While the kabaka is not considered to be descended from the gods, his skill as a leader is partly judged by his ability to defend his people from spiritual danger. Religion in the Tepeth society in northeastern Uganda also reinforces political values. Authority is concentrated in the hands of a small group of priests and clan elders. They admit men judged capable to a cult known as Sor. Sor initiates make sacrifices to enhance fertility, ensure adequate rainfall, and avoid disease.
Men can also become members of a society of mediums or priests.
Women receive spiritual communications regarding social ills, such as crimes, but are held to be incapable of seeing the spirits who communicate with them. Other Protestant churches, including Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, and Presbyterian churches, together claim fewer than 1 million members. The Catholic and Anglican churches are headed by Ugandan archbishops. Roman Catholic priests from the Society of Missionaries of Africa, a French religious order, arrived two years later. These and subsequent missions competed for converts in southern Uganda, often becoming embroiled in local politics.