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Church gift supports “whole generation of Church Leaders” - 28th Aug '07

A Church in Peasedown St John has aided in the plight to end years of hardship and deprivation in war torn Southern Sudan by sponsoring a Church leader to go to theological college for the very first time.

Due to decades of civil war, a whole generation has suffered in the brutal conflict caused by the Islamic government of Khartoum in north attempting to impose ‘sharia’ law on the African people of south . Most of the infrastructure in the south was destroyed, leaving no agriculture, no schools, no roads, no currency system, and no healthcare.

Rosalind Meryon, a member of Soul Food at St John’s Church, Peasedown has recently visited the south of to see for herself the problems. She said;

“When the war ended in January 2005, 2-3 million people had been killed and 4-5 million fled as refugees to other nations. Some refugees have begun to return, attempting to rebuild their lives.

Throughout the terrible conflict since 1956 the Church has remained the one permanent structure offering stability and hope to the stricken population of over 100 tribal groups. Many Christian leaders have suffered with their people and kept the faith, seeing God do miracles in desperate circumstances.

I recently went with a team from “Flame International” by invitation of Bishop Alapayo of Rumbek to equip his clergy in teaching their people about reconciliation, healing and forgiveness. Some of the young men and women were very young and only a few months after peace had come were suffering mentally and physically from the long years of fighting and loss of family and homes.

Three young men, who are key workers on the Bishop’s staff have now been sponsored for training in neighbouring Uganda – one of these men, Peter, is receiving a full bursary for his training from St John’s Church, Peasedown St John. Last week, Peter arrived at Kampala to start a course at the Evangelical School of Theology. He is there entirely due to the generosity of the Church in Peasedown. This means much more than just the financial gift, it means to the Church in South Sudan, where a whole generation of church leaders have gone through the horror of attack from their own government forces, that now they know that the world which they were cut off from has remembered their plight and come to help now peace has come.”

If readers would like more information about this project please contact Rosalind at rosalind@isabella.fsnet.co.uk

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