The main speaker, Pr. Bitamazire Nicholas, Executive Secretary – Uganda Union Mission addressed the participants of the convention during divine service. In his sermon entitled; “A God of Order and Particularity” he spoke about Wisdom, Knowledge, and Understanding in reference to Proverbs,

Through wisdom, a house is built, And by understanding it is established; 4 By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches (Proverbs 24:3 - 4 NKJV)


He read from Job 38:7 which speaks to the integral role of music in creation. He said music can be a great power for good yet we do not make the most of this branch of worship. In an attempt to more efficiently utilize music for the gospel, the church should take great care in selecting music leaders due to their occupancy of a conspicuous place in church services, they should be examples of modesty and decorum in appearance and dress choosing only those who are thoroughly consecrated and provide appropriate music for all church worship services and meetings. Music leaders should work closely with the pastor or elders in order that musical selections harmonize with the sermon theme. Music is one of the highest arts. Good music not only gives us pleasure but elevates our minds and cultivates our finest qualities hence secular music or that of a questionable nature should never be introduced into our services. He then read from “Testimonies, vol 1. p497” and “Testimonies, vol 9. p144”

He went on to say that the problem is that sometimes it’s difficult to discipline singers and keep them in working order, Many want to do things in their own style, they object to consultation and are impatient under leadership.

Pr. Bitamazire Nicholus then presented principles that should regulate the music Christians enjoy;

  • All music the Christian listens to, performs or composes, whether sacred or secular, should be the noblest and the best: Phil 4:6.
  • All music the Christian listens to, performs or composes, whether sacred or secular, will glorify God: “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”–1 Corinthians 10:31 This is the overriding biblical principle.
  • It is characterized by quality, balance, appropriateness, and authenticity. Music fosters our spiritual, psychological, and social sensitivity and our intellectual growth.
  • It appeals to both the intellect and the emotions and impacts the body in a positive way. It is wholistic.
  • Music reveals creativity in that it draws from quality melodies. If harmonized, it uses harmonies in an interesting and artistic way, and employs rhythm that complements them.
  • Vocal music employs lyrics that positively stimulate intellectual abilities as well as our emotions and our willpower. Good lyrics are creative, rich in content, and of good composition. They focus on the positive and reflect moral values; they educate and uplift; and they correspond with sound biblical theology.
  • Musical and lyrical elements should work together harmoniously to influence thinking and behavior in harmony with biblical values.
  • We should recognize and acknowledge the contribution of different cultures in worshiping God. Musical forms and instruments vary greatly in the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist family, and music drawn from one culture may sound strange to someone from a different culture.
  • It maintains a judicious balance of spiritual, intellectual, and emotional elements.

Pr. Bitamazire concluded the divine service by saying; that Seventh-day Adventist music-making means to choose the best and above all to draw close to our Creator and Lord and glorify Him.
The 5-day convention attracted individuals from all over the Union both presenters and attendees. Amongst many presentations, questions, and experiences were a determination to better the music ministry within the Union. (download presentations)
Below are some resolutions suggested in order to achieve positive change in the perception and presentation of Music as a form of ministry.

  • Organize basic music skill training at our local church levels.
  • Ensure that every congregation or church has a church choir and all members of the singing groups should be members of the church choir.
  • Ensure that the church establishes different church choirs like youth church choir, children church choir, etc. to cater to the age group preferences and then once in time, these choirs join for special songs to ensure that every church member can comfortably serve in their respective choirs.
  • Prepare healthy music competitions with the purpose of increasing awareness to the standards acceptable to Christian music.
  • Churches should also consider and have budgets for music, especially for the church choirs.
  • Ensure that there are functional music committees established at all levels. Use the committees as a body to evaluate the quality of music in the congregations.
  • Empower the music committees.
  • Organize follow-up music training to ensure more sensitization of our leaders at the local church level.
  • Many resolutions were suggested, and we were advised to contextualize, translate, and adopt various methods and strategies to realize the goal of the Adventist Mission.

We thank God who guided the events of each day from arrival to departure.