By Simon Yak Deng, Juba, South Sudan
Saturday, 8 July 2023 (PW) — It is now much more obvious that prominent members of the Bor Community are directly involved in the church crisis. Therefore, there is no reason to distance oneself from this serious situation, especially when you are at most the subject in the minds of other people. Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth, the National Minister for Information, Telecommunication, Technology and Postal Services, who recently stated that they are mediating to bring peace and harmony in the church in Jonglei through his televised statement in SSBC has taken full responsibility in leading parallel faction of the fallout church disgruntled Christians led by the defrocked Archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid.
On Saturday, July 1, 23, Michael presided over a meeting at Makuach under Than-Awai Tree to convince the people and the church members who have opposing views to stay supportive of the whole position of the Bor Community. He dispatched Dr Angok Kuol Tiir to attend and supervise the consultative meeting last Sunday, July 2, 2023, in Lieudier St. Andrew’s Church, the Cathedral of the Episcopal Diocese of Bor, which is also the centre of the Internal Province of Jonglei. He keeps a tight eye on the gathering from a distance to ensure that the church respects the wishes of the Bor Community. Thus, he took over the consultation process that had been given to Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid, who had asked the Primate of the ECSS, The Most Rev. Dr Justin Badi Arama, for extra time to consult his people on the best course of action on Sunday, June 25, 2023.
Akurdid claims that he will not accept being reinstated if he is not granted full command of the Internal Province for at least three months. The Primate of the Episcopal Church says that he is not allowed to have two archbishops in the same seat overseeing the same internal province by church law. The Bor community and its leaders disagree with this provision of the church Canons. Hence, Michael voiced his disappointment blaming the church administration in his statement for not adopting the community perspective on the matter. The defrocked archbishop, whose ecclesiastical authority was removed by the Primate and Archbishop of ECSS, consecrated and illegally established dioceses of Makuach, Chueikeer, and Anyidi, along with their bishops. Correcting this error in accordance with church tradition is causing great pain to some members of the Bor community. They feel that the church leadership is also downplaying what needs to be done for them. Despite the fact that the process used to establish the new dioceses did not comply with church law as set forth in the canons. They nonetheless expect the church to confirm their dioceses and their bishops as they are.
The Community of Bor and prominent church figures in that banded together to oppose the Episcopal Church of South Sudan in an effort to use threats and pressure to persuade the primate to violate church rules. Hon. Michael and Dr. Angok are deliberately misleading the people of Jonglei by side-framing what they refer to as resolutions formulated by the President of the Republic of South Sudan, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit. The community stance requirements that have been duplicated in numerous texts since 2020 are what are referred to as resolutions. Makuei engaged the minister in the president’s office to embrace their community’s positions and pressure the church hierarchy to approve them. This reality can be confirmed by those who attended the recent meeting that the president presided over. Apart from requesting the defrocked archbishop Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid to write and submit an apology to His Grace, the Primate of the ECSS, without conditions, the meeting at the highest level, did not propose the said resolutions at all.
Presently serving as the archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province is the Most Reverend Moses Anur Ayom. By virtue of church law, he is installed as the ECSS’s principal leader in Jonglei. Meaning he is officially enthroned as the prime leader of the church in that territory. To those who do not know the implications attached to the enthronement of a bishop or archbishop in the Anglican Church tradition, “enthronement is the rite by which a new bishop or archbishop assumes authority over his eparchy and before which any other person is forbidden to intervene in its governance in any way, whether personally or through a proxy.” In this situation, nobody has the power to dethrone Moses Anur Ayom and give Akurdid the reins of the church of Jonglei for even a moment, much less a day or a month.
Hon. Michael Makuei Lueth and Dr. Angok Kuol Tiir, the chairman of the Bor Community, took it upon themselves to incite and lead the community to assault the church and make sure that the youth of Bor organised various protesting activities, such as forbidding the ECSS officials from entering Bor territory. The youth will be organized to stop or kill the ECSS Leaders who will visit Bor for religious activities at some point in the future, according to the resolutions of the meeting from last Sunday. Hon. Michael is utilising the power and the tools of the government to persecute and oppress the church of God by claiming unity with the leader of the nation, Gen. Salva Kiir Mayardit, while the president is innocent in this mess and has no intention to work against the church of God. The Transitional Constitution of South Sudan clearly stipulates both the freedom of worship and movement in the country.
In one of the several sessions he presided over in 2020 to settle this religious dispute, Makuei was seen washing his hands in front of the community people to show that he is not part of the mess that may come with the move. The original meaning of washing hands in front of people is specific and clear. The gesture among Hebrews was not an indication that the person would have nothing more to do with the matter but implied a renunciation of responsibility for what happened (Deut. 21: 6). Pontius Pilate ‘washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person.’
Hon. Makuei did exactly the same but as of today, his thinking about the same issue has changed abruptly. Everyone is speculating as to what specifically occurred to him to cause him to re-enter the muck. Others believe that the impending elections in 2024 may be one of the main factors that drove him to abandon the positive pride and join the lies, since the people will once again have the authority to choose their leaders. In his recorded voice, Dr. Angok Kuol Tiir is heard saying, ” Deŋ Bul ku ye Mayɔmdïïtde akɔ̈ɔ̈n ëka buk yɔ̈ɔ̈p,” which is roughly translated as, “If Deng Bul is a bull or male elephant, we will kill him with spears.” This statement was said in the meeting last Sunday at Lieudier St. Andrew’s Church. The level of resentment among the locals of Bor has reached a peak. In the same meeting, Mr. Maal Maker Thiong asserts that if the situation calls for it, he can kill any native from Twi. He keeps his distance out of fear that he could act if he gets too close to somebody from that region.
Akurdid and his followers blame his defrocking on the Twi sons who are present in the church, claiming that they are the issue. Although the truth is that he was the one who sat on them throughout the years, he blames the Twi people for the delay in the foundation of the Gok dioceses. Akurdid was asked to put the Dioceses of Makuach and Anyidi on the list when the dioceses of Wanglei and Wernyol were offered. However, Akurdid rejected it, saying, “we should not imitate what the Twi is doing.” The Most Rev. Canon Dr. Daniel Deng Bul added his voice to this subject, and he refused to listen. He made his decision public in front of the congregation in Lieudier St. Andrew’s Church. People with sound minds are well aware of this. Instead, he simply scooped up his errors, smeared them on the Twi Community, and undermined the proximity of the community’s involvement in church issues.
This threatening behaviour is not new. The youth from Makuach Payam, where Hon. Michael is from, threatened and shot bishops of the ECSS in Bor a year ago, but the state authorities took no action against them because Makuei stood his stand to defend them in defiance of the law. In a similar vein, the Most Rev. Canon Dr. Daniel Deng Bul, a Retired Primate of the ECSS, is vehemently accused of obstructing the appeal for Reuben Akurdid to be reinstated as a full archbishop of the Jonglei Internal Province. As response to this assertion, Daniel and other suspected people are marked and targeted for elimination using a variety of techniques. Those responsible for this action are Hon. Michael and Dr. Angok.
The decision was made that the Langbaar churches in Bor must be taken over by force and that, in the event of resistance, the church building would be closed down, destroyed and set ablaze by Makuach youngsters. These churches are considered to be anti-Bor positions. All efforts will be made to carry out this resolution because it was adopted with great consideration and emotions. Churches in Langbaar are being targeted because that is where The Most Reverend Moses Anur Ayom and other ECSS officials go to carry out their overall responsibilities in Bor. By eliminating them, Anur and his party will have no place to stay in the Bor area. That is the exact reason for that choice, but the Bible teaches that God defends his people from evil deeds. The Bible states in 2 Thessalonians 3:3, “But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one.” The Good News: The Lord will keep an eye on his people and protect them from harm or harm to others. Since 2019, the God in heaven has been at work by defending his church in Bor against evil deeds. Despite the fact that there were superfluous activities being carried out by the people, he did not permit negative incidents. Now is the time for us to do God’s will individually or in groups, or else we will all pay the consequences.
Without bias, one of the potential solutions to this is for Akurdid to consent to be reinstated and to quit immediately for retirement, and therefore, he will walk in unison with the incumbent Archbishop Moses Anur Ayom and other bishops to promote harmony and peace among the Christians in the Jonglei Internal Province. The church’s leadership will soon begin the process of establishing the dioceses in question and consecrating their bishops in conformity with church canons. There won’t be any hesitation or politics in this process. The dream that the president will pressure the Primate into approving the proposed resolutions is unattainable since no one has the moral authority to depose the incumbent archbishop and temporarily install Akurdid as the head of the church in Jonglei. The president has no constitutional mandate to order the church administration to do what does not go well with church tradition and canon.
It is crucial that I refrain from defending myself in this writing despite being among those who are seriously accused of making this difficult. Of course, some of us have been accused, so we feel the heat and start pressuring the church administration to break the law in order to clear up the mess and clean ourselves. This is impossible because the church is founded on the gospel according to St. John 4:24, which states, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Part II: WHAT WENT WRONG? (HOW THE CURRENT CRISIS STARTED IN THE ECSS)
01: INTRODUCTION
The ‘what went wrong’ describes the true story of how the current problem started in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, especially in the Internal Province of Jonglei. We have discovered that a lot of individuals are either misinformed or unaware of the events that led to strife inside church. The author fervently realize that some individuals will never comprehend the origins of the problem due to their affiliation with or position in the fight, but those few who have ears will comprehend the saga presented in this narrative.
There were conflicting responses to my earlier piece, which was published on July 7, 2023, but the truth was ultimately understood by the majority readers. The press secretary for defrocked archbishop Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid, Mr. Philip Maluak Deng, attempted to respond through his article published on July 12, 2023, but he was unable to offer convincing arguments. He agreed with what I said but expressed disappointment that I left out other key players in the conflict while it is his right to express his opinions and provide evidence to back up his claims so that the validity of his position on the matter may be established if at all there are other people who are the architects of the church administrative fallout. Some other people attacked my personality by insulting me through their comments or live videos but this does not make any sense for me to react to them. More importantly, insults are blessings to me as a person.
According to Paul’s letter to Ephesians 4:15, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.” We are instructed in the Bible to say the truth so that we become good people in the body of Christ. Whatever am sharing here is only meant for those who do not know the truth about the matter. These are just a few of the issues I will attempt to discuss in this article.
Introduction to what went wrong
Who to blame about the conflicting dioceses of Makuach, Anyidi, and Chueikeer
The defrocking of Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid
Standing Committee Meeting
The involvement of the Bor Community and politicians in the church crisis
The accusations leveled against the Twic East Community and
The current state of affair
Conclusion
This article may be too long, but I’ll break it down into manageable chunks so that you can follow along. Each topic will come after another. Means the document will be shared in bit by bit to help readers understand the whole process and the hitch that ignited the conflict.
02: WHO TO BLAME ABOUT MAKUACH, ANYIDI AND CHUEIKEER
In Gok’s territory, the communities of Makuach, Anyidi, and Chueikeer are important main locations that deserve services delivery from either the government or the church. On the church side, they are very strategically important communities with a large Christian population that occupy a vital portion of the terrain where the Jonglei Internal Province head quarters is located. They deserved to be upgraded as dioceses in the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. I strongly support the immediate creation of these dioceses should the people of Bor Community allow the church to operate and move freely.
As I said in my previous article that, Akurdid was asked to put the Dioceses of Makuach and Anyidi on the list when the dioceses of Wanglei and Wernyol were offered. However, Akurdid rejected it, adding that “we should not imitate what the Twi is doing.” However, Akurdid was already the archbishop of the Jonglei Internal Province when the dioceses of Wanglei and Wernyol were created. The upgrading of these dioceses was proposed by Rt. Rev. Ezekiel Diing Ajang Malangdit, who presented them to him for approval and inclusion in the overall report of the Internal Province that was slated to be delivered to the Provincial Standing Committee of 2016.
The dioceses of Makuach and Anyidi had to be included to this list at this time but Akurdid repudiated for a reasons that are best known to him. He was humbly asked to change his mind by Canon Joseph Akol Gak, but he flatly refused. Since the congregation at Lieudier St. Andrew’s was publicly informed of this action, everyone in Bor is aware of it. In actuality, Akurdid was content to maintain his monopoly as he waited for his time to end otherwise there was no good reason to skip the above-mentioned dioceses since he was in charge of the internal province of Jonglei and at the same time the diocesan Bishop of Bor where these areas fall under. If somebody had been preventing him from doing his part, the issue would have been brought up long ago, and the members of those dioceses would have pushed for quick implementation but I know there was nobody who blocked him from doing this logical action.
Today, he is hunting to find a scapegoat to assign blame on it but he cannot scape people’s wrath on the matter at all. Because Akurdid was in charge of the procedure, it is untrue that Daniel Deng Bul put aside the dioceses of Makuach, Anyidi, and Chueikeer and founded the dioceses of Wanglei and Wernyol as claimed by Mr. Philip Maluak Deng in his response.
During that time, Chueikeer was a part of the Diocese of Malek. Christians of that community expressed their need for their area to be upgraded as a full diocese to Rt. Rev. Peter Joh Mayom Ajuong, a diocesan bishop of Malek, but he rebuffed them. There were some other issues of contention in this matter. Eventually, they made the decision to send their request directly to the archbishop of Internal Province Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid. For a while, this led to a serious misunderstanding between Rt. Rev. Peter Joh and Archbishop Reuben Akurdid. Both of them know this very well.
In 2017, I traveled to Bor for an outreach peace campaign that stretched as far as Pajut with The Most Rev. Canon Dr. Daniel Deng Bul, the then archbishop of Jonglei Internal Province, Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid and a fantastic team of mission and evangelistic workers (JWL) were also on the mission. Christians in Chueikeer expressed their concern to Daniel Deng Bul and asked for the creation of their own diocese in an evangelistic conference held in the church of Chueikeer. To prevent needless administrative misunderstandings, His Grace encouraged them to return to Malek and persuade the diocesan bishop to forward their matter through the formal channels.
At Pariaak in the church following the same issue, the Primate asked counsel Kon Kelei, who is the chancellor of the Episcopal Diocese of Malek, to advise them on the proper processes to follow in compliance with the ECSS’s canons. Moulana Kon Kelei did this up until the point when they wrote to the diocesan bishop of Malek asking for him to accept them back and fulfill their wishes. This letter was seen by the Primate and I have seen it as well because I was the head of mission.
Due to number of issues Bishop Joh wrote to Reuben and confirmed the transfer of the area of Chueikeer to Diocese of Bor for him to handle it through that route because there was no better understanding. The establishment of the Chueikeer diocese was therefore delayed as a result of this issue. Akurdid and Joh are well-versed in this problem. It is unacceptable to place the blame on others unless there is a problem with how individuals perceive the situation.
The Most Rev. Canon Dr. Daniel Deng Bul was ending his tenure of office by this time because he would be leaving the position in just a few months later. On the other side, Akurdid has hinted at his impending retirement. He started to consider founding these dioceses as a result of the pressure that the residents of Makuach, Anyidi, and Chueikeer applied to him. In order to gather information for his report on the development of additional dioceses, including the Duk-Padiet area, he sent his team to assess them. Unfortunately, the 2018 synod was only intended to elect the primate and archbishop of the ECSS; as a result, there was no chance to address other matters, such as the establishment of additional dioceses, and as of this point, the Internal Province of Jonglei had not given its approval to the proposed areas. Akurdid knows this very well.
Daniel Deng Bul left the office at this time, and these areas had not yet reached him. Where in this story is it possible to place the blame on him or Twic? If anyone wants to verify this story, they can get in touch with either Akurdid or Canon Joseph Akol Gak. They will tell you more about this if they are rational people. If there is any animosity toward members of the Bor Community from Twic, as many people allege, what could stop Makuach from having its own diocese given that Wernyol already has one? What about Anyidi, given that Kongor has a diocese? People must use practical judgment when making decisions.
In order to end this discussion, it should be noted that Akurdid, Anur, and Joh had been at odds for a while before the community elders of Bor learned of their situation. Akurdid was accused of mistreating Buor by Anur and Joh, and the establishment of dioceses was one of the disputes that led to the conflict between the two parties. The two bishops, according to Akurdid, do not respect his rule, he emphasized. Akurdid in many occasions announced that the two bishops of Malek and Athooch are not working faithfully with him and stated clearly that Tuei are more cooperative then Buor in his time. This sentiment revert itself now instead. Tuei are the problem to Akurdid currently according to him. Their misunderstanding was settled at Makuei’s premises by the elders of Bor Community. Now you know who to blame.
To be continued…
Next topic is the defrocking of Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid
Thanks
Simon Yak Deng
Part III: THE DEFROCKING OF REUBEN AKURDID NGONG AKURDID
This account will be helpful to people who were unable to comprehend the reason for Archbishop Reuben Akurdid Ngong’s defrocking. The term “defrocking” means the removal of the vestments, or clothing, symbolic of being in the holy office. This process is more formally referred to as “dismissal from the clerical state,” or “laicization.” In 1932, following a public controversy, Church of England clergyman Harold Francis Davidson (14 July 1875 – 30 July 1937), also known as the Rector of Stiffkey, was found guilty of immorality by a church court and defrocked, according to church history.
All that I know about Reuben Akurdid and I also believe that he knows much about me as well; he is one of the best members of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. He is a godly servant who has performed a variety of tasks for the church. He received his theological training at Bishop Gwynne College, which produces many of our best church leaders. He is a kind person who can quickly learn from his mistakes. He was more amicable in his interactions with some of us. He is aware of all we have been doing together, including my personal efforts to support him in the ministry. He has witnessed our individual attempts to spread the message of God throughout our nation. He is a goal-oriented person who can collaborate with you without ulterior motives. If someone entered his heart now, you will clearly find that the man is pretty good. However, his character is confused by the community leaders and the politicians. He made numerous attempts to end the dispute, but he was thwarted by others who, in some cases, did not understand how church matters are handled: But what went wrong?
a) The Episcopal Church of South Sudan’s Province accused Akurdid of splitting Christians along ethnic lines. Acting in defiance of his authority when his ecclesiastical powers were removed, he illegally established dioceses and used wrong procedures to consecrate and enthroned bishops. Akurdid divides the church of God in Jonglei Internal Province into small communities of Twic and Bor. Before community politics entered the church and politicized young people from the Bor Community to oppose the church authorities to the point of death, he repeatedly says it publicly. He incited enmity among Christians in Jonglei Internal Province, and his acts spread to every region where our people reside, whether they are living in exile or at home.
b) Akurdid rejected the decision of the emergency House of Bishops, which met in January 2020 and demanded him to retract his conduct, apologize to the church, and accept losing his clerical authority according to the letter sent to him by the primate before the emergency meeting that stopped him to continue with consecration of bishops. The House of Bishops gave the primate instructions to follow these resolutions and to pardon Akurdid should he do so.
c) Akurdid refused several letters from his immediate boss and he severely insulted him. He referred to him as the “son of Lucifer” and “muɔnydoor sakit” and a “prophet of doom.” These insults were documented in series of letters that are now in public domain. (Some if which are available here for those who may need them). Exceptional of the phrase “muɔnydoor sakit” which was verbally said. Now, majority Christians in Bor call the Primate; Badi, Badi, Badi, forgetting that he is the man of God with reverend titles such as His Grace, Father in God and so on.
d) He publicly disowned his primate and a group of esteemed individuals, including the Most Rev’d Samuel Peni Enosa, the Internal Archbishop of Western Equatoria, and the Most Rev’d Alpayo Manyang Kuctiel, the Internal Archbishop of Eastern Bahr el Ghazal who is also the Dean of ECSS, who had been sent to him to hear his side of the story so that the Episcopal Church leadership would understand his viewpoint. He undermined his colleagues and allowed community leaders to frustrate them and refused to meet them face to face while these people were coming with good intention just to hear from him. He threatened them, adding, “Your life is in your own hands if you decide to spend the night here in Bor.”
e) He took his church (ECSS) to the secular court of law. He also allowed his church leader to be insulted until his spirit was set on fire in front of Christians in Bor. Rev’d James Deng Akeer led the people of God and ordered them to burn the spirit of Badi in a live-show as if they are casting demonic spirits. There are number of courts in the church that can handle matters of spirituality and administration but Akurdid went through secular courts of law which is also a form of disobedient in the ministry of God and against teaching of the Bible. 1 Corinthians 6:1 NIV “If any of you has a dispute with another, do you dare to take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the Lord’s people?”
f) In his letters, Akurdid threatens to put Anur and his group’s lives in danger if they approach Bor land. Following this feeling, bishops were shot at, churchgoers were injured at Langbaar Church and many other atrocities are carried out in the name of church conflict. The Bible forbade killing, but Akurdid and his group do not adhere to this Christian principle. “Thou shall not kill.” Exodus 20:13. They disregarded the South Sudanese constitution’s clause allowing for freedom of movement throughout the nation as well as freedom of worship and identification with a particular religion. What authority does Akurdid have to bar people from the Jonglei Headquarters, though? He relied heavily on the politicians and members of his clans to carry out his goals and this is far away from religious teaching.
g) Akurdid received a letter of warning prior to his suspension. He refused to work with the church’s leadership. He therefore kept disobeying the laws and regulations of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. These factors, along with others, directly contributed to his defrocking. Even if Akurdid himself was the Primate of the ECSS by this time he would have dismissed Akurdid the Internal Archbishop of Jonglei through this gross misconduct, but how did it all begin? Part of it is a history.
The primate of the ECSS visited Bor on October 26, 2018 in what is regarded as his first official act following his enthronement out of Juba. Prior to His Grace Justin Badi Arama’s arrival, Akurdid convened his emergency standing committee meeting. The creation of the new dioceses of Makuach, Anyidi, Chueikeer, and Duk-Padiet was the meeting’s main agenda item. I attended the meeting together with Canon Bartholomayo Bol Deng as observers. Anur and Joh chose not to attend this meeting due to their ongoing dispute with Akurdid. Approval was granted by the Jonglei Internal Province’s standing committee with the intention of tabling them in the 2019 Provincial Standing Committee meeting of the ECSS in Juba. These areas were assessed by the teams sent by Reuben Akurdid at the level of Internal Province. According to Canon 2 of the Church, the procedures followed here were not according to the law. The Internal Provincial synod of Jonglei is the right forum to address this issue so that the matter is taken forward for the General Provincial Synod to approve or reject with or without conditions.
As a matter of procedure, the provincial assessment committee would have been again sent to confirm the areas proposed by the authority of the primate. This did not happen because the standing committee resolved that the proposed areas shall be put on hold for the provincial general synod to approve in 2021. This will come clearer in the next topic about Standing Committee Meeting.
However, the primate was warmly welcomed by the Christians in Bor upon his arrival two days later, especially those from the projected dioceses. Prior to his impending retirement in 2021, Akurdid sought to persuade the primate to approve the establishment of these dioceses. Thereafter, because the primate does not have the authority to approve dioceses he made no comment regarding the planned dioceses of Makuach, Anyidi, Chueikeer, and Duk-Padiet and he returned to Juba.
Later on, Akurdid voiced his grievance at the Board of Trustees meeting in Juba sometime in July 2019. He argued before the group that if he ever left the office without advancing their interests, the people of Bor would curse him and his family. He continued by telling the Board of Trustees that when it comes to contesting votes on internal Province of Jonglei issues, the Christians in Bor have complained that they will suffer at the hands of the majority of dioceses from the Twic East and Duk. Imagine such a weird presentation coming from the man of God who is at the same time a father to all the Christians in Jonglei. This is because Akurdid does not sugar code any message brought to him from another source. That is exactly what the people were telling him.
However, the primate permitted the members to talk about it and left the meeting so that the complaint might be handled without him. Due to the language used, his complaint was reframed by the Board of Trustees. The board of trustee’s members, who are also archbishops of different internal provinces, agreed to his request and added their own suggested areas. While just (4) areas—Makuach, Anyidi, Chuerkeer, and Duk-Padiet—are from Jonglei Internal Province, 23 new areas were requested to be presented at the meeting of the standing committee of which 19 areas come from different internal provinces. The primate was informed of this idea for consideration and he made no protests against the Board of Trustees’ choice. As part of his responsibility, he included their request in his archbishop’s charge, which was formally presented in the Provincial Standing Committee meeting four (4) months later.
04: STANDING COMMITTEE MEETING (2019)
It is crucial that I first clarify what the standing committee means for the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. The Standing Committee is the third instrument of unity at the provincial level, and it has the authority to act between the sessions of the provincial synod to manage the church’s finances, properties, and affairs. It can also carry out all the duties that belong to the provincial synod, with the exception of those that it expressly reserves for itself, like approving the creation of new dioceses and areas in accordance with the canons. Similar to the provincial synod, it gathers representatives from the three houses of bishops, clergy, and laity; however, its size is less.
This meeting took place in Juba between 14th-15th November 2019, and one of the topics up for discussion was the idea of creating additional dioceses. Three houses were permitted to address the issue, and as a result, the house of bishops rejected the proposal made by the Board of Trustees and it was accepted by two houses of clergy and laity respectively.
However, the then Provincial Secretary Mr. John Augustino stood up and highlighted the concern that the standing committee is not permitted by the provision from the Canons of the Church to approve new dioceses since it is a responsibility of the General Provincial Synod according canon 2: section 2 (7) which says “If proposal of the new diocese has been passed, as provided in section 2 (4) above, the Internal Archbishop shall submit the proposal to the meeting of the General Synod in its ordinary session to consider the proposal and decide whether to reject it or approve it with conditions or without conditions.” This happened when the matter was jointly considered to be harmonize and concluded.
Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid excused himself from the meeting to conduct prayers at Emmanuel’s Parish for the Late Amb. Charles Manyang Awuol Padiet, who was one of his significant members in the Internal Province of Jonglei. The provision of the canons convinced everyone in the room, leading the house to refer the matter back to the primate to decide. The only option left for the primate at this point was to put them on hold until the general provincial synod approve them. Members of the standing committee formally agreed with the decision of the primate and therefore, the creation of new dioceses was deferred to 2021.
Hence, Akurdid was unhappy when he learnt of this resolution and tried to get the standing committee’s decision overturned. He raised his hand to speak about it in session of the following day, which was focused on another subject on the agenda. The chair did not allow him to speak because there were many people who also wanted to talk at the same time. It is important to note that the meeting was attended by over 183 delegates. If anyone is not appointed to speak, it could not be a point to cause chaos. But this left Akurdid feeling unhappy, and he made the decision to create the additional dioceses of Makuach, Anyidi, Chueikeer and Duk-Padiet without the permission of the head of the church and also overlooking the provincial synod’s final approval as discussed in the meeting.
To express his feelings to them, he called all the bishops under his command. Bishops from Jonglei Internal Province convinced him to leave that and wait for 2021 since the problem is not ours alone. He flew to Nairobi to seek for the visa to Australia after being formally persuaded by the bishops. He changed his mind from there, nobody knows exactly what had happened to him. He returned to Juba and he made it to Bor. And on Sunday before the congregation at Lieudier St. Andrew’s Church, he proclaimed war on what he called “Mɛnh de door.” New dioceses for Makuach, Anyidi, Chueikeer, and Duk-Padiet were announced by him. The Duk-Padiet diocese was quickly removed from the list since its members declined to join the unhappy Christians. He organized a meeting with the potential dioceses and told them to get ready to obtain their certificates of inauguration in order to nominate their bishops.
However, the primate gave him a phone call from Kampala with an intention to request him to come to Juba for more discussions over the issue but he refused his call six times in front of people. Then the primate turned to the Dean of province, The Most Rev’d Alpayo Manyang to seek another means to contact Akurdid. Manyang called him in a short while and he received his call testifying that he is supporting him in the process of establishing new dioceses and consecration of bishops. The Dean asked him to pick the primate’s phone call but he said we are already at war with mɛnh de door, therefore I cannot pick his phone call anymore. Everybody in the meeting was listening to this conversation.
The primate made several attempts to prevent him from proceeding with the consecration, enthronement of bishops, and foundation of new dioceses without following the correct procedures. The primate sent out a team of elders in their capacities as members of the church to convince Akurdid in Bor. In the presence of Emeritus Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth, they spoke with him. At the conclusion of the meeting, it was decided that Akurdid would stop establishing new dioceses and consecrating bishops instead and come to Juba for further negotiations. Akurdid himself did not uphold this commitment and therefore continue with consecration and creation of new dioceses.
The primate sent him a letter known as Provincial Standing Order No. 5/2019, withdrawing his ecclesiastical authority before the day of consecration, but he formally refused him and continued doing what he was doing. Later, the primate convened an emergency house of bishops in Juba on January 31, 2020 to discuss the matter. The house of bishops suggested three things.
Akurdid to express regret to the church’s leadership in writing
Reverse his behavior and revoke what he has done and
accept the church administration’s decision to suspend him.
Before he received the written resolution, Akurdid rejected it immediately. The resolution was brought to him by the Rt. Rev’d Zachariah Manyok Biar, the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Wanglei but he refused to see him.
In July 2019, the primate called a meeting of the board of trustees. Except for Akurdid, all the internal archbishops were present. The topic of discussion was Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid’s egregious wrongdoing. The Board established a committee of three (3) members, consisting of the Most Rev’d Paul Pitya Yugusuk, the Internal Archbishop of Central Equatoria, the Most Rev’d Samuel Peni Enosa, the Internal Archbishop of Western Equatoria, and the Most Rev’d Alpayo Manyang Kuctiel, the Internal Archbishop of Eastern Bahr el Ghazal and Dean of ECSS. The group of three (3) people made the decision to travel to Bor in order to meet with Akurdid Ngong Akurdid. Due to a personal commitment, the Most Rev’d Paul Pitya Yugusuk was unable to accompany them. Akurdid ignored the other two (2) members as they travelled to Bor. As an alternative, he organized the local elders to meet them. They asked the team to give them an explanation of why they came. They rejected their request to meet Akurdid. The team informed the church leadership after returning to Juba in complete dismay. Once court for the trial of a bishop formally known as the “Provincial Church Tribunal” was established according to canon 62 due to Akurdid’s refusal to attend a face-to-face meeting, he was tried in his absence.
Reuben Akurdid Ngong Akurdid’s urgent defrocking was suggested by the Provincial Church Tribunal. The South Sudanese Episcopal Church’s primate carried out this decision in a televised appearance. Akurdid was considered a laicized bishop who lost the privilege to wear clerical robes or uses titles like “Father” after the authority removed the powers from that effect. He is exempted from duties like reciting the Liturgy of the Hours according to Anglican Tradition. In this context, Akurdid is merely a layperson, regardless of how we feel or what we think. Although we might have a hard time accepting this fact, church law prohibits this. He cannot bless people in the church or officiate wedding, holy communion or consecrate anyone. It is not about what we think, it is about the rule of law and spiritual rites. Apostolic succession is a process by which ecclesiastical authority is transmitted or revoked in the Anglican Church’s Tradition. It is not done by force but rather through obedience. It is solely based on the canons and legislation of the church and has nothing to do with what other people say. The canons of the church are the answer, even if we band together to protect someone and persuade him to disagree with the law. Period!
To be continued…
Next topics are the Involvement of Bor Community and Politicians in the Church crisis and accusation leveled against Twic East and Duk communities
Thanks
Simon Yak Deng
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