A New Program for Sudanese Pastors

On September 25, two dozen church leaders arrived at Trinity to spend the weekend thinking and praying about their pastoral ministry. This in itself is not too unusual for us here: we have Jan Terms, June Terms, August Terms, Doctor of Ministry programs, and conferences of various kinds. But this group was different. These men and women are all pastors or lay leaders of congregations around the U.S. — congregations composed of Sudanese people who have left their country as refugees.

The Sudan has been devastated by civil war for most of its history as a nation. The latest phase of the war (from the early 1980s) has resulted in two million deaths, most of them in the southern part of the country where most of the population is now Christian. Millions of southern Sudanese have been forced into exile. Many are internally displaced; many have fled to neighboring countries like Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda, and many have gone to Europe or North America. Most major cities in the U.S. (and many smaller places) now have substantial Sudanese refugee communities. These Sudanese have brought their Christian faith with them. Many are worshipping in our churches — but many also feel the need to worship in their own languages and in a setting in which they feel at home. And so Sudanese Christian churches have begun to emerge in many places. Many of these churches have pastors, but most are in need of theological education and pastoral training.

Trinity is attempting to respond to this through the establishment of a “Diploma in Pastoral Studies for Sudanese Church Leaders.” Students will come to four conferences hosted at Trinity and complete four Christian Foundation Program courses at home under the guidance of a local mentor who has signed the Trinity Statement of Faith. Michael Yemba, a Sudanese student who is finishing a degree at Trinity, is the Director of the Program and Grant LeMarquand, Professor of Biblical Studies and Mission, is the faculty advisor. Katharine Frey of the TEEM department is providing educational support.

Our September 2004 conference, the first of its kind, was limited to 25 leaders. We are hoping that the next gathering (in the Spring of 2005) will be open to 50 Sudanese pastors.