gospel had been unheard of before.
In this pioneer situation, living water
changed the lives of lost people, and
physical water was desperately needed.
The only available water was dark brown
and extremely contaminated, leaving
eight children dead near the church. God
opened a door from the Church of God
in Germany to drill a well and build a ■ by Jürgen Rudolph
Cush Gets the Gospel
church building. This was a great witness
to the community that the Church of
God preaches a holistic gospel.
In November 2009, the Church of
T
HE SUDAN has captured the registered with the government. God Unreached People’s Group office,
imagination of people around the Soon after the Church of God took headed by Roland Vaughan, visited the
world throughout history. Many roots in Yei, the government gave prime work among the Mundari and made con-
scholars believe the Biblical terms land to the church, just a few hundred tact with various unreached peoples. It
of Cush and the Cushites are references to yards from the center of the town. A is estimated there are still 138 unreached
the Sudan and its people, geographically church and a primary school were built. people groups in Sudan.
bordering the south of Egypt, and histori- Nicolas Lolik Lemi, a minister and teach- An annual training seminar for Church
cally often referred to as Nubia. er, started the school without any outside of God ministers takes place in Yei. The
Modern Sudan is the largest country help for the fast-growing returning popu- hunger for the Word of God and training
in Africa, roughly one-fourth the size lation, most of them from refugee camps. is high. Ministers do not have access to a
of the United States. In January 2005, Today, this primary school has more Church of God Bible school, so training
a comprehensive peace agreement was than 1,000 students in grades one through by extension is the only way this need is
signed between northern and southern seven. More than 100 students cram into met. The hunger is expressed by the great
Sudan, ending nearly 50 years of armed one classroom. Due to lack of space, the difficulties pastors undergo to attend the
conflict which was interrupted only by a younger classes continue to be taught training. On one occasion a pastor in his
relative peace between 1972 and 1983. An under a huge mango tree. This is one of 60s rode his bicycle for three days through
independent conflict within Sudan in the the few primary bushy and dangerous areas, and a couple
area of Darfur started in 2003 and raises schools in Yei, in their mid-50s walked for two days from
ongoing worldwide concern. and the demand neighboring northeastern Congo to partici-
The Church of God in Sudan began for schooling pate in the ministerial training in Yei.
in July 1997 when a group of four men, is tremendous. In November 2009, Sudanese pastor
among whom were Joseph Kagarama and Some of the stu- and teacher Nicolas Lolik Lemi graduated
John Noah Komi, entered from Uganda dents are in their from the Discipleship College in Eldoret,
to the south with the intention to start late adolescence, since the war made it Kenya, and will be focusing on training
a church. They arrived in the city of Yei, impossible for many boys and girls to fellow ministers.
which had been captured by the Sudan enter school during their younger years. The denominational representative
People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM). The The Church of God has spread over for the Sudan, John Noah Komi, reports
stench of death was still hanging over the several counties in southern Sudan, and that the Church of God is one of the fast-
streets, as corpses from the fighting still lay has reached a variety of people groups, est growing Pentecostal churches in the
in the nearby wooded areas. However, the including a least-reached people group, country. The manifestation of spiritual
advancement of the SPLM liberated south- the Mundari. During the national con- gifts in local churches includes signs and
ern Sudan, opening it for relief agencies and vention of 2008, Pastor Eli Awile was sent wonders after preaching the Word of
the opportunity to preach the gospel. The with Jacob, a school teacher, to plant a God, marked by spiritual insight of the
small team visited prisoners of war, bringing church and a school in Terekeka among church, and lost people responding posi-
them food, preaching the gospel, and laying the Mundari. Pastor Awile, in his late 60s, tively to the gospel. The Church of God
the foundation for the Church of God. said, “How can I retire and enjoy life, has grown to 43 churches and 16 mis-
On October 15, 1997, the first Church when my people in the Sudan suffer?” sions with 4,206 members.
of God congregation was organized in Soon after arriving in Terereka among
Yei, and Eli Awile became their pastor. the Mundari in May 2008, the church Jürgen Rudolph, Christian education
He has since started five other churches. had a primary school with over 200 stu- coordinator for Africa, makes periodic trips
In 1999 the denomination was nationally dents and a church in an area where the into Sudan.
12 EVANGEL • DEC 2009
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