wfn.org | Archbishop Ian George leads Australian church visit to Sudan

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Date: Sat, 13 Apr 2002 12:18:43 +0100

ACNS 2953 - AUSTRALIA - 12 April 2002

Archbishop Ian George leads Australian church visit to Sudan

[Anglican Media Sydney] The Most Revd Ian George, Archbishop of Adelaide
left Australia on 4 April with a small ecumenical delegation representing
the Australian churches on a visit to the Sudan. The Archbishop is the
leader of team which also includes veteran Adelaide journalist Nick Kerr,
NCCA General Secretary the Revd John Henderson, and Ms Shehara Viswanathan,
a young Sydney based lawyer. They will be travelling for two weeks.

The team is travelling at the invitation of the New Sudan Council of
Churches who sent a delegation to Australia last year. They will visit both
Khartoum and Nairobi. In Khartoum they will meet with the Sudan Council of
Churches and in Nairobi they will be guests of the New Sudan Council of
Churches that is based in that Kenyan city. From Nairobi they will visit the
Kakuma refugee camp on the Kenya/Sudan border, which care for many Southern
Sudanese refugee families. From there they will travel to Tambura, Rumbek
and Yei.

"For many years the Australian churches have felt a deep concern about the
plight of people in Southern Sudan, many of whom are Christians," Archbishop
George said. "They have endured a savage civil war that has been waging for
the past 20 years. An added pressure upon them is the present attempts of
the government in Khartoum to impose Sharia law upon the whole country.

"In recent years the situation has become increasingly grave because of the
systematic bombing of smaller towns in a move designed to force tribal
people off their lands which are rich in resources such as gold and gas.
Hundreds of thousands of Sudanese refugees have fled as a result, and they
have come in significant numbers to Australia. Indeed in the Anglican Church
there are many former Sudanese refugees who belong to our congregations in
Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney."

The group will visit Khartoum and they will then travel to Nairobi. From
there they go to the refugee camp and various other centres in the south of
Sudan.

The Revd John Henderson, a Lutheran pastor who moved into his role as NCCA
General Secretary early in January this year, is therefore making his first
fraternal visit to a country that receives Australian church support.

"I am looking forward with eager anticipation to finding out the reality of
the situation of the people of Sudan, and I hope to bring my leaning home to
share with the churches and the Australian community," Fr Henderson said.
"Where possible we hope that we will be able raise public awareness of their
real plight."

Archbishop George says that he hopes the delegation from Australia will be
able to offer support from the ecumenical Christian community in Australia
to a very beleaguered Christian community in Sudan. He added, "Above all I
hope that as a result of our visit we will be able to do something to
rectify the global ignorance of their terrible situation.

"After some years of planning we are delighted that we are finally able to
make this visit, but at the same time we are humbled by what we already
understand of the incredible pressure under which the Sudanese Christians
live out their witness to Jesus Christ."

The group will be away from Australia for two weeks and will return home on
15 April.

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