Factors Causing Poverty Among the Retired Clergy in Mityana Diocese
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Date
2019-10-25
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Uganda Christian University
Abstract
The consequences of poverty have historically been recognized by the church, which like
other organizations been at the helm of alleviating poverty. In the entire Old Testament
tradition, poverty is regarded as a scandalous condition that should never exist in the
land because it may force one to steal and bring disgrace to God (Proverbs 30:9).
What should be noted however is the fact that some of the clergy who spread the above
mentioned messages are also living in non-adorable conditions, contrary to what the
Biblical stand is regarding the Levites and this has been found to be true especially
among the retired clergy in Mityana diocese.
Prior to this study however, there was a scanty literature related to poverty and its
influencing factors among retired clergy, the literature has been cited in generic terms
tackling retirees in general. Three objectives i.e. To investigate the Individual and
diocesan related factors influencing poverty among the retired clergy in Mityana
diocese, To explore the prevailing living condition of the retired clergy in Mityana
diocese and To suggest what the diocese can do to improve the lives of the retired
clergy guided the study.
The study findings revealed that Poverty rates are high among the retired clergy in
Mityana diocese and this is manifested in the inability of the retired clergy to afford and
access health care, inability to obtain basic needs and living in dilapidated houses.
It’s on the basis of the study findings that the researcher adopts an amendment to
reduce clergy retirement age to 55 years to allow for retirement with enough vigor to
more productively and one to carry out business ventures.
The church through the directorate of education could also consider inculcating a unit
on entrepreneurship in the current theological training curriculum. That will not only
inculcate entrepreneurship skills among the to-be clergy but also stimulate them to start
up enterprises before or after training.