganda.
While in Minnesota, Bishop Senyonjo will meet with religious and LGBT movement leaders.
Opportunities for the public to hear the bishop speak include a Sept. 17 fundraiser at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in St. Paul, 4-6 p.m.; Sept. 18 worship and forum at St. Paul-Reformation, services at 8 and 10:30 a.m., forum at 9; and St. Paul's Episcopal Church on the Hill in St. Paul, 4 p.m.
