An alliance of Reformed churches in Sudan

For many years Sudan has suffered violence, war and destruction. While the southern part of the country seeks autonomy, the Islamic government in Khartoum is determined to maintain the unity of the state. Economic interests make agreement extremely difficult. The north cannot easily renounce the rich resources of the south. Oil revenues, in particular, are an essential part of Sudanese economy.

In the course of the second civil war (1983-2003), 2 million people have been killed, and 4.5 million forced to leave their homes. Almost everyone in southern Sudan can tell about atrocities, the loss of relatives, and the separation of families. Great numbers have fled to neighbouring countries; hundred of thousands of refugees live in and around Khartoum, often under miserable conditions. Now there are peace talks, but agreement is not yet secured.

Six churches in Sudan, most of them the result of different missionary efforts, claim a Reformed heritage. They have not divided, but were separately "planted". Now, confronted with today’s challenges, they feel a need for closer collaboration.

The civil war makes it difficult for Christians from the north and south to meet together within Sudan. All six churches have their headquarters in Khartoum; three churches also have offices in Nairobi to serve their congregations in southern Sudan.

In March 2002, some Reformed leaders made contact with the Mission in Unity project in Geneva. Together they drew up a plan to bring the six churches closer to one another.

In November 2002, northern delegates from the six churches met in Khartoum for a three-day consultation. They were in no doubt about the need for closer cooperation, and focused exclusively on concrete steps. But it was clear that no final decisions could be taken by the churches in the north on their own. The findings were therefore shared with representatives of the churches in the south.

In March this year, 25 delegates - 10 from the north and 15 from the south - met in Kampala, Uganda. They confirmed the Khartoum recommendations, formally decided to set up an Alliance of Reformed Churches in Sudan, and named a joint commission with two sections - one for the north and the other for the south.

Clearly, the movement towards unity has the support of church members. The young people and, even more, the women of the six churches are its driving force. The consultation of church leaders in Khartoum was preceded by two one-day meetings of women and youth.

The common factor among the churches is the praise of God’s love in Jesus Christ. The atmosphere at both meetings was joyful and forward-looking, and both had a Pentecostal dimension. Worship is also the main emphasis of the follow-up. Immediately after the return from Kampala a joint Easter service was celebrated in Khartoum. Since then joint monthly prayer meetings have been held, normally attended by several hundred people.

The churches now seek to give the Alliance a more solid foundation. They hope to start some income-generating projects that will allow it to launch more joint initiatives. The southern section has come up with a proposal for an Aids-awareness programme.

The quality of leadership in the six churches is impressive. It may have been a blessing in disguise that missionaries were forced to leave the country in 1965: ever since, the churches in Sudan have had to cope with all issues on their own.

Three things require special attention:

1. Recognition of the new Alliance by the six churches’ traditional partners. Partnerships differ from church to church. While some enjoy the support of several partners, others receive very little help. One of the churches has only recently come into existence. The partners should collaborate in supporting the Alliance and enabling joint programme work, in order to strengthen the common witness of the six churches.
2. The Pentecostal spirituality that is shared to some degree by all six churches. It will be important in the rapprochement to assess this factor. What is the significance of Pentecostalism for the Reformed tradition?
3. Theological education. As in several other countries, theological education is an unresolved issue. The Kampala consultation underlined the need for a survey of current training facilities, on the basis of which a joint plan could be developed.

For further information contact Jet den Hollander, the Mission in Unity Project, John Knox International Reformed Centre, 27 chemin des Crêts-de-Pregny, 1218 Grand-Saconnex, Geneva, Switzerland.

Lukas Vischer