wfn.org | ACNS: Sudan Archbishop Crosses front-line to visit Nubia Mountains

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

ACNS 3028 - SUDAN - 18 June 2002

Archbishop crosses front-line to visit Nuba Mountains

[Province of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan] Archbishop Joseph Marona has
just returned from a demanding two-week pastoral visit up in the Nuba
Mountains. The Archbishop's visit crossed the military front-line under the
terms of the local cease-fire agreed earlier in the year and involved
strenuous climbs to remote church centres.

The Archbishop met with the Governors and officials on both sides and
conducted confirmations and ordinations in places without pastoral support
for many years. It is the first time in the history of the Episcopal Church
of the Sudan that an Archbishop has visited the Mountains.

The Archbishop's message focused on the need for love to replace enmity:

"Live in love and peace among yourselves. Love yourselves; because God's
love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit which has been
given to us."

The Archbishop reminded people of the wider vision offered by the Christian
Gospel:

"Christ wants to be our way, our truth, our life, but we also have to allow
him to enter. This means sharing his vision of the entire world reconciled
to the Father. That is why it is my task to travel across the entire
Province, bringing words of justice, peace and reconciliation; bringing
words of hope and healing to the Church."

The Archbishop was accompanied by Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail, the new Bishop
of Kadugli, who was elected and consecrated in January this year, and Bishop
Bulus Idris Tia, the Bishop of Khartoum. Their presence together
demonstrated the unity of the church and brought new optimism. It is hoped
that the visit will help open up the way for much-needed relief to be
brought to the area. As the Archbishop declared,

"Sharing God's vision of reconciliation means having an open heart towards
all God's children. It means having his sensitivity to the plight of the
poor, the hungry, the aged, and the ill." This was the task of all God's
people.

"God has not given you these mountains in vain. The main aim is to serve him
upon these mountains."

The Episcopal Church of the Sudan is the largest Church in Sudan: there are
estimated to be some 5 million members. The Church has been involved in
educational work in the Nuba Mountains since 1935 and developed strongly
there during the 1970s and early 1980s. However, contact with the outside
world was completely lost for ten years after the war came to the area in
1985. The work of the Church continued nevertheless and the number of
pastors serving there has now increased with the ordination of new deacons.

_______________________________________________
The ACNSlist is published by the Anglican Communion Office, London.

Please send QUESTIONS or COMMENTS to acnslist@anglicancommunion.org. Any 
comments about the content of the article should be directed to the author. 
PLEASE DO NOT REPLY to this message, as any replies are discarded 
automatically.

You can subscribe/unsubscribe online at 
http://www.anglicancommunion.org/acns/subscribe.html

ACNS mailing list