Sudan – Meeting in Cairo
In July 2023, Charles Raven (our CEO), Doug Ingram (our COO) and Sasha Raven (Senior Administrator for the GSFA) travelled to Cairo to meet Archbishop Ezekiel Kondo, the Primate of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, on his first journey outside of Sudan since the start of the conflict in April 2023. The visit was also an opportunity to visit the GSFA (the Global South Fellowship of Anglican Churches) secretariat’s new office in the Diocese of Egypt’s All Saints Cathedral Zamalek compound.
The new office is managed by Mrs Miranda Mounir and will be a central location for the GSFA to operate from in the coming years. This was an important opportunity to visit the office, given the Relay Trust is now a formal Mission Partner of the GSFA.
Please pray for the work of the GSFA who are seeking to support churches across the Anglican Communion in guarding the faith once delivered, and seeking accountability, unity and well-being across the Communion to further the mission Christ gave to the church.
The core of the visit was to meet with Archbishop Ezekiel. He described the terrible situation in Sudan, how the cathedral compound in Khartoum had been overrun with church members still inside, how the diocese of Khartoum Offices in Omdurman had been taken over, and how the cities of El Obeid and Kadugli were under siege. He also described the amazing bravery and resilience of members of the church and how the church was comforted in the knowledge that God is in control. The meeting concluded with the team discussing how the Trust and other partners may be able to support the Church in the coming months.
Doug also had the opportunity to meet with Makki Al Doonkai, the Theological Education by Extension lead for the ECS. Makki was injured in shelling in Omdurman early in the fighting, but managed to get to Egypt for treatment. It was wonderful to see him and his family safe in Cairo, and to talk about the potential of restarting grassroots training in the ‘safer’ dioceses in Sudan and the growing refugee communities in Egypt.
Please pray for Archbishop Ezekiel and all those in the Episcopal Church in Sudan, whether still in the country or abroad. Please pray for the rapid ending of the conflict, the easing of people’s suffering, and the conditions to be set for Christ to be known and worshipped across that country.
