May 5, 2025

Putting prayers for the Republic of South Sudan into action

From "Daphne Martin_Gnanadason" <Daphne.Martin_Gnanadason@wcrc.ch>
Date Fri, 08 Jul 2011 14:52:04 +0200

World Communion of Reformed Churches  
News Release
08 July 2011
 
Putting prayers for the Republic of South Sudan into action
Churches are responding to a call from a global church
organization for prayers and advocacy for a peaceful transition
to independence for the Republic of South Sudan. 
“It is important to know what is being done by churches to
ensure a sustainable and secure future in South Sudan,” says Nate
Engle, a staffer with the Christian Reformed World Relief
Committee (CRWRC).
Engle made his remark in response to a message issued on 30 June
by Setri Nyomi, the general secretary of the World Communion of
Reformed Churches (WCRC). In his message to WCRC’s 230 member
churches, Nyomi called for a week of prayers and advocacy from
Sunday 3 July to Sunday 10 July. 
Nyomi’s appeal for special attention on South Sudan has prompted
prayers in churches from Australia to Indonesia to South Africa
as well as putting the spotlight on church-sponsored initiatives
in the region. 
Engle reports in a message to WCRC that the church-supported
development and relief agency based in the United States is
running four projects in Yei River County in the southern tip of
South Sudan with the support of the Ministry of Agriculture and
Forestry in South Sudan.
The projects are designed to train farmers in “best practices”
for growing food staples such as cassava and sweet potato;
educate street children in Yei Town in vegetable production; and
promote good agricultural practices through broadcasts over two
Christian radio stations in Yei River County (Spirit FM and
Easter FM). CRWRC’s partners in these projects include the
Canadian Foodgrains Bank (a group of 12 churches in Canada) and
War Child Holland. The CRWRC is a ministry of the Christian
Reformed Church in North America, a WCRC member church.
The Church of Scotland reports that it has been advocating for
action by the British government to defuse violence in the South
Kordofan region of the country. A letter from the Foreign and
Commonwealth Office sent 7 July in reply to the church’s
expression of concern details the government’s action in response
to the situation.
Nyomi welcomes news of these church initiatives.
“When churches are inspired by the gospel to put love and prayer
into action, it is a sign of their commitment to the call to
mission in God’s world,” the Ghanaian theologian declares.
Yesterday Nyomi followed-up his earlier message to the churches
with a letter to be delivered to the president of the Republic of
South Sudan in which the general secretary offers prayers for
peace and for a “good beginning that sets the path towards...the
welfare of all the women, men and children that live in South
Sudan.” 
The Presbyterian Church of Sudan and the Africa Inland Church
Sudan are among the 66 WCRC member churches in Africa. 
 
WCRC was created in June 2010 through a merger of the World
Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC) and the Reformed Ecumenical
Council (REC). Its 230 member churches representing 80 million
Christians are active worldwide in initiatives supporting
economic, climate and gender justice, mission, and cooperation
among Christians of different traditions. 
 
Media Contacts: 
Kristine Greenaway
Office of Communications
Email: kgr@wcrc.ch 
tel: +41 (0)22 791 62 43;fax: +41 (0)22 791 65 05
www.wcrc.ch ( http://www.wcrc.ch/ )