ACNS 4862 Sudan?s churches prepare for two stat es by affirming "unity in Jesus Christ"

From Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>
Date Wed, 18 May 2011 07:23:56 -0700

From: Anglican Communion News Service <acnslist@anglicancommunion.org
Subject:  ACNS4862 Sudan?s churches prepare for two stat


es by affirming "unity in Jesus Christ"


Posted On : May 18, 2011 2:15 PM | Posted By : Admin ACO
ACNS: http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/news.cfm/2011/5/18/ACNS4862
Related Categories: Sudan
Sudan?s churches prepare for two states by affirming "unity in Jesus Chri st"
By ACNS staff

As Sudan waits for the birth of two nation states
following its referendum, Sudan?s Christians have
issued a strong statement of solidarity and unity.
Leaders of ten Christian traditions in the
country have signed their name to the communiqué
recently issued following the General Assembly of
the Sudan Council of Churches.
In an effort to reinforce that the creating of
two countries will not divide the Christian
community there the communiqué issued by the SCC states:
?With the prospects of two nations emerging from
the old Sudan, we affirm our unity as the Church
of Jesus Christ, both in the North and in the
South. Being one body of Christ, we are one
people and we are indivisible. We have one Lord,
one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of
all. Our divine mandate exceeds geographical and political boundaries.?
The statement also calls for freedom of worship,
movement, expression and residence in the two
states and requests that the government of South
Sudan ensure the security and the protection of
the civil population caught in the crossfire
between the militias and the government forces.
The full communiqué is below:
THE COMMUNIQUE OF THE SUDAN COUNCIL OF CHURCHES
18TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
MAY 9TH TO 11TH, 2011
JUBA, SOUTH SUDAN

COME, LET US REBUILD? AND WE WILL NO LONGER LIVE IN DISGRACE (NEHEMIAH 2: 17B)


An Urgent Call to Rebuild
We, the delegates of the Sudan Council of
Churches (SCC) General Assembly together with our
partners and other participants, met in Juba from
9th to 11th of May, 2011 to pray and to reflect
on the prevailing situation in our country. In
our reflection, we were encouraged that although
the way ahead of us maybe hard and difficult, God
will see us through. We were exhorted to trust
God for the future and to fix our eyes on him. He
has been faithful to us as a people and we deeply
thank him for what he has done, what he is doing
and what he will do in us and through us. We are
grateful for the attendance and input of the
Minister for Justice and Legal Affairs and on the
interim constitution of South Sudan. We were also
honoured by the presence of the Presidential
Advisor for Religious Affairs. We give God all
the praise, all the honour and all the worship!
As we reflect on the time to rebuild we note the following:
·          We look back with sincere gratitude to
God for the overwhelming success of the South
Sudan referendum in January this year and for the
peaceful conduct of Popular Consultation in Blue
Nile and gubernatorial elections in Southern
Kordofan, whose results are yet to be announced.
We call for peace in South Kordofan no matter
what the results of the election will be.


·          We look forward with faith for the
birth of two states on July 9th. Our prophetic
statement in March 2010 that Sudan shall never be
the same again after the referendum has been
fulfilled. The referendum event has passed, but
the process of nation building has yet to start.
It is now time to rebuild, so that we no longer live in disgrace.

·          With the prospects of two nations
emerging from the old Sudan, we affirm our unity
as the Church of Jesus Christ, both in the North
and in the South. Being one body of Christ, we
are one people and we are indivisible. We have
one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and
Father of all. Our divine mandate exceeds
geographical and political boundaries.

·          We call for inclusive and open

constitutional processes both in the North and in
the South. While acknowledging the electoral
mandates that the ruling parties in the North and
in the South have, we still call for these
inclusive and open constitutional processes
because the interests of the nations are at stake
and these interests are bigger than any one political body or group.

·          We call for freedom of movement,
freedom of worship, freedom of expression,
freedom of work and freedom of residence in the
two states after July 9th. We also call upon the
two states to respect, protect and guarantee
minority rights including religious rights as
enshrined in the interim constitutions and will
be enshrined in the permanent constitutions.

·          We are concerned with the increasing
waves of military activities, defections and
counter-defections in the south as we approach
the declaration of independence. It is our belief
that the presidential amnesty offered to all
armed groups in October 2010 is still holding and
all those concerned should accordingly take
advantage of this. Consequently, we call upon all
armed groups to lay down their arms and come to
the negotiating table. The way of peace is always the best.

·          We call upon the government of South
Sudan to ensure the security and the protection
of the civil population caught in the crossfire
between the militias and the government forces.
We expect the government forces, now transiting
from Guerilla army to modern and conventional
army, not to engage in criminal activities such
as looting, rape and extra-judicial killing and
killing of the innocent civilians in the process
of dealing with armed groups? leaders and their
forces. The end never justifies the means.

·          We call for peaceful settlement of the
Abyei question within the framework of the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). The people
of Abyei must be given the freedom and the
opportunity to decide their destiny. In this
process, we urge the UN, the USA, the EU, the AU
and the IGAD to arbitrate between the NCP and
SPLM on the Abyei question. As the political
tension continues to rise in Abyei, we urge the
partners to the CPA to avoid warlike inflammatory
language and instead resolve the question timely
and peacefully. We see no need to incite violence
in Abyei. We know that violence in all its forms
always breeds violence, and violence will never
be the way to settle grievances.

·          We call for the peaceful resolution of the Darfur problem.


·          We call upon the International
Community, the Government of Sudan, the
Government of South Sudan and all people of good
will to assist in settling the Internally
Displaced Persons/returnees. The suffering of
these children of God as they try to find
shelter, food and basic daily needs is our
concern and should be for all people of conscience.
Conclusion


We recommit ourselves to the ministry of justice,
peace and reconciliation in our country. In this
regard, we resolve to roll out once again the
people to people peace process in our communities
to the effect that peace will prevail truly at
all levels. As we engage in this noble task, we
call upon our political leaders in the North and
in the South to refrain from making provocative
statements and instead preach peace, harmony and
good neighbourliness among all our people. We all
need peace even if we become two states.

We believe in the destiny of our people and we
encourage all our people to live in peace as they
endeavour to reach it. We have no doubt God will
bless us. He began a good work in our country and
he will bring it to completion. This is our faith!


Signed on 11th May 2011



Fr. Joshua Michael Bp.
Catholic Church
Ismail Abudigin
Episcopal Church of Sudan



Rev. Peter Makuac
Presbyterian Church of Sudan
Bp. Michael Taban
Sudan Pentecostal Church



Rev. Abraham Nul
Sudan Interior Church
Rev. Moses Gatkouth
Sudan Presbyterian Evangelical Church



Fr. Bishay Alantony
Coptic Orthodox Church



Pastor Barnabas Mattias
Sudan Church of Christ



Elder John Daniel
Greek Catholic Church



Bp. James Lagos
Africa Inland Church



Bp. Ezekiel Kondo
Chair, Sudan Council of Churches



Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol
General Secretary, SCC