Maridi Diocese, Southern Sudan
Down and Dromore’s link with Maridi Diocese in Southern Sudan is a partnership through CMS Ireland and is lived out under the name ADDMisSSion.
ADDMiSSion is a unique concept of mission across three continents, Albany, Down and Dromore, sharing together in Mission with the Church in Southern Sudan through CMS Ireland.
The Vision began when Bishop Miller and his wife visited the Diocese of Maridi in 1999 with Canon Cecil Wilson, the former CMSI General Secretary and saw at first hand the struggles of the people who were at that time just beginning to return from exile. A number of parishes in the diocese of Down and Dromore were identified and approached about developing a Mission Link with Maridi Diocese and the diocese of Albany were also invited to join in this Partnership.
Both Albany and Down and Dromore have responded very generously in practical terms to the very genuine needs that exist in Sudan. Chaima Bible School, operating under trees in 1999, was the inspiration for Bishop Miller to begin the partnership and moved into new buildings funded by Holywood Parish. The first phase of this new development was opened by Bishop Miller in January 2005 and is now providing clergy training for other dioceses as well as Maridi. Bicycles for clergy, a vehicle for the bishop, new primary schools, a new health clinic and a refurbished Guest House have also been provided through the partnership.
The link, however, is primarily about people and building relationships. Each year a joint mission team from Albany and Ireland have visited Maridi to engage in practical mission and the Bishop of Maridi, the Rt Rev Justin Badi Arama has visited both Albany and Ireland. Very strong links have been forged between all partners as a result.
A personal view
Jane Corbett from Dromore Cathedral shares her experience of being part of the link;
"Sudan has become a very special place for me. It all began in late 1999, when we had a visit from CMSI, to Dromore Cathedral, one evening in late September. Joining with Canon Cecil Wilson was the then Bishop of Maridi Diocese in Southern Sudan, the now Archbishop of Sudan, Joseph Marona. They showed the film The Resurrection People, and for me that changed my life.
I left the meeting with a feeling of connection to what I'd seen and a feeling of a real longing to be able to be of some help.
In 2000, I was asked to join a team, but this turned out not to be possible and in March 2001 I was delighted and privileged to go for the first time to visit Southern Sudan, with the first of our Down and Dromore and Albany teams, (our link Diocese in New York State) this was a wonderful experience and this too has been life changing.
The faith and love I have enjoyed through visiting Southern Sudan, being able to spend time and make relationships with fellow Christians, whose faith has remained solid, in the face of so much war and persecution, has been tremendous.
I have also been able to learn and grow in faith with many new friends in Albany, having visited there and stayed in their homes.
There is so much we, who have so much, can do to help our brothers and sisters in Southern Sudan, with education and all manner of assistance and from them we can learn to love and trust Our Lord, in a way it is too easy to forget in our much easier and priveleged way of life here in the west".
Sudan and Maridi Diocese (from CMSIreland)
Stretching for 1/4 of the length of Africa, Sudan is bordered in the North by Egypt, in the west by Libya, Chad, the Central African Republic and the Democratic Republic of Congo, in the south by Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia and in the east by Eritrea and the Red Sea. The north is broadly Islamic, while the south has been characterised by Christian Missionary Endeavours.
Maridi Diocese is situated due west of Juba, the main provincial town in Southern Sudan and shares a southern border with DR Congo.
The civil war, which has had such a devastating effect on Sudan's recent history, saw many people in the diocese forced into exile - mostly in DR Congo. However, in the past few years, many of those people have begun to return home and start a new life, from scratch.
During the war much of the infrastructure in the area was destroyed but the Church remained. As the resettlement process began to evolve it was clear that the Church, under the leadership of Bishop Justin Badi, would play a pivotal role in the rebuilding of Maridi.
This meant that, amongst other things, the diocese became involved in providing primary and secondary level education, ensuring basic healthcare and enabling HIV/AIDS awareness training.
Now that the peace process is being worked out across Southern Sudan the Church is continuing to meet the needs of its people and is looking to: train more teachers; improve and equip school buildings; upgrade the health clinic facilities; and provide clean water for those living in the area.
Local leaders are acutely aware that these physical responses are only part of the story and continue to share the love of Christ in word as well as deed - equipping people for evangelism and nurturing new believers.
CMS Ireland has walked alongside the diocese for more than 10 years and, in that time, has supported: the building of Chaima Bible School; construction of a Diocesan Health Clinic; refurbishment of Haddow and Amaki Primary Schools; a range of women's programmes; and a number of leadership training initiatives.
"Southern Sudan is certainly not the easiest place in the world to work. The roads are poor, communication is difficult, health care is limited and there is little mains water or drainage. In short, decades of conflict have wreaked havoc on the local infrastructure. Many of the obvious problems are exacerbated by the influx of tens of thousands of refugees and internally displaced people returning home.
However, the Church is making significant inroads into communities and is working to share the love of Christ in word and deed. Evangelism, leadership training, education, health care and vocational skills are significant priorities across all CMS Ireland's partner dioceses, including Down and Dromore."