Rooted in Jesus was first introduced to the Diocese of Nzara by a team led by Revd Mike Cotterell way back in 2012 – just one year after both the country of South Sudan and the diocese itself were formed. Just one year later, in 2013, a full scale civil war broke out in the newly formed country as rival groups embarked on a bitter and violent struggle for power. A peace agreement was signed in 2020, the Covid pandemic which followed close on its heels eventually receded, and the Episcopal Church of South Sudan is now forging ahead with humanitarian programmes and a renewed focus on what it means to be a disciple of Jesus.

It was in this context that we were delighted to accept an invitation from Bishop Richard Aquilla to return to Nzara. A team from the UK travelled to Nzara to minister alongside their colleagues from within the Diocese, and 150 people attended the four day conference. The team was overwhelmed by the welcome they received and humbled by the enthusiasm with which the 150 delegates engaged with the training. Bishop Richard Aquilla writes that he has already begun a visitation of the diocese to see how the new groups are going.

We have posted a full report on the Rooted in Jesus blog, which you can read here.