LIVING UNDER PERSECUTION AND GENOCIDE

African Christians in South Sudan suffered through decades of war and persecution at the hands of the Arab-Islamic government. Thousands of believers were killed and hundreds of churches were destroyed, especially after the National Islamic Front took control of the government in 1989. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in 2005 granted South Sudan autonomy for six years to be followed by a referendum on independence in 2011.

HELPING THE CHURCH, THE PEOPLE, AND THE NATION

Samaritan’s Purse has been working in South Sudan since 1993, ministering to hundreds of thousands of people during the war. As the peace agreement was being finalized, Christian leaders in the South asked for our help to rebuild church sanctuaries that were destroyed by the National Islamic Front, and to train pastors and evangelists to replace those who were martyred.

THE NEED IS URGENT

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement gives South Sudan the right to vote on independence in 2011. As this deadline approaches, tensions are increasing and there are no guarantees about how long we will be free to rebuild churches.

PROGRESS REPORT (through October 2010)

● 411 churches have been rebuilt.
● We have opened a pastors training school in the strategic Nuba Mountains.
● Our teams have distributed more than 260,000 Bibles in six languages and trained 10,600 people to lead Bible reading groups

WHAT DOES IT COST?

● The churches we are currently building are in more remote areas and typically cost $75,000 to $100,000 each.
● Samaritan’s Purse minimizes costs as much as possible by mobilizing the local church members to gather materials, make hand-pressed bricks, and assist with the labor.
● A major expense is transporting materials to towns and villages scattered across a land the size of Texas that has no paved roads or building supplies.
● Construction materials in South Sudan are so scarce that they can cost 10 times more than they do in the United States.

HOW CAN I HELP?

Samaritan’s Purse is grateful for churches and individuals who feel led by God to sponsor construction of specific church sanctuaries in South Sudan. Full sponsorships and co-sponsorships are available.

Sponsors receive progress reports and photographs from the field, including:
● an introduction about the church
● an update during the construction process
● a final report following the church dedication