Sudan

The Diocese of Salisbury has long had a link with the Sudan to support the Christian Church there in its struggle to preserve its rights and identity.

There is much informative material on the Salisbury Cathedral web page which you can read by following this link :

Salisbury Diocese Sudan Page

At the deanery Synod meeting in June 2006 a proposal was made for this Deanery to link with the Yambio Diocese in order to share our Christian faith, in prayer, mutual help and visits. This was agreed and at the end of July that year the proposer Mr Homfray Vines visited Yambio where he was warmly welcomed. He stayed part of the time in the compound of the Diocesan Bishop Rt Revd. Peter Munde Yacoub, and attended worship in the Cathedral, where he saw 24 new Mothers Union members being admitted. A programme of visits had been planned so that he could see the work being carried out in the Diocesan departments, training establishments, the Secondary School, and some parishes.

This area is quite fertile, mainly equatorial forest. The people appear fit and well and live on subsistence farming, with hens and goats, also fish from the rivers and lakes.

In 1951 Britain set up some industry: growing and producing cotton with mills provided, also timber mills and a power station. All of which suffered during the conflict and are now derelict. The roads are mostly dirt roads and so prone to flooding. There is not a lot in the way of transport, bicycles being most popular and cost about £80. each

The only Secondary school had 140 pupils in the four years S1 to S4 with 11 teachers, formerly funded by a Swedish group, but this is being withdrawn as it is classed as a church school. There is no university. Mothers Union is very strong, and so is the youth work.

It was noted that the Yambio Diocese had 14 Deaneries plus the Cathedral and Wimborne Deanery has 14 parishes/benefices. Subsequently a committee has tried to allocate a Deanery to each parish and we in West Parley have been given details of the Makarabundu Deanery whose Archdeacon is the Venerable Izikia Arama. It is situated 40 miles south east of Yambio near the border with the Congo. There are 5 pastors, 43 Lay readers, 304 Sunday school children, 156 Mothers Union members, and 29 evangelists.

Initially we are recommended to contact them in the first instance by e-mail to Yambio giving some details of our church and congregation with prayer requests and other useful information. We were also warned not to expect a quick replay as the e-mail would have to be taken by hand to the deanery which may take days on foot, if they haven't got a bicycle! That is the present situation so the next move is left to us in this parish

WHAT HAPPENS NOW?

CLOSER LINKS WITH SOUTHERN SUDAN