“THIS WAS A CHURCH SERVICE — NOT A BOXING RING!” Fighting Priest Defrocked After Sunday Worship Turned Into A Shocking Boxing Bout As Priest And LC II Chairperson Traded Punches Before Stunned Christians Intervened

A Sunday morning service meant for worship, prayer and fellowship at All Saints Church in Abim Town Council descended into an ugly physical confrontation after a retired priest and a local council leader exchanged blows before shocked worshippers intervened.

The incident involving Rev. Canon Richard Ongom, a retired Church of Uganda clergyman serving on contract in the Diocese of North Karamoja, and Innocent Oyoo, the LCII chairperson of Waimer Ward in Abim Town Council, has since triggered a police investigation and an internal Church inquiry.

A video circulating on social media shows the two men locked in a physical struggle inside the church, with worshippers eventually rushing forward to separate them.

The confrontation forced the service to be suspended, leaving Christians stunned by the spectacle inside a place where they had gathered to worship.

The Church of Uganda has expressed concern over the incident and said appropriate administrative and pastoral measures would follow once the circumstances surrounding the confrontation are established.

The altar confrontation

According to Oyoo, the confrontation started after he sought permission to address the congregation for about two minutes. Oyoo said he had been asked by the Abim District Intelligence Security Officer and the UPDF commander in the area to communicate two security messages to residents, as well as information concerning an upcoming mosquito-net distribution exercise.

He said he approached the priest intending to pass on the information but claimed that Ongom refused to allow him to speak.

“I only requested two minutes,” Oyoo said, adding that he believed the subsequent confrontation was triggered by the priest.

Oyoo said if his response during the fight was considered wrong, he regarded it as self-defence.

But Ongom gave a different account. The priest said Oyoo approached him at the beginning of the service demanding to address the congregation without having obtained prior permission.

Ongom explained that the service had been dedicated to Uganda Christian University and that visiting staff and the headteacher of Abim Secondary School were scheduled to speak.

He said church procedure required anyone wishing to make an announcement to first approach the church administration.

According to the priest, such information should be submitted in advance to allow the church to establish its relevance and prevent people from using the altar to communicate unverified information.

From disagreement to punches

What started as a disagreement over access to the microphone quickly deteriorated. The video shows the two men confronting each other before the situation turns physical. Worshippers can be seen moving towards the men as the confrontation intensifies.

The disturbing scenes have prompted widespread debate about the conduct expected of religious leaders and public officials inside places of worship.

The Church has, however, stressed that its procedures give the priest presiding over a service authority over worship and other activities taking place during the service.

Church of Uganda communication officer Sadiiki Adams said anybody wishing to make an announcement during a service should first seek permission from the priest responsible for the service.

He also made it clear that the procedure did not justify violence. “While the Church does not condone violence or physical confrontation by any person,” the Church said, no individual should forcefully take over proceedings or insist on addressing a congregation against the direction of the priest.

Police called in

The extraordinary confrontation did not end with the two men being separated. Police were alerted and began investigating the circumstances surrounding the fight.

According to the Church’s latest statement, the Abim District Police Commander, SP Olang Moses, confirmed that both Ongom and Oyoo had reported the matter to police.

Statements were recorded from the two men and witnesses, while Police Form 3 documents were issued to both parties. No arrests had been made at the time of the latest Church statement.

Police spokesperson Kituuma Rusoke described the incident as an “ugly situation” and said investigators were assessing whether the two men could face affray charges or whether one would be treated as the victim.

Affray generally concerns a situation where two or more people fight in public and disturb public peace.

Police therefore have to establish precisely how the confrontation started and the circumstances under which each man became involved before determining the appropriate legal action.

Bite allegation

The incident also took an unusual turn after Oyoo reportedly displayed marks which he said were caused when he was bitten during the struggle.

Police confirmed that one of the men had shown marks consistent with a bite, although investigators had not established who caused the injury or the precise circumstances.

The allegation remains part of the investigation. Oyoo also alleged that an existing disagreement involving a land dispute could have contributed to the confrontation.

Ongom denied the allegation.

Church weighs disciplinary action

Sources revealed to The Investigator that Church of Uganda disciplinary committee has recommended the expulsion of disgraced Rev Ongom. “The elders of the church have decided to defrock Rev Ongom with immediate effect,” the source told us last night. The Church of Uganda has also moved quickly to acknowledge the viral footage.

In a statement issued by Balaam Muheebwa, the Acting Provincial Secretary, the Church said it had learnt of a video showing a scuffle involving Ongom and a Christian whose identity had initially not been established.

The statement said the Church was concerned by the incident and assured Christians and the general public that the matter was being handled through the appropriate Church structures.

“Relevant administrative and pastoral measures will be taken upon establishing the circumstances surrounding the incident,” Muheebwa said.

The Church also appealed to Christians in the Diocese of North Karamoja and the wider Church community to remain calm and commit the matter to prayer.

The statement therefore leaves open the possibility of disciplinary action against the priest, but there is currently no publicly verified Church statement confirming that Ongom has already been defrocked or excommunicated.

That distinction is important because disciplinary action by the Church and criminal proceedings by police are separate processes.

A painful spectacle

For the Christians who witnessed the confrontation, the incident was a painful departure from the solemnity expected of a Sunday service.

Instead of a peaceful gathering around the altar, the congregation witnessed a confrontation between two adults, including a senior clergyman and an elected local leader.

The episode has also raised questions about restraint, church protocol and the proper way of handling disagreements inside places of worship.

Whatever the final findings of the police and Church inquiries, the incident has already provided an extraordinary spectacle: a disagreement over who should speak during a church service ended with a priest and an LCII chairperson exchanging blows before worshippers stepped in to restore order.

For a church congregation, it was a Sunday morning that began with worship and ended with police statements, medical documentation and an internal disciplinary inquiry.