Rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn

We are hearing good news and difficult news from our colleagues in South Sudan. We wanted to share, so that you can rejoice with us and also pray.

1. PRAISE: A few new church buildings are going up - both in Juba and also in remote rural areas. One is a church plant near the edge of Juba, supported by a larger SSPEC congregation in Juba. Another is in the western town of Aweil, where a church elder from Juba visited and was inspired to give a significant contribution to help the church get their own land.

2.  In Pochalla, in the remote eastern region of South Sudan, the church has begun planting their cooperative farm for the second year. This is a significant opportunity for church members to work together to increase the food security and economic security of their community. Some farmers in that area have been killed recently, so please pray for protection as people work in the remote fields.

3. We grieve to hear of more than 200 people killed when youth of the Murle tribe attacked several villages of the Nuer tribe. Cattle were taken and several people abducted in the attack. These tribes have been in conflict for some time, and it appears this was a revenge attack. Inter-communal attacks have also happened in the Rumbek region, where I visited in early March. We continue to pray for peace and an end to these attacks! For more about this news and what the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan is doing to try to help, see this article.

4. Covid-19 is increasing quickly, with 655 confirmed cases as of May 25. We have heard from friends and the news that there seems to be an increase of people dying of suspicious causes, although not confirmed cases of Covid-19. Pray for the health system to keep up with the testing and treatment needed and for wisdom in the decisions made to contain the disease. Our colleague Rev. Philip Obang also laments the increase in hunger as many people are not able to work and activities are limited.

We are grateful that in Christ we are one body with our brothers and sisters in different parts of the world, and that we join together in rejoicing, grieving, and praying.

“Let us therefore approach the throne of grace with boldness, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16

Continuing Studies

Two weeks after arriving in Rwanda in March 2002, Antoine Rutayisire, my host, asked me, “So Bob, what made you decide to come and live and serve with us here in Rwanda?” I replied to Antoine, telling him that I came not only to serve but to learn more about the Rwandan story and the African experience. I felt that our two-week visits to Rwanda had merely skimmed the surface of the many issues I found interesting and concerning. Over the next two and half years, I would so learn much about the realities of Rwandans living in a post-Genocide context. I would participate with them in their healing, their challenges, their joys, and their sorrows.

In January 2005, I began a dual degree at Fuller Theological Seminary. On top of my Master of Divinity degree, I began a Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies (MAICS) degree, feeling a continued sense of call to cross-cultural ministry. A huge draw for the MAICS degree was the final writing project, or thesis, whereby I would continue critical reflection upon my mission experience. My final paper, entitled “Banana Tree Leaders,” focused upon how Rwandan church leaders are developed according to the Bible, the church, and their culture. The whole research process, which included a three-week trip to Rwanda, was highly informative. As I met with my research advisor and a friend, together they asked me, “Have you considered doctoral studies?”

As we lived and served in Congo, this question would stay with me. Issues regarding church and culture invite continual reflection. I wanted to dig in deeper with these issues and equip others to do the same. In the fall of 2016, I shared the idea of continuing studies with our Presbyterian World Mission leaders. They responded positively. In the spring of 2017 Dave Dawson of Shenango Presbytery connected me with Dr. Retief Müller of Stellenbosch University, South Africa. Retief encouraged me from the start, sharing the same research concerns and appreciation for many of the same scholars, practitioners of mission, and theologians. In Retief I found a kindred spirit. When I fell sick in 2017 with the Epstein Barr Virus, Retief was supportive and patient. His support continued when I reached out to him last year and asked if was still willing to serve as my advisor for a doctoral program. He agreed. I applied.

In late September 2019, I was accepted as a prospective candidate for a PhD program at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. I was “over the moon” with excitement. Last October Kristi and I were able to meet Retief in person for the first time in Grand Rapids, MI, where he has taken the post of Director of The Nagel Institute for the Study of World Christianity, while being retained by Stellenbosch as a research associate. The leadership and faculty at Nile Theological College, where I teach in Juba, South Sudan, support me in this endeavor, recognizing that advanced studies will strengthen the institution and make me a better teacher. During this current season of being in the U.S., I am writing my Research Proposal for full acceptance as a candidate. Kristi and I plan to continue our service in South Sudan as I continue my doctoral studies part-time from Juba.

The other night we watched an interview of Douglas Gresham, stepson to C.S. Lewis. Gresham was asked to remark on his memories of his stepfather, C.S. Lewis. Gresham recalled that “Jack” (Lewis) encouraged him to examine things, to not take anything at face value. In my continuing studies, I hope and pray to examine church and culture, not taking things at face value. Pray with me that my studies bring glory to God, further His Kingdom, and bless the African Church…