In January 2024 we sent a Rooted in Jesus team to the Diocese of Gogrial, one of the largest Dioceses in the Northern Bhar el Ghazel Internal Province and located near the border with Sudan. Spread over a huge area, it has 12 Archdeaconries, 24 Deaneries, 72 parishes and 150 sub parishes. 117 group leaders were commissioned to lead groups in their communities.

One year later, we have received a highly encouraging report from Revd Albino Akeen Akoon, the Diocesan Coordinator, who says that “All the group leaders and the diocesan administration met together last month to share their experiences and evaluate the programme. The groups that were formed have been going from strength to strength, though facing many difficulties. The Rooted in Jesus programme has not only provided Gospel outreach, it is now contributing to peace building in our communities, as we are visiting some far places that were inaccessible before.”

Group members in the Archdeaconry of Gogrial receiving their certificates and Book 2

To find out what difference Rooted in Jesus has made to the Diocese, visit our blog, where we have posted Albino’s full report.

Our latest Rooted in Jesus team has just returned from the Diocese of Kajo-Keji in South Sudan. We first went there in 2016, just before a renewal of the civil war which has taken such a deep toll on the people of South Sudan. The cathedral was burned down, violence led to famine, and by January the following year 95% of the people had been forced into exile in neighbouring Uganda. When we asked how we could best support them, Bishop Poggo’s successor Emmanuel Murye had replied: ‘The believers need Rooted in Jesus at this time of distress and spiritual need. Rooted in Jesus is the only tool and way forward to nourish the Christians and make the newly born Christian grow.’

Eight years have now passed, and we were delighted to be invited back to Kajo-Keji by the current Bishop, James Lule. Mike Cotterell led a team of experienced leaders from the UK and Uganda, and despite the ongoing suffering of the people the conference was remarkable for its joyful worship in song, dance and quiet reflection. Many of the participants had travelled from the Ugandan refugee camps where they still live; by the end of the conference 163 had been commissioned to lead small groups back at home.

We have published a full report on our blog here.

We remain truly grateful to all those who support Rooted in Jesus in prayer, on teams and through their giving. This conference was run with the support of the Provincial Office of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, and of the Relay Trust who provided a grant to the diocese to help with food and travel costs for those attending.

To find out more about Rooted in Jesus visit our website here.
Posted 14th November 2024.

We have just posted the second of our team leader reports from the latest Rooted in Jesus conferences. This time it comes from Revd Barry Blackford, who led a blended team on a challenging visit to three dioceses in South Sudan (circled on the map). The three conferences went very well.

The first was for the Diocese of Gogrial, the second for the Diocese of Tonj and the third for the Diocese of Nyamlel – all three within the Northern Bahr el Gazal Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. 331 new leaders were trained and commissioned, and 27 existing leaders (in Nyamlel) refreshed and encouraged.

We were touched to receive these words from Bishop Peter Yuol of the Diocese of Tonj: “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!”

We have posted Barry’s report on the Rooted in Jesus blog here. If the spoken word is more your kind of thing, you can also listen to a radio interview with team member Revd David Wood here!

As ever, we are grateful to everyone who prayed for the team and the conferences, to the Provincial Office in Juba who printed the books, and to the Relay Trust who provided grants to enable each diocese to cover the costs of the conferences.

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.

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. 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.

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

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. Over the last few weeks we have fulfilled a further five invitations, and we have just posted a blog report covering the first two of these – a visit to the Diocese of Wau to train a new generation of leaders, and another to the nearby mission Diocese of Tonj, where we provided an introductory conference.

Conditions in South Sudan are testing – but the many practical difficulties were overcome, the participants responded with enthusiasm, the worship was vibrant and many prayers were answered. To read the full report please check out the blog here.