The Diocese of Maiwut is located in the NW of South Sudan, on the border with Ethiopia. Rooted in Jesus was introduced to the diocese in January 2023. By the end of the year 117 groups had completed the first two books, and all the group leaders had met together to share their experiences and evaluate the programme. This led to a request for a follow-up conference, which was held in January 2024 and attended by most of the existing leaders along with 50 training for the first time.

The Rooted in Jesus team, January 2024

The groups have gone from strength to strength, and we are delighted to pass on the following report just received from Revd John Jamuth, the Diocesan Coordinator:

“The Rooted in Jesus programme has not provided the Gospel outreach only, the team has provided a lasting friendship for both children and adults. Everywhere I visited, the people kept asking where the Rooted in Jesus team is. I smile beautifully knowing that a strong connection has been made. The group leaders and those attended the conference were still had a memories of the training and stories shared during the conference.

A Rooted in Jesus group now working through Book 3

“The coordinator team are busy visiting group leaders and encouraged those who had difficulties. Further to this, the translation team has finished the translation of the Rooted in Jesus Junior book 1 (a course in Christian Discipleship for children). The translation team has now started book 2.

Achievements:

1. 166 group leaders are still leading their groups successfully  
2. Rooted in Jesus Junior Book 1 – translation for children has finished
3. Church and community: both women and men involved equally
4. The programme has reached Christian and non-Christians directly and indirectly
5. New groups have been formed well
6. Books 1&2 have been completed and certificates have been awarded.”

A RinJ Womens’ group and a RinJ Youth Group have also moved on to Book 3

This report was prepared by Rev. John Jamuth Pathot, Diocese of Maiwut, Rooted in Jesus – Coordinator

Approved by: Bishop Peter Gatbel Kunen Lual, Diocesan Bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Maiwut

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust. We are particularly grateful to The Relay Trust for sponsoring the conferences in Maiwut.

Posted 29 July 2024

The Diocese of Maiwut is located in the far north of South Sudan, on the border with Ethiopia, where many people took refuge during the recent period of upheaval and insecurity. The region is geographically isolated from the rest of the country, with access only by river or by air, and the border with Ethiopia is officially closed, with the result that it is extremely difficult for people to obtain food and basic resources. One conference participant had sold his food parcel to travel from the refugee camp in Ethiopia, and another said people have been reduced to eating grass to survive. Hope is hard to come by and the future is uncertain.

We first sent a Rooted in Jesus team to Maiwut in January 2023. I05 people – clergy, evangelists, mothers’ union members and youth leaders – were commissioned at that conference to lead small Rooted in Jesus groups, and Revd John Jamuth was appointed diocesan coordinator.

By the end of the year John was able to report that 117 groups had been started, most within the diocese itself but some in the refugee camps where they have been planting new churches. All the groups had completed the first two books of the programme, and the group leaders had been called together to share their experiences. They reported that the Spirit of God had been working among them through the scripture memory verses, that many groups were closing their meetings with celebration and appreciation, and on a very practical note that group leaders had been accompanied by nurses who had provided medical treatment for those who had no access to health care.

Group leaders meet together to evaluate the programme; Bishop Peter leads an evaluation session for clergy who had completed Book 2 with their group

We responded to this heartening news by accepting the diocese’s request firstly that we work together to make Books 3 & 4 available in the local language of Nuer, and secondly that the team return to lead a follow-up conference. The translations were duly completed, and a second conference took place in the last week of January 2024.

The conference: a workshop and a practice group session

The conference was led by Bishop Tim Wambunya, formerly Bishop of Butere in Kenya and now Vicar of Slough and Honorary Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Oxford. Tim reports:

“In January 2023, I led a team to run an initial conference in Maiwut, the county town of Maiwut County and the seat of the Diocese of Maiwut, which also includes the county of Longechuk. The other team members were the Revd Andrew Goodman, Nadeem Azam, and Dave Ridge. The same team returned at Bishop Peter Gatbel Kunen Lual’s invitation to run a follow-up conference this January 2024. The Diocese had enthusiastically adopted the Rooted in Jesus Programme and made excellent progress, so we were keen to visit again.

“We flew right into Maiwut town’s airstrip and were welcomed in style with much singing and dancing, and after being dressed in robes and garlands, each team member had their feet washed at the nearby cathedral.

“The co-ordinator, John, knew each leader and where they were, which was very encouraging. There was a high level of repeat attendance, and a significant number of new leaders were also trained, with 170 people attending in all.

“The people were in the most difficult circumstances, yet they were generous, welcoming, and hungry for all that we taught. We were truly honoured when we were presented with a goat, a gift of significant value. The commissioning service was a great celebration.

Conference participants outside the cathedral after the commissioning service

“The team thanks all those who prayed for the trip, the delegates and the team, and as the country looks forward, with some nervousness, to the elections in December, we would ask that this young nation remains in your prayers.”

Maiwut is one of the most under-privileged places we have ever visited with Rooted in Jesus; one team member commented afterwards that the poverty was hard to take. As in many areas of the country, violence remains a part of daily life, food is hard to come by, and the elections due to take place later this year bring the fear of renewed political and social turmoil. And yet people continue to meet, to bring their struggles to God, to support one another and to pray together. Please join us in praying with them.

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust. We are grateful to the Relay Trust who provided a grant to help cover the conference costs, and to the team of intercessors who prayed daily for both team and participants.

As part of an ongoing commitment to bringing Rooted in Jesus to all of the dioceses of the Internal Province, three Rooted in Jesus conferences were held in January and February:

1. An Introductory conference in the Diocese of Gogrial, hosted by Bishop Abraham Ngor Mangong and held in Kuajok Cathedral
   
2. An Introductory conference in the Area Diocese of Tonj East, hosted by Bishop’s Commissary Revd Peter Aleu Kok and held in Romic Church
   
3. A hybrid Follow-up conference, with some Introductory elements for new leaders, in the Diocese of Nyamlel, hosted by Bishop Peter Garang Akuei and held in Nyamlel Cathedral

The conference locations in the Northern Province relative to the capital, Juba

Team Leader Barry Blackford reports:

‘The bishops had sent out invitations to church pastors and evangelists, leaders of the Mothers Union, Sunday School and youth groups as well as the students from the ECSS Colleges in Gogrial and Nyamlel. Across the 3 conferences we commissioned 331 new leaders as well as recommissioning 27 existing leaders in Nyamlel.

The teaching was provided by two visitors from the UK, Revd Barry Blackford and Revd David Wood, working alongside two experienced South Sudanese Rooted in Jesus Coordinators, Ven Yosefate Datiro Minaye from Nzara and Revd John Akok Akok from Aweil. The final team member was Revd Joseph Uyu, the Internal Province’s Adult Discipleship Programme Coordinator, who joined us in Gogrial.

Rooted in Jesus Coordinators were commissioned in each Diocese: Revd Albino Akeen Akoon in Gogrial; Revd Peter Aleu Kok in Tonj East; and Revd William Tong Atak in Nyamlel. The Rooted in Jesus group leaders’ books were all printed to a high standard in South Sudan in the primary language of Dinka Rek.

History

‘South Sudan is the newest nation in the world, having become independent from Sudan in 2011 after decades of fighting. Since independence, the country has suffered from a protracted civil war, a major famine and, more recently, severe flooding and the effect this has on the food supply. Whilst the security situation has improved there are still inter-tribal conflicts with over one hundred deaths in Warrap state alone, which includes Gogrial and Tonj Dioceses, in the first five weeks of 2024. The problem has been exacerbated by the influx of a large number of displaced persons fleeing the Sudanese civil war, adding to those internally displaced by the flooding.

The Episcopal Church is a relative newcomer to the Greater Bahr el Ghazal area, but has experienced rapid growth, especially since independence. Under the leadership of Archbishop Moses Deng Bol it has grown from a single diocese to seven dioceses, with another five Area Dioceses which will in the future become dioceses in their own right. Archbishop Moses is a visionary leader who has long recognised the need to create disciples rather than just converts. A few years ago, he decided that Rooted in Jesus would be the main programme for developing individuals in their faith and for evangelism – an approach which is strongly supported by his bishops.

The Conferences

‘On the way in from the airport to Kuajok Cathedral, Bishop Abraham had said that the people of Gogrial Diocese were really excited by our visit as it was the first time that somebody from Europe had come to teach and encourage them since the establishment of the Diocese. Nothing quite prepared us for the demonstration of that excitement and the welcome that we were going to receive. We were still nearly about a kilometre from the Cathedral when we saw a procession coming down the road. This was the welcome party led by the most colourful processional cross that any of us had seen. It was not possible to continue in our vehicle and so we walked at the head of the procession for the remainder of the distance to the Cathedral where we were welcomed and spent time in worship. Despite some attendees not being able to make the journey due to the tribal troubles that were occurring across Gogrial Diocese, the joy and the desire to learn more about following Jesus and how to share their faith were far greater than we had seen before. This joy and desire was reflected in Tonj East and in Nyamlel, where the welcomes were just as warm and enthusiastic, albeit without the procession!

Delegates at Kuajok Cathedral, Diocese of Gogrial

The 4-day Introductory Conferences in Gogrial and Tonj East followed the same pattern. For the first three mornings we started with Worship followed by Teaching through the use of plenary sessions, illustrative demonstrations, discussions and times of prayer. We concluded the morning with a Group activity. On the first morning, after a light-hearted demonstration of how not to lead a group, the team led the groups to demonstrate this new approach to teaching that some of the pastors initially found difficult to adjust to. On the following two mornings, attendees were selected by the bishop or his commissary to lead the small groups of ten to twelve members. The final morning concluded with a Commissioning service after the Teaching session. In the afternoons there were Workshops on leadership, pastoral care and prayer and these were followed by a Ministry time of Bible reflection and prayer.

The 3-day Follow-up Conference in Nyamlel followed the same basic format as the Introductory conferences. The Introductory Conference had been held in November 2022 and a mango tree had been planted to commemorate the introduction of Rooted in Jesus and a reminder that if we are rooted in Jesus then we will grow and bear fruit. Yosafate, David and Barry went to inspect the tree with Bishop Peter.

Conference delegates after the Commissioning in Romic, Diocese of Tonj

Reflection

‘The enthusiasm of the participants and the vision of the bishops left the team feeling very encouraged that the Rooted in Jesus training was so enthusiastically received and plans made to implement Rooted in Jesus groups in the parishes. It was reported back to us that the weekend after we left Nyamlel saw the launch of nine new Rooted in Jesus groups.

These three dioceses are all, essentially, missionary dioceses with very little by way of resources but they all have one great resource which more than overcomes any deficit: the people. Their love of God, warmness of heart and generosity towards others was the greatest resource one could ask for. Speaking of their generosity, in Tonj East they had clubbed together to buy the team a farewell present: a goat and two chickens!

The team were very grateful for all those who had willingly given their time to help make these conferences such a success and we all came away feeling that we had a bit of our hearts behind and that part of each of the dioceses will be in our hearts. We would also like to thank those who had been praying for us, especially when we had a few problems along the way.’

The Rooted in Jesus tree and the gift of a goat and chickens in the Diocese of Nyamlel

Barry’s UK colleague Revd David Wood was interviewed on Cumbria Crack radio on his return, available on their website here.

Feedback

We have been encouraged by the responses to the conferences, both from participants at the time and from the host dioceses afterwards. Please join with us in continuing to pray for them.

May I take this golden opportunity to thank Rooted in Jesus as a Christian organisation for reaching places which have never been reached in the world. No missionaries have ever come to this place therefore people are thirsty for the gospel. The Bible says a sick person is the one who needs the doctor. Rooted in Jesus is the doctor!

Bishop Peter Yuol, Diocese of Tonj

We really thank and appreciate your support and commitment of sending your Rooted in Jesus team to come and facilitate the conference in our Diocese. The conference was so colourful and many Christians who attended the conference got transformed.

Revd Albion Akeen, Diocesan Coordinator, Diocese of Gogrial

We had a wonderful conference and many of our Christians enjoyed the training as well. We were very much impressed for the work done by your team. We thank God for this partnership between the leadership of Rooted In Jesus and the Diocese of Nyamlel

 Bishop Peter Garang, Diocese of Nyamlel

We are grateful to the Relay Trust who provided a grant to each diocese to help with the conference costs, and to all those who prayed daily for the team while they were there. South Sudan is not an easy place in which to work!

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust. For more information about Rooted in Jesus visit our website.

Much of the ministry of Rooted in Jesus over the last few years has been in South Sudan, the youngest country in the world. The most recent conference was held in the far north of the country, in the Diocese of Maiwut, at the invitation of Bishop Peter Gatbel.

Coordinator John Jamuth explains:

“Gaining independence in 2011 brought more freedom of worship, fellowship and discipleship to entire Christian populations in South Sudan. Maiwut diocese was born as the result of freedom of religious expression and worship. It’s one of the youngest Dioceses in the Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. Because of its location the Diocese has very limited connection with church and international partners to support the ministry and development of the diocese.”

We were therefore delighted to be able to send a Rooted in Jesus team to help the people of Maiwut establish their programme of Christian discipleship. The team was led by Tim Wambunya, formerly bishop of the Diocese of Butere in Kenya, which has been using Rooted in Jesus for some years; Tim now leads the multi-cultural church of St Paul’s, Slough. The conference was opened by the Hon. James Zan Chol, Deputy Commissioner of Maiwut county, and attended by church leaders from every archdeaonry in the two counties which make up the diocese.

The team (Nadeem, Tim, Dave and Andrew), Bishop Peter and Mrs Gatbel, Coordinator John Jamuth

Team Leader Tim Wambunya reports:

“One hundred and five people attended the conference, including about ten from other denominations in Maiwut. They were clergy, evangelists, mothers’ union members and youth. All one hundred and five received certificates and books. In addition, we had about two thousand people attend the Sunday service. This included the government Deputy Commissioner and some denominational leaders.

“The training was very well received. Participants were consistent in attending every day and keen to return to their churches to begin small groups. By the end of the conference, the delegates had nicknamed me ‘mot matut’, which means ‘small groups’ in the Nuer language. There was singing and dancing at the graduation, and the Rooted in Jesus coordinator sent a conference report to the UK team just one week after the conference – a remarkable achievement given the challenges in communication and finding a computer and internet. So it seems the diocese has got off to a great start and a strong foundation laid for Rooted in Jesus.”

Worship and teaching

What next?

One month later John Jamuth was able to report that he had been visiting group leaders in their own locations. He writes: “It was a blessing for me as they accepted Rooted in Jesus discipleship training in Maiwut centre, bomas and villages.” John has now told us that seventy-five groups have completed the first book and are moving on to the second book.

We look forward to continuing to support the ministry of Maiwut. “We have achieved very little,” John explained, “because we have no resources, and war and floods have greatly affected the community. The bishop and clergy have no salary and other means of support. We request the Rooted in Jesus team to return to Maiwut, we felt your wisdom, love and discipleship will change our community.”

That is our prayer too.

In Maiwut, Rooted in Jesus is used in the Nuer language.

Can you help?

If you would like to help us provide ongoing support to the Diocese of Maiwut, please make use of the short cuts on the right hand side of this page, or visit our support page where you will find and a gift aid / standing order form and the address to which to return it. We hope to return to Maiwut in 2024.

Photos by David Ridge and John Jamuth.
Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust.

“The crocodile was kind to me, I stopped swimming and he continued down stream. I used to get beaten everyday for being late for school – boys were not allowed to use boats, I had to swim across the river with my books above my head… This is where I started school; we just wrote the alphabet with our fingers in the sand and the teacher would put a tick in the sand.” Bishop Joseph Mamer of the Diocese of Wanyjok had taken us to the area of his birth and early years, team leader Mike Cotterell writes; there was no bridge then, nor was there a market, nor displaced people in temporary shelters. Visits to places and stories about lives are so powerful.

Life in South Sudan has not got easier. The Rooted in Jesus team ministering in the Diocese of Nyamlel, Aweil and Wanyjok faced difficulties caused not by crocodiles but by the touch-and-go nature of local flights, by flooded roads, damaged buildings, hungry people and a lack of electric light. Many participants had walked miles through swamped fields to attend the conferences, despite the devastation caused to their homes and crops; but prayer was heartfelt and worship vibrant. One man gave thanks for the healing of his feet, which had swollen after he had spent three days walking and wading through floods; a woman who had been unable to stand found after prayer that she was able to walk alone.

One Province, two weeks, three conferences

First stop for the team – Mike Cotterell, Luka Lual, Andrew Nankivell and Leslie Siu – was the Diocese of Nyamlel, founded only three years ago and part of the Internal Province of Northern Barh El Ghazal. Bishop Peter Garang, who was present throughout the four day conference, had written: “It requires more training in order to equip and empower church leaders such as lay readers, evangelists, pastors, elders and youth who must be able to do mission and evangelism properly in their respective parishes across the Episcopal Diocese of Nyamlel.”

A hundred people attended the conference, including three women who arrived and announced “We were not selected to come to the conference, we walked all day to get here and waddled through water waist deep, we don’t want a certificate, we will eat our own food and sleep somewhere, we just want the training.” They received both the training and certificates! Afterwards Bishop Peter wrote: “It is my prayer that those participants who received the basic biblical knowledge and skills during Rooted in Jesus Conference have been touched by the power of the Holy Spirit to start Rooted in Jesus small groups in their respective parishes across the Diocese of Nyamlel.”

Next stop was the Diocese of Aweil. This was a return visit, a follow-up conference for those who were trained last year. “Our journey from Nyamlel to Aweil was uneventful in local terms,” writes team member Leslie Siu; “having to stop and weave our way through herds of cattle, long stretches of dusty tracks with bumps that mean I’m unlikely to complain about potholes in British roads ever again, and seeing many people walking for seemingly endless miles in the baking hot sun.” 84 people turned up to the conference which was hosted by Canon William Aguer and Coordinator John Akok, as Bishop Abraham was receiving medical treatment elsewhere. John reported that many of the 60 groups initially established in the parishes of Aweil town had been interrupted by the recent flooding, and the hope is that the impetus provided by the conference will help them resume once the waters go down.

John Akok with one of the Rooted in Jesus groups in Aweil

The third and final conference took place in the Diocese of Wanyjok – another newly formed diocese. This too was a return conference, providing encouragement and support to those trained last year, and offering training to 50 additional leaders. This is Luka Lual’s home diocese, and he reported that 100 groups had been established after the introductory conference last year, and all had been making good progress, with many of them working through the second book – though once again many had been forced to suspend meeting due to the long period of extensive and unusual flooding which had made roads impassable, and caused crops to fail, people to be cut off or displaced, and houses to fall down.  

Lesli Siu writes: “Our time in Wanyjok was a brilliant final stop to the trip. The conference largely took place under a huge tree Christians have been gathering under for many years. Situated next to a local church school, we regularly had school children coming by to see what was happening. Once again, our gathered times of worship were punctuated by the lively demeanour of the older women who often led the way in joyful song and dance.”

Worshipping beneath the tree in Wanyjok

Afterwards Bishop Joseph Mamer, who was present throughout the conference, wrote: “Everyone was touched, I felt that the Holy Spirit was moving during the conference. I remember one woman got healed as she confessed, another woman whose six children died also gave her life to Christ after many years of following and consulting witchcraft, spearmaster, many evil things, those are very significant. Young youth were also challenged, their lives got changed. We remain grateful and it is our prayer that this program will continue, as I have realized that it’s one of the best tools to bring about transformation and change in our youngest growing diocese of Wanyjok. We pray that this program will flourish into bigger development and growth.”

Filling the gaps

In between the conference sessions, the team were able to spend time engaging with the local children, who were on holiday from school. In Nyamlel, while participants worked in small groups, Mike and Andrew played with a group which began with just a few children but soon grew into a crowd of 40. The next afternoon they ran an impromptu session of gospel teaching with actions, stories, drama and games, and in Wanyjok they led a session in the church school and visited the Bible College.On Sundays they were invited to preach at the cathedrals and in local churches. The mission concluded in Juba with a meeting with a number of bishops who were gathering for their annual conference, and a debrief session with Archbishop Moses Deng.

Luka Lual teaching the children; the Nyamlel Mothers Union; Bishop Peter Garang awarding certificates

Afterword

Mike Cotterell reflects: “South Sudan is often not a comfortable place to live in. But, WOW didn’t we meet loads of people who were hungry for teaching and very welcoming! The Bishop of Aweil was not with us, due to hospitalisation abroad, but the involvement of the other Bishops at nearly everything was very valuable along with senior clergy, who were also engaged and often willing to lead small groups. The most exciting and excitable group at each conference were those from the Mother’s Union, who sang and danced the loudest and longest. The times of meditation and prayer were often extremely still and often long, as people waited on God and prayed and listened to him, often reluctant to finish.”

But perhaps the last word should go to Bishop Peter Garang, who closed the conference in Nyamlel with a powerful reminder to those joyfully receiving their certificates: “The devil is not frightened of a certificate; you need to actually do the work!”

We have committed to praying for them as they do so.

Left: The team – Andrew Nankivell, Mike Cotterell (team leader), Luka Lual and Leslie Siu
Right – click to read Leslie’s detailed report

We hope to return to South Sudan next year, but this will depend not just on the local situation but also on our financial resources. If you would like to help support the ministry of Rooted in Jesus in South Sudan you can do so by clicking on the orange CAF button in the right hand margin of this page – or just follow the link here.

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by the Mathetes Trust, a UK Registered Charity.

Of all the countries where Rooted in Jesus has been adopted as the primary strategy for teaching Christian discipleship, South Sudan is the most challenging in which to minister. Created only 11 years ago after more than 20 years of civil war, South Sudan is the world’s youngest country. The Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) was quick to plan for the future, and over the next couple of years Rooted in Jesus was introduced to the Anglican dioceses of Nzara, Wau and Yambio. Groups were established, and hopes were high.

The first RinJ conference in South Sudan, Diocese of Nzara, March 2012

But in 2013 a new civil war broke out, and over the next 5 years tens of thousands of people were killed or displaced. After a prolonged period of negotiation a peace agreement was signed in 2018, and whilst South Sudan remains a difficult country to visit, we have been able to continue our support for the Anglican church there. The ending of the Covid19 travel restrictions last year made it possible to accept invitations from the Dioceses of Aweil and Wanyjok, and in May this year we were able to send a team to the Dioceses of Maridi and Yambio. In October a further team led by Barry Blackford ran conferences in Wau and Tonj, and in November Mike Cotterell took a team to offer follow-up conferences in Aweil and Wanyjok, and an introductory conference in Nyamlel.

This report covers the recent conferences in the Dioceses of Wau and Tonj.

The Diocese of Wau

As we prayed for Barry, Derreck, Diana (from the UK), John and Yosefate (from Aweil and Nzara) we became increasingly aware of the difficulties posed by the lack of many of the things we take for granted. South Sudan has few roads, so internal travel has to be by air – and flights are hard to book and liable to change at short notice. Electricity is a bonus, accommodation basic, and clean drinking water not always available. Most people speak and teach in Dinka (into which the leader’s booklets had been painstakingly translated), but not all can read it. Food insecurity is a constant problem, recently exacerbated not only by the suspension of the UN food aid programme following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but also by serious flooding which had washed away almost all locally grown crops.

Despite these difficulties, 85 people turned up to the first conference, which ran for four days. A lifetime of civil war isn’t good for morale, pastors are not paid for their ministry, and food insecurity zaps the spirit. The team sensed spiritual weariness and a sense of pervasive passivity. But by the second day something of a breakthrough had been achieved, with a powerful sense of the presence of the Holy Spirit. Barry wrote:

“As we were praying the Spirit down after the morning teaching it felt right to ask Bishop Peter to give his testimony. It was very powerful & the Spirit poured down in power. During the afternoon Workshop on prayer, a lady was given the verse about Jesus cursing the unproductive fig tree, and she was in tears because he said he wanted the tree to bear fruit – and she’s the tree, and he wanted her to bear fruit. This continued into the evening ministry session where we shared words given to Barry and Diana. People responded to both of these, and one lady was convicted by God and poured out a prayer of repentance. We told her that she is forgiven and then prayed for her deliverance and she was transformed. Most were touched by the Spirit and praised God out loud, often in tongues.”

Smiles all round as delegates receive books and certificates in Wau

At the end of the conference 79 people were commissioned to lead groups on their return home.

The Diocese of Tonj

The ECSS is experiencing a period of sustained growth and expansion, and within the Northern Province six new dioceses have been created – one of which is the mission diocese of Tonj, led by Bishop Peter Yuol Gur. The arrival of the Rooted in Jesus team marked the first time Europeans had visited the diocese to teach, and they were given a huge welcome by Bishop Peter and the diocesan leadership team. 100 people had been invited to the conference, but over 120 turned up. The conference was held in the cathedral, with group work taking place outside under the trees.

But here too, the long shadow of the civil war loomed, as the news came in that fighting had broken out in another part of the diocese. Bishop Peter’s nephew had been shot, and two of the delegates learned that family members had been killed. Meanwhile team member Yosefate received the news that back at home in Nzara two of his friends had been attacked by a man with a machete, and one had died. Barry writes:

“One of our interpreters received a message to say that her favourite uncle had been one of those killed in the conflict. She insisted on continuing to interpret for us. When she had finished her stint, I had a chat with her. She shared what had been happening in her life. She had been nursing her sick father, who had died 2 weeks earlier, and she had just been informed by her school that she could not return to complete her education because nursing her dying father was not sufficient reason for missing school. As a result, she was no longer going to be able to sit her exams and go to university. In just 2 weeks she had lost: her father; a very supportive uncle, who was taking her father’s place as head of the family; and her future aspirations of an education and career. Her response was to forgive those who had done these things to her and to say that she knew that God was there with her and would help her through it.”

The result of all this was that the times of prayer intensified. The team learned that the local custom was that people would come for prayer no matter what was happening – if the clergy were in the church, people would just walk in, come to the front and ask for prayer. And so they did – for reassurance, for physical healing, for release from oppression. Worship continued unabated – and was at times, Barry reports, difficult to stop!

“As soon as we finished some teaching, they worshipped; and before we started, they worshipped”

At the end of the conference 105 people were given certificates and commissioned as Rooted in Jesus group leaders, the team were showered with gifts, and Diocesan Secretary Zechariah Dut was appointed as diocesan coordinator. In Wau his counterpart John Awer will undertake this role, and Revd Joseph Uyu will serve as Provincial Coordinator. Archbishop Moses hopes to persist with his plan to introduce Rooted in Jesus to every diocese in the Northern Province over the next decade.

In conclusion

It wasn’t easy – but the team were much encouraged by their experiences:

“Going on these conferences always challenges my faith and spiritual perspective. They inevitably lead to a realigning and recalibrating of my faith as a result of being exposed to the faith of those we have the privilege to minister to. This trip as with the others will impact upon my parish ministry, and not just with a fund of new sermon illustrations! The sense I got of the South Sudanese Church being dependant upon the daily miraculous was both humbling and inspiring in equal measure.” – Derreck Lee-Philpot

“The wanderers have returned with stories to tell and blessings to share. Despite some of the problems that we faced along the way, we feel greatly blessed by what we have seen God doing in the dioceses of Wau and Tonj.  The people of South Sudan are really great and it was so good to have two of the South Sudanese Coordinators with us.  John and Yosefate were a great asset and up for anything. But most of all a really big ‘thank you’ to all of you for your love and prayers,  especially when the times were a Iittle testing.  We were really aware of your prayers when the going got tough.” – Barry Blackford

Conference participants with the bishop and team, Tonj

Finally, a request for your help

Rooted in Jesus is published and supported by The Mathetes Trust. We will not beat about the bush – ministry in South Sudan is not only challenging but expensive. If we are to continue to work there, helping Archbishop Moses fulfil his vision for growing discipleship across this needy Province, we need your support! If you would be willing to make a donation to enable us to continue this ministry, we would be immensely grateful. And if you would like to join our prayer team, we would be delighted to hear from you too. To make a donation just click the CAF button, or for other ways of giving visit our website. For more information or to join our prayer team, click here.