Joint ecumenical prayer on the situation in Sudan
International
An ecumenical Zoom prayer vigil on Friday 28 July will express love and solidarity for the churches and people of Sudan
An ecumenical prayer vigil on 28 July will express love and solidarity for the churches and people of Sudan.
Theme: Let us not be wary in making entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings on behalf of all those in Sudan. (1 Timothy 2:1)
28 July 2023
14:00 – 15:00 [Editor’s note: from 10pm, Brisbane time]
Click here to register
The violence in the Sudan broke out in April 2023 following the stand-off between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the paramilitary unit, the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and has brought devastating huge impact. According to OCHA, more than 2.8 million people have been displaced, including over 2.2 million inside the country and nearly 615,000 that have crossed the border into neighbouring countries; and many have been killed including at least 15 aid workers.
Many attempts have been applied with little impacts. Series of ceasefires agreements have failed to hold. Arising from these, the All Africa Conference of Churches (AACC), the Fellowship of Christian Councils and Churches in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (FECCLAHA); and the World Council of Churches (WCC) are jointly pursuing working with others to advance alternative spaces for peace and sustainable solution to the crisis.
Concerned by the evolving events and especially the challenges facing the Church in the country, a session, bringing together a number of church-based and ecumenical agencies was held on 25 May 2023 to deliberate on the situation and collectively map joint actions. Upon listening to the situation and its complexity, the participants resolved to have a coordinated actions on the situation. Through the Communique issued on 24 June 2023, the participating organizations collectively, among others, reaffirmed their commitment to pray for peace and support all efforts for sustainable peace and stabilization of the country; and called for the building and creation of alternative spaces for civil society and other non-state actors to help in bringing sustainable solutions to the situation in Sudan.
It is out of the commitment to prayers that a joint virtual ecumenical prayer session is being planned for 28 July 2023.
The prayer session seeks to mobilize and synergize church-based organizations and ecumenical agencies across the globe for spiritual interventions and collective actions on the Sudan crisis.
With the purpose of seeking Divine intercession on behalf of the people of Sudan and generating practical collective actions; and guided by the theme from the Book of theme of 1 Timothy 2:1, making entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings on behalf of all those in Sudan, the virtual prayer session will be composed of, among others:
- Short context reflection from a Church leader under SCC; Biblical reflection
- Biblical prayers for the Sudan: Prayer of intercession (Isaiah 62:6-7); thanksgiving (1 Thessalonians 5:18); and prayer of the Holy Spirit (Zechariah 12:10; and Galatians 4:6)
- Benediction of encouragement for the people of Sudan (Romans 15:5–6)
First published on the World Council of Churches website on 17 July 2023.
Jump to next article
