Bishop Nathaniel Garang: The brave icon of faith among the Anglicans of South Sudan
By Awuol Gabriel Arok, Juba, South Sudan
February 10, 2018 (SSB) — Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth consecrated as the Anglican bishop of Bor in 1984 was among those who fled when Bor was attacked by the Khartoum government. At Lambeth 1988, he was referred to as the “Lost Bishop” because no one knew what had happened to him. Finally, in 1990, he was able to re-establish contact with the outside world; Jesse Zink 2013; Bishop Nathaniel has baptized, trained, and ordained many Christians from Episcopal Church of Sudan in the 1980s to CPA era toward the Independence.
Former Bishop of Diocese of Bor and Canon of Province of Episcopal Church Rt, Rev. Nathaniel Garang Anyieth is a man of great experiences when it comes to South Sudanese issues. He went to school with many of the war liberators and he himself joined the war of liberation in Anya Nya 1 before opting for his Church roles as a clergyman. The first war took Bishop Nathaniel to Uganda as a refugee and subsequently to Kenya where he entered theological school and that path took him to the highest seat of the Bishop many years later.
Nathaniel effort toward the spread of Christianity and evangelization of Greater Jonglei was not an easy task among the majorly illiterate and primitive folks of the rural lives, the majority of the people had their own traditions and practices with extreme beliefs in ancestral spirits and idols.
Under his direct leadership blessed with a spiritual gift the arrogance centurial feared communities’ gods such as Aleer eeh Nyarweng, Mayom eeh Kongor, Liirpiou Angakueeth, Mangok de Juet, Atem da Awuliaan and many more were completely destroyed with less resistant due to his influence and persuasive Christiania ideology.
Garang Anyieth is one of the most respected bishops among the Anglican followers in then Sudan and now in the Republic of South Sudan and is greatly adored by the people of greater Jonglei as the one who lifted them out from the pit of false worshipping of idols and spirits gods and they truly confessed to having been victimized by those sacrificial-gods for centuries.
He was looked at as a spiritual liberator together in the liberation boat with brothers and sisters from the SPLM/A movement who were fighting against social, economic and political oppression, his was a liberation war from the fangs of evils and idols whereas the likes of Dr. John Garang were fighting liberation war against human oppressors based in Khartoum.
While the fighting was going on in the bushes and town of Southern Sudan Bishop Nathaniel was preaching hope among the IDPs and refugees both in Kenya, Uganda, USA, Europe and Australia. His effort and dream for peace led to the formation of Thiec Nhialic Ministry, Tuoke nhiol group and Youth Mama Group of the Episcopal Church of the then Sudan and now South Sudan.
He was a regular visitor to IDPs and Refugee Camps in which most of his activities were based in the 1990s and until the signing of CPA in 2005.
Bishop Garang is a great preacher and motivator, a man of God and at the same time a wondrous father, his team made up of Late Daniel Dau Deng (lenhdit), Rebecca Lueth Wel, Majok Deng Mathiang, Mama Mary Achol Deng-nuer and Joseph Akol Gak fed the scattered flocks of the church with trust, hope and mission of purpose at a time where grains of hope were encroached by the powerful force of darkness and blade of bitterness.
May God bless the work of his hands and reward him (Nathanieldit) with many more years to come. He is a symbol of spiritual freedom.
Awuol Gabriel Arok, a Writer, and a Poet, has a Bachelor Degree in Social and Developmental Studies from the University of Juba, South Sudan, he is the author of the unpublished book ‘‘The Wisdom Horn’’ and an Initiator of ‘‘Your Tribe is My Tribe’’ and ‘‘Giving Heart Foundation’’ initiatives. He can be reached via his email Address: jjmkamzeearokson@yahoo.com
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