The Tampa Tribune features a Ugandan priest who leads Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa Palms.
Growing up in Uganda, the Rev. Benjamin Twinamaani studied the Bible every day. He fell in love with the passages and, despite opposition from some of his countrymen, made a commitment to Christianity. Walking to church, Twinamaani dreamed of one day preaching God’s word to others.
In 1992, he traveled to the United States to study theology. In 2000, he graduated from Dallas Theological Seminary and took his place in the Episcopal Church.
Today, Twinamaani is the head priest at Grace Episcopal Church in Tampa Palms. He describes the church:
It is a young church. It is only 14 years old. We have a young congregation. Our average age is 35, which is unusual for the Episcopal Church. Twenty-five percent of our church members are under 18. We have about 250 people attending service each week.
We have a very small space. We want to expand.
What is the church’s role in the community?
We want to be the church that anchors the Tampa Palms community, whether it is for the people’s spiritual life, education for the children or recreation. We used to have trails here for biking and jogging. I want to reopen them.
Although Twinamaani keeps a busy schedule as priest and pastor as well as managing the business of the church, he says, “I take Friday off every week to spend with my family. My eldest is 6, then 4, then 4 months. At home, when I walk into the door, all work must remain outside.”
Read it all here.