The Synod of the Diocese of Yei in South Sudan took place over the weekend of February 13/14 and the names of two prospective candidates for bishop have been forwarded to the House of Bishops meeting in Juba.
This follows the retirement of Bishop Hilary Luate Adeba earlier this year, and it is anticipated the name of the new Bishop of Yei will be announced by April.
In advance of the Yei Synod, the Bishop of Connor, the Rt Rev George Davison, sent the following message of prayerful support to the Yei Synod:
“Dear Friends in the Diocese of Yei, please know that the prayers and good wishes of the people of your companion diocese of Connor in the Church of Ireland are with you today.
“We are grateful for our friendship in Christ, thankful for the ministry of Bishop Hilary over these last years and praying for you as you meet to elect a new bishop to lead the diocese in the years ahead. God bless you and lead you today.”
Connor and Yei have been in partnership since 2007, but South Sudan has been in a state of civil unrest since December 2013. There are signs of hope, however.
Confirming that the names of two candidates had been forwarded from the Yei Synod to the House of Bishops in Juba, Jenny Smyth, Mission Director with Church Mission Society Ireland (CMSI), said that Bishop Hilary had travelled to Arua in northern Uganda by road before the synod.
“He reported that they passed a lot of returning refugees along the road,” Jenny said. “There is a fragile peace at present.
“Please pray for the peace to hold and for all those returning from the camps that they will be able to rebuild their homes and communities. For many this will be the third time they have had to make this journey, hoping that they will find a place to settle down.”
Bishop Hilary’s time as Bishop of Yei is the subject of a special feature in the spring issue of Connor Connections which will be out next month.
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