In 1998, CMS mission partner Liz Paterson, a highly experienced community development worker, was sent to work with the Sudanese Church. She set out from her base in the northern Ugandan town of Arua. After three months of examining the situation on the ground in Sudan, Liz suggested that OMS assist the Church there by providing ongoing training support for church workers working directly with communities trying to survive in the middle of the ongoing conflict.

These workers are usually highly committed and often undergoing great hardship while they follow their various callings to ministry. Because of the war and the consequent lack of local means, support for them is minimal in terms of developing their skills to do their work effectively.

Liz’s vision for providing in-service training for these workers coincided with CMS’ policy decision to spend £1 million from its reserves on various projects around the world. Money was invested to set up a series of three-week courses to be held for church workers working inside the liberated’ areas of the Sudan.

The courses are held in a conference centre in Arua. Four courses have been held so far, in June and November 1999 and in February and March/April this year. The first courses have concentrated on church administration, leadership and management and were well attended by diocesan staff, women’s and youth leaders from each of the dioceses in the ‘liberated’ areas an attendance achieved despite the logistical difficulties of transport and communication across a war zone.

There have been some positive spin-offs from the courses. For example, the Mothers’ Union workers have taken course material from Arua back into the Sudan to run smaller courses in their own dioceses and parishes. Some delegates have been sent on short courses in subjects of local interest such as organic farming techniques and the use of local herbs and plants in natural medicine.

CMS will continue to support this work and we are pleased that the Mothers’ Union and the Church of Scotland have expressed interest in joining us in sponsoring this training. It is hoped to continue to run the courses from Arua but also, in the next phase, to take more of the training inside the Sudan, holding short courses close to where candidates for attendance are working.

A similar training programme is also being piloted in the government-controlled areas of the Sudan.

Moreover, the techniques and approach applied in such training is being used in the Democratic Republic of Congo as a means by which CMS can continue to support another Church that is ministering in the middle of a civil conflict.

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