Covenant College is thrilled to welcome back Bishop Henry Luke Orombi as the Neal Conference speaker. Bishop Orombi spoke at the Neal Conference once before in 2007. The Neal Conference is held annually at Covenant and seeks to develop true spirituality in the lives of students. Held in honor of Chuck Neal, who was influenced by Francis Schaeffer’s work True Spirituality, the Neal Conference brings in speakers who lecture on key facets of the Gospel. This year’s topic is “Where is Our Hope?”
Bishop Orombi hails from Uganda, where he served as the Archbishop from 2004-2012. He attended a teacher’s college where he became a believer. He went onto get a Diploma of Theology from Uganda Christian University and a Bachelor of Divinity from the University of Nottingham, UK. In 1993 he was consecrated as the Bishop of Nebbi Diocese, where he helped the rural area grow to include schools, an airstrip, and increased outreach in missions. During his time as Archbishop, Orombi may be most well known for his push against the increased liberalism of the West.
In the 2007 article “What is Anglicanism,” Bishop Orombi showed his passion for the authority of Scripture in the face of changing traditions. He saw how the Gospel has come to the nations through the work of the cultural West, a point he expounds further in an interview with The Gospel Coalition. While the Anglican church is very much shaped by its long history, Bishop Orombi believes that the “younger churches of Anglican Christianity will shape what it means to be Anglican.” For Bishop Orombi, Anglicanism provides a global opportunity to hold fellow Christians accountable to Scripture. Scripture is more than just an ancient text; it is alive and has changed the face of Uganda today. It helped bring warring tribes into peace and literacy to the Ugandan People. Bishop Orombi continues to stand behind the power the Gospel has to change hearts.
During his time as Archbishop, the church in Uganda continued to prosper and in 2006 many churches in America turned to Uganda for conservative oversight. His retirement in 2012 let him spend more time devoted to preaching and teaching. “I go as an evangelist,” he said. “When I am invited to speak, I preach the gospel and invite people to come forward and give their lives to Christ.” Bishop Orombi has continued his mission in this year’s Neal Conference when he spoke on “The Paralyzed Man at the Pool.”
Bishop Orombi has helped advance the nearly complete Church House in Kampala, the capital of Uganda. A large project, 40 years in the making, the Church House will hold the Archbishop’s offices as well as all of the business of the Church of Uganda and is expected to be fully operational in 2015. Since was funded both by the combined assets of the Church as well as loans, the building will hold tenants as well, which will help pay off the loans and provide income for the church.
Throughout his work in the Church of Uganda, Bishop Orombi has worked tirelessly to preach the Gospel, confront sin, and deal graciously with all. He is a man not afraid to wade deeply into difficult issues while remaining true to his convictions and always with prayer. In an interview with Lee DeYoung, Bishop Orombi expressed his heart in saying,“May God give wisdom to people, to the church of Christ, to remain faithful to the Lord up to the end, and Jesus will be glorified.”
Bishop Orombi will be speaking in Chapel on Thursday at 11:00 a.m. on “Losing Her Life Blood”and Friday at 11:00 a.m. on "The Young Man’s Mission. "