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Sudan Conference June 5-10 Nimule, Sudan In a series of emails I will give a detailed report on the conference we hosted in Nimule, Sudan. I believe the results gathered from the conference will be extremely useful in setting goals, direction, and financial emphases for the mission work in South Sudan. For many who may not have known about the conference, let me review our purpose for meeting. Our goals for the Sudan conference were to host 100-200 Sudanese church leaders to:
We wanted the conference to be long enough to ensure time for building friendships and gathering information. Also, we knew some would have to travel several days to get there. The longer the conference the more we knew it would be valued. We wanted to design a schedule that filled the days with worship, teaching, fellowship and group sessions without being too wearisome physically. We decided upon short sessions that gave people plenty of time to move around and rest. The following schedule was developed and followed fairly closely. Tuesday – June 5th 1:00-2:45 PM – Lunch and Rest 2:45-6:00PM – Registration 6:00-7:00 PM – Introduction to the Conference 7:00-8:30 PM – Supper 8:30-10:00 PM – Worship Wednesday through Saturday – June 6th-9th 7:00-8:15 AM – Breakfast 8:15-9:00 AM – Worship 9:00-10:00 AM – Speaker 10:00-10:30 AM – Tea Break 10:30-11:00 AM – Introduce Discussion Topic 11:00-12:00 AM – Discussion Groups 12:00-1:00 PM – Debriefing of Discussion Groups 1:00-2:45 PM – Lunch and Rest 2:45-3:30 PM – Worship 3:30-4:30 PM – Speaker 4:30-5:00 PM – Introduce Discussion Topic 5:00-6:00 PM – Discussion Groups 6:00-7:00 PM – Debriefing of Discussion Groups 7:00-8:30 PM – Supper 8:30-10:00 PM - Worship Sunday – June 10th 7:00-9:00 AM – Breakfast 9:00-12:00 Noon – Worship Service 12:00-1:00 PM – Closing of the Conference 1:00-2:45 PM – Lunch and Departure We invited Sudanese church leaders to speak and lead in all the worship times except for the beginning session when I (Shawn Tyler) spoke. This allowed for a variety of stories, testimonies, songs, and Biblical lessons. No topics were assigned for them since we wanted to give as much freedom as possible to the Sudanese leaders to speak on what filled their heart. Visiting Americans filled most of the speaker slots in the program. Their topics were chosen to provide a central organizing theme to the conference of “The Church’s Role in Sudan”. The speakers and topics were: Wade Landers – “A Biblical Mandate for Missions” – Wade gave a solid, Biblical foundation for doing mission work and evangelism in South Sudan. Larry Fraley – “Seven Decisions You Must Make to Change Sudan” – Larry gave thought-provoking decisions that Sudanese church leaders needed to address in order to position themselves for God’s blessing and power to expand his kingdom in Sudan. Wade Landers – “Principles Found in Paul’s Missionary Journeys” – Wade surveyed Paul’s missionary journeys and found principles that would be applicable to the church’s work in southern Sudan. Mike Schrage – “The Church’s Role in Reconstruction and Reconciliation” – Mike gave Biblical guidance to Sudanese Christians for helping their country and the people rebuild after years of war? A more difficult point is how can the church bring about reconciliation? Martin Brooks – “The Church’s Role in Ministering to War Victims” – Martin spoke of the need for the church to help victims of war? He also gave some suggestions on how the church should balance giving physical help with proclaiming the gospel? Brent Brewer – “The Importance of Godly Leaders in Sudan” – Brent spoke to the Biblical need of godly leaders in establishing a network of churches, Bible schools, projects, discipleship programs, etc. He pulled lessons from Numbers 14 when leaders were chosen to spy out the Promised Land for Israel and what happened when they returned with a bad report. Martin Brooks – “The Church in Sudan and Beyond” – Martin returned a second time to speak about how churches and Christians in Sudan can connect and partner with Christians from around the world? What do Sudanese Christians who have suffered through the war have to say to those outside Sudan? Shawn Tyler – “Having a Mind to Work – A Study of Nehemiah for the Sudanese Church” – Shawn used principles from Nehemiah to encourage Sudanese Christians to carry the gospel to all parts of Sudan. He emphasized the need for Sudanese leaders to make sacrificial contributions to the work and not expect everything to come from foreign donors. Shawn Tyler – “Seven Reasons to be Baptized” – Shawn surveyed Scriptures and gave hand signs as memory devices to teach seven reasons for being baptized. It was our design from the beginning to have some American church leaders present to witness and hear the advice and stories of the Sudanese Christians. Though many expressed interest in coming, the following people actually participated in some or all of the conference. Josh Shelburne – Missionary to Nimule, Sudan, Josh came to Nimule in February to oversee construction of a clinic on the mission compound. He helped Heidi Davison and Laura Beth Chapman prepare for the conference. Josh especially prepared the clinic enough to house several of the visitors. They were painting the building during the entire week of the conference. Laurie Bates – Missionary to Mbale, Laurie helped set things up for the conference before she returned to America June 11th. Laura Beth Chapman – Missionary to Mbale – went to Nimule on May 31st and helped very much in organization for the conference but returned on June 5th – the day the conference began. Heidi Davison – Missionary from Mbale. Applied to Team Expansion for future posting on the mission field, Heidi went to Nimule on May 31st to prepare the compound and staff for the conference. Heidi helped purchase supplies before the conference and took notes and pictures during the conference. Heidi and Shawn were the only two American missionaries or visitors that participated in the entire conference. Shawn Tyler – Missionary to Mbale arrived June 5th and stayed till June 12th. He guided the discussion group sessions and spoke twice during the conference. Chuck Bryant – Member at Quaker Avenue Church of Christ in Lubbock, Texas, Chuck attended the conference in place of Kirk Hayes and Truman Hayes who were unable to arrive in time due to weather delays. Chuck is interested in missions and serves the church at Quaker. Joe Putnam – Ophthalmologist from the Dallas/Fort Worth area in Texas, Joe attended the conference seeking to learn ways in which his expertise could be used for the Sudanese church. Mike Schrage – Former missionary to Kenya, African Director for Good News Productions International (GNPI) and missions committee member for College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, Mike spoke during the conference. Larry Fraley – Missions director for Christ’s Church of the Valley in Phoenix, Arizona, Larry spoke during the conference. Wade Landers – Former missionary, adjunct professor for Ozark Christian College, Missions Director for College Heights Christian Church in Joplin, Missouri, Wade spoke twice during the conference. Martin Brooks – Former missionary, African Director for Team Expansion, Martin arrived on the 10th and spoke during the second half of the conference. Brent Brewer – Former missionary, Professor for Johnson Bible College, Brent arrived on June 10th and spoke during the second half of the conference. Brenton Hutton – Graduate of Johnson Bible College, Assistant to Martin Brooks at Team Expansion, Brenton did not speak at the conference but gathered experience and knowledge from the conference’s discussion groups and sessions. Kimberly Haines – Missionary to Mbale, member of Team Expansion, arrived June 10th and gathered information from the discussion groups and sessions. An Overview Experience of the Conference in Sudan It is Tuesday June 5th and we have just arrived by plane from Entebbe, Uganda. The flight is an hour and a half in a small 10 passenger Cessna plane that allows each passenger a personal feel and view of the flight. There is no bathroom on board, no steward or stewardess, no snacks, and no drinks. In the morning, the weather tends to be smooth and flying enjoyable. In the afternoon, thermals may provide a bumpy ride back to Entebbe. Depending upon passengers, you might fly directly to and from or jump from one grass field to another in southern Sudan before returning to Entebbe. The pilots of Missionary Aviation Fellowship are professional, congenial, helpful, and lead a prayer before each flight. They provide a valuable Christian witness and service for Christians and organizations wishing to contact Sudanese in hard to reach places where roads and fuel are almost non-existent. Some miscommunication delay our hosts in collecting us, but it all works out and Laura Beth Chapman and Laurie Bates arrive in time to take the plane home and greet us briefly as we head for the mission compound just about a mile away. With me are Chuck Bryant, Joe Putnam, Mike Schrage, Wade Landers and Larry Fraley. We were saddened to learn that Kirk Hayes and Truman Hayes were unable to attend due to weather delays in America. Kirk has been hoping and praying to visit Sudan for more than two years. So we are fewer in number than we had anticipated, but our spirits remain high for the conference. We are dumped into the back of a beat up truck along with our bags and bounce over some rutted dirt paths to reach our site. Since there are no offices at the airstrip, we were able to drop off our bags and eat lunch before driving down to the customs and immigration offices about two miles away and officially sign in and pay for our visas. We had to report in at a local payam office – something akin to a local chief’s office. We wanted all the right officials to know of our presence in town. The afternoon was warm but not unbearably hot. The compound had been swept and trimmed back from the buildings. I was happy to see tremendous progress on the clinic building that looked completed except for paint. During my last visit to Nimule in February, I helped Josh Shelburne stake out the boundaries of the building to begin digging the foundation. Now in June I come back to find a completed structure. Josh has been busy. I write in my journal that dark clouds and rain build in the north. Thunder rolls occasionally. It is sunny and windy where we are. At 3:57 PM I count 18 Sudanese who have signed up for the conference. I had been told for months that we could have 250 or more than the limit of 200 I had set because of budget concerns. This group suggests we may have a smaller attendance than had been predicted. I am concerned at first that we may not get a good representation for our research, and yet I am relieved in another way because the conference will cost less. Kennedy Obura, our Kenyan missionary to Nimule, still remains optimistic that we will reach more than 100 people. Clouds come in and rain falls later in the afternoon. Such weather will discourage others from attending. We have so few that we do not decide to begin our conference in the evening. Instead we spend time in worship with some locals who also came. Our evening attendance includes some from the nearby refugee camp who spend the night in the building. Our service has about 45 people total. I speak for a short time and welcome everyone to the conference. Our pressure lantern overhead gives a little light but still makes it difficult to read a Bible. The singing was good and those who have arrived seem enthusiastic. Mike, Larry, and Wade encourage me not to become disheartened by the small number. We can still build relationships, listen to testimonies, have dialogue, and gather information. Beginning on Wednesday and going through Saturday, we begin to develop a pattern that strengthened throughout the week. Our attendance Wednesday morning included 20 Sudanese and 6 Americans. By the afternoon it was 26 Sudanese. Thursday morning it moved up to 27 and jumped again to 31 by the afternoon session. By Thursday evening a group of 18 who had been stranded on the road because of vehicle problems arrived. Their energy and enthusiasm enlivened the whole group. Friday morning began with 51 Sudanese then jumped again to 56 by the afternoon. On Saturday it reached 61 and then climbed again to 73. Sunday morning worship hit 115 people. From this list of numbers it becomes clear that the conference got off to a slow start but steadily built throughout the week. As each day progressed, the group grew in number and excitement. We built relationships and shared stories together. During breaks we had time to visit. The conference ended with 24 baptisms on Sunday morning in the small tank near the church building. The tank had been built for holding water during construction, and it was filled up on Saturday in anticipation of Sunday’s sermon on baptism. A general breakdown of those attending the conference and their church background is as follows: Magwi Church of Christ – 1 person Obbo Church of Christ – 4 people Anzara Church of Christ – 20 people Lukung Church of Christ – 4 people Lobone Church of Christ – 4 people Pangira Church of Christ – 5 people Aweny Olwi Church of Christ – 5 people Longu Church of Christ – 14 people Anzara hosted the conference and Longu was the next closest church. That is the reason for their larger numbers. In addition to these Churches of Christ, we also invited leaders from other churches to provide us with a larger perspective on the situation in South Sudan. We had the following participants: Yumbe 4-Square Gospel Church – 1 person Nimule Sudan Pentecostal Church – 1 person Nimule Africa Inland Church – 2 people Bibia Catholic Church – 1 person Magwi Baptist Church – 1 person Nimule Shekinah Church – 1 person Adjumani Africa Inland Church – 1 person Siaya Church of Christ (Kenya) – 1 person Paul (Sudanese student from America) and Elizabeth Manyok (who lives in Jinja, Uganda) – 2 people American visitors I believe the mix in church backgrounds actually provided a more balanced response and gave us the ability to measure responses from the Churches of Christ against other church groups. One major part of the conference was the discussion groups. When asking questions we wanted to allow as many as possible to give their views and opinions. The best way to do that in a short time was to divide everyone up into groups and let them discuss the question together and come to a consensus which a representative for the group could present to all of us. The discussion questions were as follows: 1. Identify the most important places we need to do mission work (place missionaries, establish centers)? 2. What are the best evangelistic methods in Sudan? What are the greatest needs of Sudanese Christians/Churches? 4. How can American Christians best help Sudanese Christians? 5. What kind of books, printed/DVD/Video materials should we work to produce? 6. How do we reach out to the Muslims? 7. How can we tell the difference between a true Christians and a con man (list the characteristics of each)? 8. How can Sudanese Christians partner with American Christians? We decided the most effective method of gathering information would be to set up blackboards in the front of the building and allow each group to write their answers on the board. They could discuss their answers and provide reasons or thoughts behind them. We listened earnestly to each presenter and asked questions to clarify their answers. In this way, we tried to convey our sincerity in listening and understanding their point of view. We felt this would increase the satisfaction of the groups and encourage them to work harder on the next discussion question. We found them responding favorably to this method of listening and communicating. I might add one other reason fro this format. It has been my experience that in large gatherings one or two forceful personalities can sway the meeting for good or bad. The small groups were chosen to minimize forceful personalities and avoid group think. In the following sections, I will provide the question we discussed and then give the raw data accumulated. I will follow the data with a brief analysis.
Question #1 - Identify the most important places we need to do mission work (place missionaries, establish centers)? We divided everyone into four groups and gave them about an hour to discuss. Their answers were as follows:
Group 1 - There are churches in the first four places, but not yet in Bor. They were suggesting that since there were already churches in these places that it would be a good starting point for new works in and around those areas. Their reasoning - expand existing work. Group 2 - Malakal has many people, but there are no Christians there. Torit is going to be a hub for people returning home from their life as refugees. Yei is on the border and has access into many areas and refugees will be going back to Yei. Juba is a center for communications, a crossroads of sorts. Nuba Mountain is a place where there are no churches at all. Their reasoning – plan strategically for getting the gospel out. Group 3 - Many of the areas selected by this group are made up of cattle keepers who have rejected the Word of God. These peoples don’t have the Word at all. All of them need the Gospel to be preached. Their reasoning – target un-reached people groups. Group 4 - These places are lacking any real church work. Their reasoning – target un-reached people groups. Analysis – We were surprised with the amount of thoughtfulness put into these answers. It became obvious that the line of thinking shaped their answers. Group 1’s idea of building upon existing work seemed like a wise suggestion. Group 2 recognized the transient nature of South Sudan’s people and so they wanted to focus on reaching the masses through key relocation centers. Such an approach gets the gospel out to the widest group of people possible but is not conducive to stable church plants in the long term. Groups 3 and 4 focused on un-reached people groups. This surprised us some but also indicated that they had been shaped by previous visits of western visitors because of the technical terms and expressions used. Missionaries moving to South Sudan any time soon may find a still transient population. Targeting relocation areas will provide the widest base for preaching the gospel, but following people to their home areas will be necessary in order to establish long term church work. Strategic places such as Juba, Magwi, Yei, and Torit provide central hub locations where large numbers of people will come should be a priority for a strong mission presence. Of course un-reached people groups may dominate the South. Targeting them is good if they are found to be receptive. In the end, it may be wise to develop a multi-pronged approach and then emphasize the areas where God seems to be leading.
Question #2 - What are the best evangelistic methods in Sudan? We had more Sudanese for this discussion time so we added a fifth group. We introduced this question by recognizing that we were visitors to Sudan and were unsure what the best method of evangelizing would be. We asked them to give us suggestions on how best to begin a mission work. Their answers are as follows.
Analysis – Their answers of crusades, open air meetings, benevolence, and mass media seemed to center on traditional evangelistic methods that have probably been used in the past. We tended to believe the suggestions of church buildings had less to do with evangelism (though buildings do give a sense of permanence, stability, and respect) and more to do with their felt need to have structures in their home areas. They underscored their desire for church buildings by inserting it here in case they did not get a chance to do it again. It appeared again more strongly in question four. The most culturally appropriate and seemingly thoughtful answers centered around personal relationships (door to door, fellowships, Bible studies). We would probably be wise not to neglect traditional approaches to evangelism in order avoid being seen as an odd or non-conformist mission, but we might see greater long term growth through the methods emphasizing personal relationships.
Question #3 – What are the greatest needs of the Sudanese church/Christians? Though this question is similar to question four, they differ slightly. We wanted to know what the Sudanese felt were the greatest needs facing them and the church as a whole. After receiving a list of these needs, we wanted to go to the fourth question and ask out of those things listed, which could/should be addresses by American Christians wanting to partner with Sudanese Christians. In theory questions 3 had a larger scope than question four. There is overlap in answers for both questions. It was intended to be this way to provide an opportunity for our conference attendees to prioritize the list in question four. Here are the answers to question three:
Analysis – We did not direct this question in any way. While we had hoped the answers would provide areas of spiritual need, the answers were overwhelmingly physical in nature. The reasons for this are many. First and foremost is the recent war and refugee status of many. The basic fabric of government, economy, and social life has been ripped out of South Sudan. The most daunting needs before those moving back into abandoned farms is the physical needs of re-establishing their homes and churches. Some of the highest felt needs among refugees is physical help for the disadvantaged such as widows, orphans, and children. Refugees realize their children are missing out on education so scholarships are also a high priority. Other services that the government is not providing also appear on our lists such as hospitals, schools, boreholes, orphanages, and adult literacy. When church matters are considered, erecting church buildings was the highest priority and the most stressed among the speakers. After this came leadership training, preacher support, phones, projects, Bibles, and assistance for the needy. While American Christians may want to emphasize spiritual matters such as evangelism, church planting, and leadership training, they will be overwhelmed with requests for physical help. The dire situation in Sudan calls for American Christians to prepare for lots of physical assistance as they enter with plans to plant churches. They will not be able to separate the two. In fact, Sudanese Christians may gauge American sincerity in preaching the Gospel by how they answer the extreme physical needs that meet them among the Sudanese Christians.
Question #4 - How can American Christians best help Sudanese Christians?
Asking how the mission may help Sudanese Christians roused lots of enthusiasm. Some may have thought we were going to do everything they listed. We tried to make it as clear as possible that we were not promising anything other than to listen and understand what they were suggesting. Their answers are as follows:
Analysis – This question brought a wide variety of answers. There seemed to be little organization in answering and reflected more of a “wish list” than sound, thoughtful response. One group would suggest a hospital project and then couple it with pastor support or bicycles. The bigness or costliness of a project did not seem to curtail their asking. This probably reflected their belief that we had unlimited funds for anything they could convince us of. The smaller physical suggestions such as bicycles, support, adult literacy, land and church buildings reflected a more accurate picture of where they currently were in their struggles. Mixed in among the physical needs were some suggestions for evangelism, leadership training, and organizational development. These may reflect answers they thought we wanted to hear, or illustrate some of their previous experience with other church groups. During this session their physical needs rang loud and clear. However, in private sessions after the conference, heart-felt appeals for Biblical training seemed to indicate that their request for spiritual help was as genuine as their physical needs. Once again it became clear that missionaries coming into Sudan will need to address the overwhelming physical needs of the Sudanese Christians. If they do not, their spiritual ministry may be limited. It seems wise to plan on doing physical help to a larger degree than other countries simply because of the huge current need. This does not have to be a long term emphasis. However giving attention to it as one comes in will build trust, express compassion, and gain a listening ear quicker than coming in without it. Spiritual ministry such as training should not be neglected. The Sudanese are very aware of the importance of education. They will appreciate an even-handed, wholistic mission approach that helps their physical needs while encouraging greater spiritual growth.
Question #5 – What “tools” do you need most that we should help provide? When introducing this question I tried not to taint their answers by hinting at anything in particular. Still I could not avoid giving an example of printed materials during my introduction. The answers given suggest they were not influenced by my apparent leaning toward printed materials. Their answers are as follows:
Analysis – Our thinking of “tools” was more in the line of printed materials, tracts, Bibles, etc. Our western value of literacy and the printed word was shocked by the answers we received in this session. There was a heavy emphasis on physical needs again but in common, practical ways. Furniture, bicycles, cooking utensils, hoes, plates, cups, instruments, and choir uniforms showed that most churches were lacking even the most basic items to host visitors or even care for themselves. A request for a resettlement package for refugees made us realize the tremendous need of the average person sitting before us. KEEP WORKING ON THIS SECTION!!!
Question #6 - How do we reach out to the Muslims?
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