us from making up lost ground. Three of our workers — 2 nurses and a gen eral missionary — have been de ported. All things considered, we have maintained the status quo as well as most societies and better than some. This has only been by dint of con stant negotiation and prayerful per sistence under the most trying condi tions. Present circumstances, of course, are trying, but our missionaries are making the best possible use of every open channel, and will continue to do so until they are irrevocably closed. Heavy emphasis is laid on the training of the national church, which in S.I.M. areas is small and not long out of animism. Permission for Bible Schools has been denied. Instruction is on a personal basis. Every station is making an all-out effort to train Christian leaders. The translation of the New Testa ment in the Uduk language, given “crash” priority, is now in the hands of the printers. This will make the Word of God available to the people of the SIM’s largest and most prom ising church district. Translation in the Mabaan language is likewise be ing pushed. The whole Bible is avail able in Arabic, but this is a second language to most southern tribes-peo- ple. Work at our Doro Hospital contin ues. It remains to be seen how the Act will affect it. Radio programs beamed from ELWA across the con tinent come in loud and clear, and by this means at least, the gospel in Arabic is still proclaimed. Pagan areas are still classified as “open,” but deportation of mission aries from these areas continues. The explanation is that the purpose for which the missionaries came has been accomplished. WE WILL STAY Thus at the human level it appears the door in Sudan is nearly shut. But remember Who it is Who has reserved for Himself the right to open and close doors (Rev. 3:7, 8)! From our point of view this is the hour of greatest perplexity. From God’s point of view this may be the hour of great est possibility. While there are still opportunities, and as long as they ex ist we will continue, by God’s grace, to represent Him there. The Mis sionary Societies Act is no surprise to God. God is God over all, and this is no emergency with Him. We believe our people should stay in the Sudan, even though curtailed, in their serv ices, to encourage and instruct the national church. We must pray and pray and pray, trusting God to work out His will. 9
a time of severe testing for them. One missionary writes, “As mission aries we can get along somehow, but we are deeply concerned about the church, the Christians. They need much prayer.” T h i s fortitude has developed through facing a long series of frus trating circumstances over the past five years. Pressure had begun long before the November 1958 army coup, and has not abated under the military government which is still in power. Mission societies have been obliged to prove that a qualified Sudanese is not available to perform a mission ary’s duties, or risk the possible loss of said missionary, classified as un necessary. This has been one reason for the almost impossible task of ob taining permits for either replace ments or new workers. As early as November 1960, the Roman Catholics reported 18 workers deported and 25 more denied re-entry visas. The 40-member staff of the Su dan United Mission, established in the Nuba Mountains since 1913, was steadily whittled away, with some workers deported so abruptly (15 days’ notice during the heavy rains) that they had to leave most of their goods behind. The last remaining few were refused further residence visas and departed the Sudan last December (1962), leaving the work entirely in the hands of the national church — in this case a healthy group of some 60 congregations. Most of these missionaries have been transfer red to S.U.M. work in the neighbor ing Republic of Chad. Presbyterian missionary ranks in the South Sudan have been all but decimated, with several more couples ordered out recently. Closely-related programs of Sudan- ization a n d Islamization w e r e launched, taking heavy toll of mis sions’ educational, medical and litera ture work. In a country where illi teracy is a major problem, almost every mission school was closed with one blow, by requiring compulsory teaching of the Koran. The government’s intention of pro viding expanded public health facili ties was given as the reason for clos All this, of course, has had its ef fect on the work of the S.I.M. No new S.I.M. stations have been opened since 1950. Two (out of 11) have been closed. Only five new workers have been allowed in since 1959 (includ ing a doctor and his wife, and a nurse). Staff has dropped from 58 to 41 in two years. Not all our losses have been directly due to restrictions, but the restrictions have prevented ing several clinics. EFFECT ON S.I.M.
The youth of Africa can easily buy the wrong. type of literature. Limiting mis sionary activities will greatly reduce the opportunity of reaching them for Christ. For them there is still considerable scope for helping the national church. Government supervision of mis sions’ internal matters has reached an all-time high, now affecting lit erature, the holding of land, the place ment of missionaries, the employ ment of national workers. Regardless, many missionaries feel the church needs their help now more than ever. They are determined to stay on and do what they can, even though en meshed in red tape To leave now, they feel, would be to desert the church in her hour of need. It would also leave young, immature believers open to the advances of those who do stay on, foremost of which will undoubtedly be the Roman Catho lics, who conduct the largest mission ary program in the Sudan. This determination to hold the fort is the policy of the Sudan Interior Mission. Understandably, some missionaries who feel they cannot conscientiously comply with the conditions of these licenses, will transfer to other fields. For the most part, S.I.M. mission aries express concern for the national believers rather than for themselves. What the future holds for these be lievers no one really knows, but it is AUGUST, 1963
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