Flying Together 8-South Sudan

SOUTH SUDAN - THE LAND OF RUSTLING OF WINGS AND PEOPLE TALL AND SMOOTH
M.M.NINAN
As the war escalated it became more and more difficult to reach Juba for vacation back home and to
come back to Juba. The civil air flights were long gone and the only way to and from Khartoum to
Juba was by the military planes. With anti-aircraft guns the travel became too risky to undertake and
we decided to terminate the contract with the University and go back to India. I remember the note of
the Vice Chancellor below my resignation letter. “Though we would not like to accept this letter, we
have no other choice. It is his decision”. The Vice-Chancellor requested me to come back for one
semester until they can find a suitable Physics teacher which I did during my vacation from India in
1989. As the history developed, this decision came right at the correct time. The university was
forced to be relocated to Khartoum, for safety of staff, students and infrastructure in 1990.
This also brought in an issue with the Sudan Pentecostal Churches since both Adi Ambrose and
Brother Benjamin had gone I was the only ordained Pastor and there were no ordained elders in the
Church. The Governing body therefore decided to arrange ordination for 26 elders as the first group
of Pastors within the Church. I got down and developed an ordination procedure. The 26 elders
who were to be ordained went on a three-day fasting in preparation in the home of the Church.
However, the SIL missionaries and others in the mission field felt that as a foreigner, I should not be
ordaining Pastors in the public function. They felt that it will precipitate a repercussion of missionary
expulsion as in 1965 by the Islamic government of Khartoum. As such we finally decided that the
initial part of the ordination as Pastor of the Universal Church may be done in private and the second
part of the installation as Pastor of the Sudan Pentecostal Churches may be done in Public by the
President of the Governing body who was a local elder. I officiated the public ceremony and
ministered the word with explanation of “the qualifications and responsibilities of the Pastors of the
Church.” Ministerial Credentialing was printed and send back to Juba from India.
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