{"id":17404,"date":"2013-05-23T10:08:05","date_gmt":"2013-05-23T14:08:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.samaritanspurse.org\/?p=17404"},"modified":"2023-10-19T12:29:13","modified_gmt":"2023-10-19T16:29:13","slug":"celebrating-over-500-new-churches-in-south-sudan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/construction\/celebrating-over-500-new-churches-in-south-sudan\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Over 500 New Churches in South Sudan"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/-zXQx6p7Bb8?rel=0\" height=\"450\" width=\"660\" allowfullscreen=\"\" frameborder=\"0\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<h4>God receives thanksgiving and praise at a special service to mark the end of a program to restore houses of worship in South Sudan<\/h4>\n<p>Hundreds gathered at the Akuem Cathedral in South Sudan\u2019s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Sunday to celebrate and thank God for the rebuilding of more than 500 churches destroyed as a result of a brutal, two-decades-long civil war.<\/p>\n<p>A total of 512 churches were built under the Church Reconstruction Program, a partnership between Samaritan\u2019s Purse and local congregations that began in 2005. Church members worked hard to gather raw materials and form bricks or cement blocks, which often took a period of several months. They also fashioned doors and windows. Samaritan\u2019s Purse designed the structures; supplied steel trusses, roofs, benches, and pulpits; and helped with construction.<\/p>\n<a href=\"#donateBottom\" target=\"\" class=\"sc-button green-button right-button\"><span>Give<\/span><\/a>\n<p>\u201cA rebuilt church represents bringing the hope of Christ back to these areas after war,\u201d said Bishop James Lagos Alexander of the African Inland Church. \u201cIt\u2019s not just a church being built, it\u2019s a restoration of hope, a restoration of Christian dignity, and a restoration of our commitment to the Lord.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The majority of the churches were constructed in what is now South Sudan, both before and after it gained independence in July 2011, including 91 in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. About a third were built in the Nuba Mountains region of Sudan, all while Sudan and South Sudan were still one nation.<\/p>\n<p><b>Life Was Horrible<\/b><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" alt=\"SP CRP Church Dedication Akuem_S. Sudan_85397\" src=\"\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2013\/05\/SP-CRP-Church-Dedication-Akuem_S.-Sudan_85397-160x240.jpg\" width=\"160\" height=\"240\" \/>The Akuem Cathedral can hold approximately 1,000 worshippers, making it one of the largest of the new churches. Its history also made for a compelling reason to hold the celebration there.<\/p>\n<p>Before the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement, Islamic militias from the north came multiple times into the region to raid cattle, burn villages, destroy churches, steal young children to rear as their own, conscript older boys for their forces, and murder pastors. Church planter William Deng, who shepherded flocks in Akuem village and nearby areas for many years, can still point out the tree near the spot where two young men and an older man were killed by aerial bombs as pro-Khartoum forces terrorized the region during the 2001 dry season. The tree stands less than 200 yards from the new church.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLife was horrible,\u201d Deng said. \u201cWhen we saw the churches burning we thought it was the end of times like the Bible describes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" alt=\"SP CRP Church Dedication Akuem_S. Sudan_85351\" src=\"\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2013\/05\/SP-CRP-Church-Dedication-Akuem_S.-Sudan_85351-360x240.jpg\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" \/>The original church was first burned in 1992 (before Deng arrived) and the people used temporary shelters to worship in until 2011. That\u2019s when Deng heard his congregation qualified for the Church Reconstruction Program.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we heard Samaritan\u2019s Purse was coming to build the church we were so happy,\u201d Deng said. \u201cWe had felt like no one was supporting us.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><b>More Work to Be Done<\/b><\/p>\n<p>During the celebration event filled with prayer and song, Samaritan\u2019s Purse staff member Scott Hughett, a project leader in its early years, recounted some history behind the work.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn 2005, I received a message from [Samaritan&#8217;s Purse President] Franklin Graham,\u201d Hughett said. \u201cHe told me, God has put a burden on my heart to rebuild the churches that have been destroyed. When I think back, I didn\u2019t think it was possible. There were so many problems. But with God all things are possible.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" alt=\"SP CRP Church Dedication Akuem_S. Sudan_86558\" src=\"\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2013\/05\/SP-CRP-Church-Dedication-Akuem_S.-Sudan_86558-360x240.jpg\" width=\"360\" height=\"240\" \/>\u201cThe program was not successful because of the resources brought by Samaritan\u2019s Purse, but because of the spirit, the enthusiasm, and the work of the church [here]. It was a partnership.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Hughett also read a letter from Graham in which he thanked the Lord for the churches of South Sudan and the fruit their work is bearing. Graham emphasized the importance of the Gospel and offered a prayer asking God to strengthen the churches in order that they can continue to build on the rock of His salvation.<\/p>\n<p>Denominational representatives from South Sudan as well as Samaritan\u2019s Purse staff touched on many of these same topics in a series of encouraging messages addressed to those gathered for this historic event.<\/p>\n<p>Bishop Anthony Poggo of the Episcopal Church of Sudan thanked Samaritan\u2019s Purse supporters worldwide for their partnership in the project.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn addition to building these physical buildings, you have helped us build the lives of the people, the church of God,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft\" alt=\"SP CRP Church Dedication Akuem_S. Sudan_85802\" src=\"\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2013\/05\/SP-CRP-Church-Dedication-Akuem_S.-Sudan_85802-160x240.jpg\" width=\"160\" height=\"240\" \/>Representing the Sudan Council of Churches, Bishop Michael Taban of the Sudan Pentecostal Church, gave thanks to the Almighty and then pointed to the church\u2019s unfinished work of missions, evangelism, and discipleship in Sudan and South Sudan.<\/p>\n<p>Edward Densham, Samaritan\u2019s Purse Director of International Projects, picked up on that theme.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhy did God have these churches built in South Sudan? Why did God keep the churches strong during persecution?\u201d Densham asked. \u201cPlease remember that He has planted you to bring glory and honor to His Name. This is only the beginning; this is not the end. If God has given you one church, go and make five. The churches that have been built are tools for God\u2019s glory, and God wants you use to use these to reach everyone in South Sudan for Christ.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Densham concluded by asking for prayer for the people of the Nuba Mountains who remain under attack by their own government.<\/p>\n<p>Samaritan\u2019s Purse continues to support the churches and people of South Sudan through a variety of programs.<\/p>\n<p>The vast majority of South Sudanese cannot read, and local church leaders have identified discipleship as an issue of pressing concern. The Bible Leadership and Discipleship (BILD) Program aims to address both of these problems.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright\" alt=\"SP CRP Church Dedication Akuem_S. Sudan_85971\" src=\"\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2013\/05\/SP-CRP-Church-Dedication-Akuem_S.-Sudan_85971-160x240.jpg\" width=\"160\" height=\"240\" \/>Our staff trains men and women how to teach basic literacy (using the local Dinka language). Those trained then teach 25 others in their home churches during an intense four-month course. Upon completion, participants receive a New Testament in their language.<\/p>\n<p>The BILD program also instructs trainers, selected by local congregations, to teach a four-month discipleship course. Similar to the literacy focus, these trainers return to their home churches to offer four months of Bible training.<\/p>\n<p>Samaritan\u2019s Purse also remains committed to meeting the pressing physical needs of those suffering in South Sudan through our feeding, nutrition, water, sanitation, hygiene, and agriculture projects based in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Yida. We also run a hospital in remote Maban County.<\/p>\n<a name=\"donateBottom\" id=\"articleDonateBookmark\"><\/a> <div class=\"donationItem donationitem-group \">  <div class=\"di-full-wrapper\">      <div id=\"di-full-header\"><span id=\"header-text\">SUPPORT<\/span><\/div>      <div class=\"di-full-col1\">      <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"di-full-img\" alt=\"Stand with South Sudan Samaritan's Purse\" src=\"https:\/\/spweb-uploads.s3.theark.cloud\/2012\/09\/1631SD-M-089-DonationItemSouthSudanStand-764x460.jpg\" \/>      <\/div> <!-- close di-full-col1 -->      <div class=\"di-full-col2\">      <div class=\"di-full-content\">          <span class=\"di-full-title\">South Sudan Relief<\/span>          <span class=\"di-full-post\">Samaritan\u2019s Purse is providing emergency food and clean water for people in South Sudan who have been internally displaced by an ongoing conflict within the country, and we continue to provide emergency aid to refugees who have fled violence in the Nuba Mountains and other parts of Sudan. Additional projects include drilling wells to provide clean water, distributing food to fight hunger and malnutrition, providing medical care for the sick and suffering, and working through the local church to build up communities through education and biblical literacy.<\/span>          <div class=\"di-full-payment\">              <hr \/>              <div class=\"diCode\">South Sudan Relief 013954<\/div>              <div class=\"diSuggWrap\"><\/div>              <div class=\"diSuggested\">                  <span class=\"diDollar\">$<\/span><input type=\"text\" name=\"item\" class=\"donationitem\" data-sku=\"013954\" data-item-description=\"South Sudan Relief\" data-allow-response=\"true\" data-response-limit=\"\" data-entity-attributes=\"\" data-max-qty=\"0\" data-authorize-only=\"false\" data-is-order=\"false\" data-item-value=\"0\" size=\"10\">                  <button type=\"button\" data-sku=\"013954\" data-item-description=\"South Sudan Relief\" class=\"directCheckout sc-button green-button\">Checkout<\/button>              <\/div>              <div style=\"clear:both;\"><\/div>          <\/div>      <\/div> <!--close di-full-content -->      <\/div> <!-- close di-full-col2 -->      <div class=\"clear\"><\/div>  <\/div> <!--close di-full-wrapper -->       <div class=\"clear\"><\/div>\t<\/div> <!-- close donationItem div -->\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>God receives thanksgiving and praise at a special service to mark the end of a program to restore houses of worship in South Sudan Hundreds gathered at the Akuem Cathedral in South Sudan\u2019s Northern Bahr el Ghazal State on Sunday to celebrate and thank God for the rebuilding of more than 500 churches destroyed as [&#038;hellip<\/p>","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[132],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-17404","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-construction","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17404","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/88"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=17404"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17404\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":246787,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/17404\/revisions\/246787"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=17404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=17404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/samaritanspurse.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=17404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}