The Universal Church of Angola elected a new general presbyter, following on from Alberto Segunda, who already led the “Brazilian” wing of this religious organization, which has been involved in conflicts in Angola in recent years.
The Universal Church of the Kingdom of God (UCKG) in Angola has maintained a bicephalous leadership divided between the reformist, so-called “Angolan” wing, headed by Valente Bizerra Luís, and the “Brazilian” wing of the sect founded by Edir Macedo, led by the also Angolan Alberto Segunda, who replaced the Brazilian Honorilton Gonçalves, sentenced to three years in prison for crimes of physical and psychological violence.
Last year, the UCKG announced a “conciliatory decision promoted by the Angolan state”, according to which Bishop Alberto Segunda was recognized as the sole leader of the church, which adopted the name Igreja Universal Angola.
Last Tuesday the leadership of the Universal Church Angola called a General Assembly to elect new governing bodies on Sunday, an act that was promptly refuted by the Angolan wing led by Bishop Valente Bizerra.
In a statement, the dissidents said that “the UCKG-Angola has not called a general assembly and is not bound by the said general assembly called by one of the bishops linked to Bishop Alberto Segunda, in a false capacity, to deceive the faithful and society, without having been mandated to do so by the leadership of the Church”.
In its response, the wing led by Alberto Segunda argued that the intervention of the Angolan state was necessary to put an end to the climate of uncertainty that the Universal Church was experiencing, and that it should be considered by all as a symbol of peace and unity among brothers and sisters of the same faith.
“The Universal General Assembly cannot be seen as a victory for one part of the Church, but rather for all the children of the Universal who yesterday were at odds and today can come together in one faith,” they said in a statement, according to which “the famous ‘wings’, the riots, the debates over nomenclatures, and all kinds of hostility that does nothing for our faith” were left behind.
The Universal Church of Angola also said in the same statement that the convening of this General Assembly was part of the conciliatory agreement.