Values and Identity

The following statement was approved by the University Council on 28 November 2000, after having been commended by the House of Bishops of the Church of Uganda on 23 November.

Uganda Christian University is an established institution of the Church of the Province of Uganda. As such it is committed to the catholic and apostolic faith, practice and piety. It is religious and explicitly Christian in its name, in its mission statement and in its motto: “Alpha and Omega: God the Beginning and End.” Its public worship is conducted according to the Prayer Book tradition of the Anglican Communion.

Staff are appointed to the University regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, or physical disability. Academic staff are expected to study and teach freely in the tradition of Christian scholarship, remembering that “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”

Students are admitted to the University regardless of race, ethnic background, gender, or physical disability. Students will be admitted to the University and continue in good standing so long as they observe and respect the Rules below.

The following Rule of Faith, Rule of Life, and Rule of Prayer constitute the “instruments of identity” of the University.

Rule of Faith

Seeking to love God with all our heart, as He has revealed Himself,

• We believe in one God in Three Persons, the Holy Trinity. God is known partially in various times and cultures but is fully revealed in Scripture as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

• God the Father is the Source and Head of the Holy Trinity and possesses all authority in heaven and earth. He created the world, all things visible and invisible, and He is the ground of all truth.

• God the Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, is truly God and truly Man, born of the Holy Spirit by the Virgin Mary, risen bodily from the dead, and seated at the right hand of the Father.

• Jesus Christ is the unique Savior, the Sinless One and Sin-Bearer, who died on the Cross in our place so that all who believe in Him might have eternal life. By God’s grace, we are saved through faith alone, being reckoned righteous for His sake.

• Believers are sanctified by the Holy Spirit the Counselor, Who distributes gifts, produces the fruit of good works, and unites His Church in love.

• Holy Scripture, the Old and New Testaments, is God’s Word written, and its authors, moved by the Holy Spirit, spoke from God. The Bible contains all things necessary for salvation and is the final authority in matters of faith and practice.

• Jesus Christ is Lord and has received all authority in heaven and earth. In obedience to His Great Commission, we are committed to personal evangelism, discipleship, social responsibility, and world evangelization.

• We believe Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, some to eternal life and some to eternal death.

 

We expect all full-time staff members to affirm this rule without reservation. We encourage other staff and students to agree with this rule and expect them to refrain from denying it.

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Rule of Life

Seeking to love our neighbors as ourselves,

• We shall worship the one true God and avoid polytheistic worship and the invoking of ancestral spirits or other powers.

• We shall avoid swearing and disparaging talk about God, or gossip about our neighbor.

• We shall respect public times of worship and rest.

• We shall respect the legitimate authority of the state, the family, the Church, and the University. We shall observe University rules and not participate in any public riot. Conviction of criminal, civil, or professional offenses will be ground for discipline by the University.

• We uphold the human and civil rights of persons regardless of race, class, ethnic group, or gender, including the unborn, and we renounce any physical or verbal abuse of another person.

• We shall shun all sexual immorality, polygamy, adultery, fornication and homosexual practice.

• We shall not steal or engage in financial dishonesty of any kind.

• We shall tell the truth and renounce all forms of plagiarism and false testimony.

• Men and women will dress decently and will treat each other with decency and purity.

• We shall exercise moderation in all things, avoiding abuse of tobacco, drugs, pornography, or gambling. Use of alcohol is prohibited on campus, and drunkenness is an offence against the community.

We expect all staff members and students to conform to this rule and to refrain from denying it.

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Rule of Prayer

Seeking to love God with all our soul and spirit,

• We shall worship and participate regularly in a congregation and/or in the University Chapel.

• We shall maintain a discipline of Bible reading and prayer.

• We shall give generously to the work of the Lord and to the poor and needy.

We expect all full-time staff to conform to this rule, and we encourage all other staff and students to do likewise. All students may be required to attend worship on assigned days. Ordinands will be expected to attend Morning and Evening worship each weekday.

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Enforcement

In the spirit of liberty and love, we urge all members of the community to be reconciled to one another. Breaches of discipline will be handled at the appropriate level of University authority according to University and Guild regulations.

UCU’S MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES