We have recently received this appeal from the Anglican Archbishop in Sudan and commend it to you for your information and for your prayers:

"We, the Provincial Standing Committee of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS), met in Rumbek, Lakes State between 23^rd and 27^th November 2009, at the generous hospitality of the Diocese of Rumbek and the Government of Lakes State.  We wish to give our heartfelt thanks to the Rt. Rev. Alapayo Manyang Kuctiel, Bishop of Rumbek, and H.E. Lt. Gen. Daniel Awet Akot, Governor of Lakes State, for their hosting of this great meeting and their exemplary hospitality for the entire week of the meeting.  It has been an excellent opportunity for discussing issues of Church governance, management and structure; the expansion of Christianity in the Sudan, and the state of our great nation today, which we now bring to your attention.

 

The peace process in Sudan has reached a critical point. With less than five months before National Elections and just over one year to the referendum on southern self-determination, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) is on the brink of collapse due to contentions over the referendum law, the demarcation of the 1^st January 1956 borders, and violence recently perpetrated by other armed groups.  We, the Provincial Standing Committee of the ECS affirm our role to act urgently to support the implementation of the CPA: through our internal Church networks, our ecumenical and inter-faith partners within Sudan and our international partner support.

 

We express our sadness at the missed opportunity for making the unity of the Sudan attractive since the signing of the CPA: the lack a reconciliation process, the lack of transparency over the National Census and oil revenues, the failure to repeal or alter laws which are contrary to the spirit of the CPA which guarantees equality and freedom for all, the stalling implementation of the July 2009 Abyei ruling, and the current deadlock over the legislation governing the referendum in Southern Sudan and the popular consultations in Abyei, Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan.  Unity has not been made attractive.

 

We strongly condemn all inter-ethnic violence currently witnessed across much of Southern Sudan, the ongoing violence against civilians in Darfur, and the violent attacks on civilians being perpetrated by the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in the south-west of the country.  We re-affirm our commitment to doubling the efforts of the Church in bringing peace and reconciliation to our people, working together with the government as a force for unity and love amongst our people who have suffered for so long.

 

We strongly condemn the damage being done to the environment by oil companies in Unity and Upper Nile states.  Our waterways are being polluted and our people displaced by the profit making of others.  We bring this before our government and the international community, and ask and pray that the resources of our land be fairly utilized in future for the good of all our people.

 

We call the attention of Sudanese government and the international community to the severe threat of famine in Southern Sudan at this time, due to the failure of rains in various parts of the country this year.  We appeal to our partners to assist us the Church in providing for the physical as well as the spiritual needs of our people, and pledge to use all such support, as well as support from the Sudanese Christians, for the well-being of those facing hunger this Advent and Christmas season.

 

Tribal differences must be put aside at this crucial time in history and the government must fulfil their duty to provide security for their citizens.  God will sit in judgement on those who are working against the rights of their own people.  It is the escalation of non-traditional de-stabilising violence, specifically targeting civilians and the government that will make registration and voting in the elections and referendum very difficult.  The conclusion that is drawn is that this violence is intended to negatively effect the elections and referendum.  The Church must act now to counter these effects for the sake of the rights of the people of Sudan.

 

The Church affirms its support of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in its vital work to make free and fair elections a reality across Sudan.  We urge all citizens to register and to encourage others to do so, participating fully in the political process in 2010.  The ECS offers its entire network, personnel and contacts as potential support to the NEC and the elections process.

 

In post referendum planning, we call on those involved to put the safety, security, livelihoods and rights of the poorest and most vulnerable first.  In the case of unity, issues of national identity, power- and wealth-sharing need to be addressed. If separation, issues such as the position of southerners and churches in the north, the arrangements for resources such as oil and water, and the status of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, need to be addressed to ensure peaceful relations between the two new neighbours and to guarantee the basic rights of all people in both north and south Sudan.

 

There is no alternative to the CPA.  It must be fully implemented by both signatories and must be fully supported by those guarantor governments who promised to do so in 2005.  Those international guarantors and stakeholders must take full heed of the crises affecting the country, and be active according to their promises made to the Sudanese people.  

 

We as the Church proclaim “Let my people choose”, and urge renewed national and international focus on the political processes of the elections and referendum, the latter of which must be considered inviolable.  As the Church we support the right of every individual Sudanese citizen to have a free and fair say in the future of the Sudan  We welcome support for this work from any and all governmental, non-governmental and international institutions and pledge to work with efficiency and integrity for the Sudanese people.

 

We urge our international partners to take the message of the inviolability of the CPA to their respective governments who promised to guarantee peace in Sudan.  Unless international support for the CPA is urgently stepped up the Sudan is in very real danger of descending back into a war which will not harm those people who create it, but which will again destroy the lives of those voiceless masses for which the Church now cries.  

 

We, the undersigned, therefore urge the Government of National Unity (GoNU), the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) and the international guarantor nations of the CPA to uphold their promises of equality and freedom to the people of Sudan.

 

 

Together in the uniting love of Christ"

 

 

For the House of Bishops:

His Grace the Most Rev. Canon Dr. Daniel Deng Bul Yak

Archbishop and Primate of the Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan

 

For the House of Clergy:

The Very Reverend Sylvester Thomas

Dean of Khartoum and Chairman of the House of Clergy

 

 

For the House of Laity:

Engr. Barnaba Dumo

Chairman of the House of Laity

Here is an update on the flooding situation, received just this morning:

"Yesterday it was a good day with no rain, but many people have died in Soba Aradi and Dar el Salaam (two of the huge refugee settlements).   Now the government has decided that all the schools are on holidays for one week, because one school fell down and many children were killed."

Dr Adele Pilkington, a supporter of Friends of Sudan, is doing a sponsored 10K run to raise funds for the work.   She has a dedicated page on the JustGiving site - http://www.justgiving.com/Adele-Pilkington - and we would encourage you to visit the site and, support her as generously as you can.

We have received news of serious flooding in the Khartoum area due to persistent heavy rains.   Rain in this quantity has a devastating effect on the lives of thousands who live in the most basic of mud brick homes in the vast settlements around the edge of the city.  These homes, and churches, simply dissolve like sugar cubes and the hardship suffered by people is enormous.  It is anticipated that the water could continue to be a problem for up to three months.   We hope to be able to send some financial help to our Church partners and if anyone would like to contribute to this urgent need, please send gifts designated for Flood Relief.

This morning, in my session on the biblical basis of expository preaching, I did a quick overview of the book of Acts showing that the book is structured around several progress reports on the growth of the church and the preaching of the Word of God.     These folk know something about church growth and increasingly they are seeing that the real fruit comes from faithful preaching and teaching.

 

I spoke to one Pastor based in the south who told me that he started his church six months ago and now has 500 people attending and 600 in the Sunday school.  He has also built his own building.  All of that was verified by the Church Leader here.   In the reports from the churches this afternoon, one Pastor spoke of how they now have four Bible study groups in the church, such is the appetite for serious Bible teaching.  Another spoke of how they have started a preachers’ class in the church in the last 12 months.  I think that three of the local congregations represented here this week have all been started in the last 18 months or so and AIC’s goal is to plant 110 churches throughout Sudan between 2007 and 2017.

 

Today we spent some time doing some more exercises on various passages of Scripture, working from the text and drawing out points of application, discovering the inbuilt structure of the passage and then creating a structure for the message.   The delegates have really got this now and their sense of achievement is tangible.  You almost fell that they can’t wait to get back to their church and get started.

 

This afternoon we presented certificates, as usual, to all who have done the week long course and they receive and appreciate these simple tokens as if they were graduating from Cambridge or Oxford.  They were also each given a copy of the 70 page manual I have produced and that will not only help them go over everything we have been learning together but will give them a resource to pass this teaching on to others.

 

 

 

 

Today has been a thrilling day.   The main focus of the teaching on preaching has once again been on application, as it is all week and today it just came alive for them as having gone over the principles for identifying the appropriate applications from a passage of Scripture, they began to think through all sorts of personal, church and cultural issues that they then brought before the bar of Scripture to see how it matched up.

 

We covered a huge range of subjects including polygamy, witchcraft, politics, war, Muslim converts, corrupt elders and each time we scoured the Scriptures to see what God has to say.   The instinctive attitude of these church leaders, including those at the very top, is a desire to bring every aspect of church life under the close scrutiny of Scripture.

 

As I taught on the biblical basis of expository preaching, today looking at the role of the steward (1 Corinthians 4) and then later preached from Exodus 3-4, I had real liberty, clarity of thought and expression and great power.   It doesn’t get much better than this in terms of preaching and teaching.  

The reports from three more of the churches were more cause for encouragement and rejoicing.  One of them is a small town way down in the south, miles from anywhere, and was only planted one year ago.  The other two ware in the displaced peoples' settlements around Khartoum.   These three church workers all spoke of how implementing the teaching of recent seminars has transformed their churches ministry and brough increased effectiveness and focus.   They are planning series of sermons now,  working through whole books of the Bible - something that was completely unheard of before.   Their members are commenting on a  new sense of power and authority in their preaching.   The are beginning to pass on the training to groups within their churches, so that the children, women and youth are all being taught using the same principles of exposition.   Fantastic.   The whole church culture here has changed in the last 5 years and this is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in my eyes!

Thank you, once again, for your prayers.   I continue to keep fit and well but would value prayer for my voice and throat.    The heat and dust take their toll, not to mention the sheer amount of talking I am doing each day.  I started out very croaky this morning but it eased quite quickly.

Today has been another great day!   It’s been long, intense, hot and sticky and physically demanding but utterly exhilarating and rewarding.    I wish you could watch these folks’ faces as we study Scripture together – the earnestness, the sheer delight.   Every word taught is written down and anything that’s not clear needs to be clarified.   I wish you could hear them when they praise God with such enthusiasm and focussed attention.  I wish you could hear them when they all lift up their voices in prayer to God at the same time.  

 

After devotions I did a session looking at some of the Bible words for preaching, stressing that we do expository preaching because God’s Word actually commands it.  Then after coffee we began to look at the whole area of application in our teaching and preaching – how we discover the intended application of a passage; how we know what’s applicable to us today and what’s not; what’s cultural and what’s scriptural - and so on.   This was their first exposure to this subject and we’ll revisit it several times during the week.   I asked for – and got – several examples from Scripture of issues that need to be resolved and they very quickly grasped the criteria.

 

Since my first visit here 8 years ago now, there have been some remarkable changes in the traditions and practice of the Church, all as a result of them wrestling with issues and seeking to bring biblical principles to bear.

 

Tea break and lunch time is always a good time to get to know people and their ministries better and also to talk over some of the things raised in the teaching session.

 

After lunch we had the first report session where representatives of some of the churches have to report back on how they have implemented last year’s teaching in their church.  How thrilling to hear of churches adopting systematic expository preaching as the norm and of testifying to God’s blessing as a result.  Some have started Bible Study groups to work through sections of the Word of God.  Their approach to evangelism is changing and becoming more Bible based. 

 

I preached on Exodus 2 and Moses’ preparation for service and then we collectively worked on Matthew 7vv21-23 which we are focussing on during the week as a sample text for sermon preparation.  I asked them yesterday to try and discover the structure of the verses, what I call the bones of the text, and most of them who had a go did very well and certainly grasped the main points and emphasis.

 

The other major improvement this year has been in the nature of the questions.  They are focussed, relevant and extremely insightful and without the lengthy cultural preamble in which the questioner thanks God, the Bishop, the organising Committee, the Facilitator and Uncle Tom Cobley and all for the opportunity to say something.

 

By close of play at 5.30, I was exhausted but so delighted at the progress being made and look forward to more of the same tomorrow.   The expressions of appreciation are heartfelt and humbling and much of this is obviously like water to thirsty people.  Praise God and thank you for your prayers.

 

Thank you too for your prayers for John Kongi.  He is better than he was yesterday but troubled by back pain and still not his normal self.  Please pray on.

I slept quite well last night though, unusually, I needed to have both the air conditioning and the fan on because of the heat.   I love the mornings here, the relative cool and quiet, and the opportunity for quiet meditation and preparation for a busy day.

 

Here, around the edge of Khartoum, around 5 million people, more than half the total population of Khartoum, exist in vast tracks of desert; dumped there by the authorities because, as predominantly southerners, they weren’t wanted in the city.   Some have lived in these places for nearly three decades, existing often in the most primitive of dwellings, some being not much more than a wigwam constructed from rags or the ever present blue sheeting provide by the UN.   AIC has vibrant witnesses in most of these IDS and we were going to worship with the Dar es Salaam congregation this morning.   Pastors John and Claude collected me at 9.30am and we headed to the Dar es Salaam Internally Displaced Settlement (IDS), one of the numerous vast, sprawling concentrations of internal refugees, mostly from the south, that encircle the city of Khartoum.   These IDS are probably the worse areas of human habitation I have ever seen on my travels and I have been in some pretty terrible places.

AIC Dar-es-Salaam, Khartoum (for more pictures from this morning click here)

There is something very special about worshipping with African believers on the Lord’s Day – the fervency, the vibrancy, the genuine heartfelt emotion with which they express their praise and devotion to God.   I do so hope that heaven’s worship is more like this than what we are used to in UK!

 

I had the privilege of preaching and enjoyed considerable freedom as I did so, taking Psalm 1 as my text.   It was incredibly hot and sticky in church and I felt myself melting as I spoke.   Outside, the temperature was in the mid 40s and it must have been several degrees higher than that inside, even with two fans working.

 

After the service a few of the Pastors gathered with me in Pastor Franco’s office where we enjoyed a Sudanese Sunday lunch – maize made into a sort of thick porridge paste, accompanied by green vegetables and some meat.  Very tasty and enjoyable.

 

There is a real sense of expectancy ahead of the Preachers’ Workshop conference which starts tomorrow and I am, once again, conscious of the responsibility as well as the privilege that is mine as I lead this.   These will be busy days, as you can see from the programme. 

We start with devotions at 8.30am and run through until 5.30pm.   I am responsible for all the sessions, though there is a fair amount of interaction and questions and answers.   Please pray for wisdom to understand some of the issues that lie behind some of the questions and for sensitivity to the Lord’s promptings as I interact with the conference delegates, both in the main sessions and in times of relaxation.

 

Early afternoon I was dropped off at the Guest House where, I confess I fell asleep for a while before getting on with some study and preparation.

 

Well, after many months of prayer and planning, the 5^th Annual Preachers’ Workshop got underway in Khartoum this morning.  It was a joyous time of reunion with old friends and re-establishing contacts.   The annual return visit pays dividends in this respect.

 

Being the first day things weren’t quite as organised and well run as they usually are, and this was complicated by another group using another part of the same premises, and some confusion over times of meals and refreshments.  Nonetheless we got off to a good start today.

The conference centre where we are meeting - room on ground floor at right

 

In the morning devotions I am opening up the first 14 verses of Ephesians 1 over the week and begin that journey this morning.  It was amazing how often it was referred to again during the course of the day.

 

In the expository preaching session I began by doing a review of what we covered and it was thrilling to see just how much they remembered and understood.   Last year I sensed something of a breakthrough in their understanding of this whole issue; a whole lot of lights suddenly came on, if you know what I mean, and the evidence is there in their retention of the issues.

 

I asked them to think over lunch of a passage we could work on as a group through the week, following the process being taught, and they came up with a number of good and interesting possibilities.  I deliberately asked them for suggestions so they would see that I was coming to this passage as fresh as they were, with no prior preparation.   Of the suggestions made, I chose Matthew 7vv21-23 and we spent over and hour beginning to observe and interrogate the text as I have been teaching them.

 

When we set up these conferences some years ago the idea was to teach by example as well as instruction, and each year we have included what Dick Lucas would call Expositions for Expositors.   This year I am doing five studies in the early chapters of Exodus, using material first worked on for my own fellowship at Harper, and we looked at chapter 1 this afternoon.  

 

You know, some people go bungee jumping or take up some extreme sport in order to get an adrenaline rush.   Put me with a bunch of Sudanese church leaders hungry for God’s Word, and it has the same effect.

 

Thank you for your prayers.  I am well and coping with the workload and heat.   I sleep well but wake very early, (4am this morning) but I can handle that.   Please pray for Rev John Kongi, the Khartoum based leader of the church here as he is not feeling well today and has gone to see the doctor this evening.   He carries a great deal of responsibility and has a huge workload and needs a fresh touch from the Lord.

Joshua School, in the Haj Yousif region has grown significantly in the last year with 415 children now on the roll as compared to 355 just twelve months ago.  For various reasons, Bethel School, in Kalakala, has seen a drop of 70 pupils and is now down to 175.  Both these schools have a significant number of children attending from Muslim families because their reputation for education and care is so high.

Since my last visit, and in partnership with Barnabas Fund, we have been able to get electricity and water supplied to each school, as well as a good quantity of text and exercise books and badly needed chairs.   How exciting to be in these classrooms now with fans whirring and water running in the taps.  God has been so good.

The children thank God for their breakfast this morning.  See more pictures from this morning here

One of the problems now is that the schools are becoming a victim of their own success.   As their facilities improve, so their ‘fame’ spreads and more and more families want to send their children.   Joshua badly needs two new classrooms and Bethel urgently needs some extra land to build on, but even in the appalling and basic setting of these displaced people’s settlements, land is hugely expensive.

After visiting the schools, we went to the AIC Office in Khartoum, meeting up with some of the folk who work there and some of the Pastors who are gathering excitedly for next week’s conference.   I had a relaxing lunch with Pastors John and Taban and then returned to the Guest House to rest and to prepare for preaching tomorrow and for the Conference on Monday.

Please pray for health and strength.  It seems a very basic prayer but is crucial nonetheless.  I often say that when I’m only here for 10 days, humanly speaking I can’t afford to be ill for any of those days.  That’s even more important when I’m the sole facilitator at the Conference.  It’s extremely hot and sticky here today - the internet tells me that the temperature is 102 but feels more like 107 – and it will be much like that for the time I’m here.

Thanks for your prayers.  I arrived at the Guest House at about 8.45pm last night (Friday) but, having had very little real sleep in the previous 36 hours, was too tired to do anything but unpack and get to bed.

The journey itself was very smooth and uneventful with a long stop-over in Dubai.  In fact, with a two hour delay in the flight to Khartoum, I was there for over 16 hours.  This was relieved somewhat by the comfort of the loung that I paid to use and was worth every penny.   Like the rest of Dubai airport it's opulent and comfortable and for a reasonable fee you get comfy chairs and loungers, internet access and free food and drink.   Several years ago I learned the worth of such places when you have a lengthy stay in an airport.

There was a slight mix-up at the Khartoum airport with me standing for ages inside and John Kongi, the church leader, waiting for me outside with another of the Pastors.  For the first time, he had been refused permission to come inside the terminal and I just assumed he had been delayed.  Anyway we soon found each other and he and Pastor Claude delivered me to the SIM Guest House.

On arrival yesterday, at the start of my 6th visit here, I couldn't help compare it to that first time back in 2001.  On that occasion I flew into a country where I genuinely didn't know a soul and had very little idea of what lay ahead of me.  The civil war was still raging and there was severe persecution of the believers.   Now, in some ways, it feels like coming home.  I'm so familiar with the place, the people and the systems and I count the church leaders as my friends and will be able to greet most of them by name and hit the ground running in the conference and ministry.

It'snow about 8.15 here - we're two hours ahead of UK time - and John is due here in 15 minutes to collect me.  Were visiting the schools today and meeting with some of the church leaders.   

With just a week to go until the start of this year's workshop, we are into the final stages of planning.  John Brand flies out to Khartoum on Thursday (6th) arriving on the Friday.  His travel itinerary is below and we commend it to your prayers.   John hopes to blog from Khartoum most evenings during his visit there so check back here regularly for updates and information for your prayers.

Thursday 6th           14.15pm                                fly from Glasgow
                                0.30am (9.30pm UK time)     arrive in Dubai

Friday 7th                14.40pm (11.40am UK time)    fly from Dubai
                              17.40pm (15.40pm UK time)    arrive in Khartoum
                                                    

The Annual Accounts (2008-2009) for Friends of Sudan can be read or downloaded here

The latest Friends of Sudan newsletter can be read or downloaded here