The ECSS Politico-Heresy in Jonglei State
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By Ruben Ayuen De Mach-Matur, Bor, Jonglei State
Thursday, January 28, 2021 (PW) — The Episcopal Church of South Sudan has been one of the most popular denomination in Jonglei state especially the Greater Bor Areas. The denomination (ECSS) emerged in the early epoch of the missionary religious revolution in Sudan. The denomination had successfully remove the deities (Jaak) in Bor in early 1990s and brought the Christianity to the natives of Bor land. This was the constructive achievement of the denomination in the country.
The denomination (ECSS) had successful and respectful early bishops in the persons of Daniel Deng Atong, Nathaniel Garang Anyieth and many others, who had worked hard to proselytize the Christianity in the country. The denomination had has many series of important events that made the history of the church unique.
The Recent Stand off in church (ECSS)
In August 2020 , the different political mirage appeared in the ECSS ‘ administration of the highest profile officials of the church, between the primate( Justin Arama Badi) and the archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province( Ruben Akurdid Ngong, the standoff was about the creation of the new dioceses in Jonglei state, and consecration of the new bishops of the new dioceses.
The new dioceses are Cueikeer, Anyidi, Makuach and Duk. The creation of those new dioceses seemed to be canonically correct in the first place, but recent they went off the cliff, the inception of new dioceses led to the widespread tension among the Jonglei’s multiple congregations of the ECSS, definitely, when the primate revoked the legality of the newly created dioceses in the JIP.
The halt of new dioceses to continue with their preparation for enthronement and consecration of their bishops angered the archbishop of JIP, who is the chief presiding officer of the new dioceses, the archbishop of JIP continued with discretionary decision and confirmed the new dioceses.
The decision by the primate to rescind the canonical right to the new dioceses to operate cause the loggerhead between the primate (Badi ) and the archbishop of the JIP (Ruben Akurdid). The loggerhead prompted the primate to unfrock the JIP ‘s archbishop, thereto Akurdid rejected his defrocking outright. This created long ending tension now in Bortown among the Christians.
The Rift intensifies Among the Congregations …
The defrocking of the archbishop of the JIP appeared to be ” hit and miss” decision by the primate. The canonical order divided the JIP into two groups ” Anti- Badi and Pro Badi’s decision. If you look at the ECSS issue, it appears difficult and needs quick resolution to mitigate the severe stage of the tension.
The church strife has been taken as clan politics that bishop X and Y belongs to clan A and B, which may have lethal reaction from the members of the targeted clans.
Power Wrangle emerges.
When the Archbishop of the JIP was defrocked , some of the junior bishops from his ecclesiastical jurisdiction wants to succeed him as a chance.They lobby with the primate in Juba to appoint one of them as archbishop.
This is not the solution to the problem, they suppose to sit down as JIP instead of having different agenda. Their uneven allegiance may cause the untold division among the congregation in Bor town and JIP in General.
Conclusion..
The ECSS of Jonglei state should immediately cease these issues of power wrangling among the bishops and return to us our previous peaceful church administration.We expect our ECSS to be peaceful and respectful institutions, whereby it acts as an exemplary for peaceful coexistence among the managers of the affairs.
In South Sudan , we have a political conflict already, of which we don’t want religious tension to embitter the bitter communities of South Sudan. I describe the tension with the ECSS of Jonglei as a heresy because it is not the principle of ECSS to quarrel over the position.
I call upon the youth of Jonglei to distance themselves from this bishopric tension. The youth should just ignore this politics of supporting your bishops . All bishops are our bishops regardless of their clans, but their political decisions are not ours, we must tell them not incite the youth to misbehave in this churchical issue.
Let’s treat treat the individual case as individual case but not our case. Finally, I call upon the bishops to wait for the court decision and respect the constitution of the ECSS and the holy bible.
The writer serves as an opinion writer in the state. The writer holds degree of bachelor in theology. He can be reached through his email: ayuenmachw@gmail.com
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