The place and partnership of American Baptist in ministry to Sudan
Many Christian and civic organizations have monitored the conditions in Sudan, and have been active in increasing awareness of devastating acts of terror in that country.
Sudan has been mired in two civil wars for most of its history since independence from Great Britian in 1956. These conflicts have been rooted in northern economic, political, and social domination of largely non-Muslim, non-Arab southern Sudan. The first civil war ended in 1972, but broke out again in 1983.
The second war and famine-related effects resulted in more than 4 million people displaced and, according to rebel estimates, more than 2 million deaths over a period of two decades. Peace talks resulted in a final Naivasha peace treaty of January 2005, granting the southern rebels autonomy for six years, after which a referendum for independence is scheduled to be held.
Additionally, a separate conflict broke out in the western region of Darfur in 2003. It has resulted in at least 200,000 deaths and nearly 2 million displaced. This conflict has seen ethnic fighting, with Arab militias -- called janjaweed -- carrying out atrocities under the blessing of the government.
American Baptists are theologically and missiologically well poised to lend active support in the efforts to bring stability and Christian witness to this vast and troubled region in Africa. This was expressed in a September 2000 resolution, passed by the general board of ABCUSA, which urged American Baptists to:
1. Keep the people of Sudan in our prayers;
2. Educate ourselves on the tragic situation in the Sudan;
3. Donate funds to groups working on meeting the needs of the people of Sudan for peace and reconciliation;
4. Engage our political leaders in using their influence to do everything in their power to hasten the peace process in the Sudan.
Persons, churches and communions of various Christian traditions have expressed concern about the conditions in Darfur as well as southern Sudan. Evangelical and mainline Protestant Christians have raised their concern and are calling for the intervention of the U.S. government and international community in Sudan. American Baptists often fall in both of these descriptors of the Christian church. Sudan is a troubling, yet tremendous opportunity for American Baptists to increase their awareness of the conditions of the persons experiencing devastating effects in Sudan and to join with others toward bringing change.
American Baptists have worked through our partners, like Church World Service, which will lead a mission tour to Sudan in February. We have sent more than $150,000 in 2006 alone through One Great Hour of Sharing (OGHS) to partners, including the Lebanese Society for Educational and Social Development, which is doing relief work in Sudan. And in past years, OGHS has supported projects led by BWAid of the Baptist World Alliance. In this issue learn more about Sudan by reading about:
• How leading American Baptist ministers, and many International Ministries staff, have supported the Evangelicals for Darfur campaign
• A church in Omaha, NE -- a city with the largest Sudanese population in the U.S. -- has nurtured a Sudanese congregation both within its doors, and has developed a sister church relationship with a Baptist church in Sudan
• The work of National Ministries in refugee resettlement
• Regional initiatives, like Rochester/Genovesee, to partner with other people of faith to raise awareness about Darfur
• IM's history of confronting the atrocity of slavery, so much a part of the conflict in Sudan, and in so many other places around the world
-- Marlon Millner and Cheryl Dudley
Rev. Dr. Cheryl Dudley is an American Baptist minister who serves as senior advisor to the executive director of Church World Service, Rev. John L. McCullough. Dudley, a former associate executive director of National Ministries, is organizing the mission tour of Sudan in February. Learn more about the work of American Baptists through Church World Service by going to www.churchworldservice.org.