A New Seminary in South Sudan July 16, 2013 Rob Norris: One of the primary initiatives of the World Reformed Fellowship has been to provide logistical and prayer support for the establishment of a new (evangelical and Reformed) seminary in South Sudan.

The primary leaders of this project are WRF Board member Rob Norris and WRF Associate International Director, Flip Buys.

The Lord has GREATLY blessed Rob's and Flip's efforts and below is a report from Rob on the progress that has been made. 

Report - Visit to South Sudan – June 2013

On Monday, June 24, Rob Yancey, Director of Missions and Outreach at Fourth Presbyterian Church, David Van Duzer, the church architect, and I left Dulles arriving in Juba, South Sudan on Tuesday afternoon. Immediately we met with Bishop James Lagos Alexander, the permanent representative of the seminary project, to discuss the progress on our agenda. Following this meeting we met also with Patrick Jok Deng, the General Secretary of the South Sudan Presbyterian Church, a WRF member who is also a part of our seminary project committee.

The next day we visited the community of Moli Andro where we have been given a unique property of more than 30 acres on which to build a seminary. We also saw the ongoing work of building the school facilities we have funded for the community.  Following our being welcomed, the community solemnly sacrificed a goat on the land as a covenant token of their commitment to the project. David took an initial survey of the property; he has designed the seminary buildings to be built in a staged manner.

We met again with Patrick and James that evening and agreed to the following;

-          Full seminary classes will begin inJuba from January 1, 2014 using the Mukhanyo Theological Seminary Curriculum for certificate level material.

-          A conference of invited Sudanese church leaders from the Sudan Council of Churches will be held in October, 2013 to solicit support, arrange for students to be designated, and interviews.

-          Teachers from Mukhanyo will participate in that conference, as will I and others from Fourth Church.

-          Initial hosts and instructors were identified to include Patrick Jok Deng. 

The next morning we identified a site in Juba, currently used by theAfricaInlandChurch, which could be the location for classes and a library while the seminary in Moli Andro is being constructed. A Memorandum of Understanding with the AIC will be forthcoming as to the cost of renovations and the necessary designated space, which will include office space for Bishop Alexander, and is in the process of being  drawn up. 

Departing the next day with so much accomplished in a short space of time, I was seated on the airplane next to the Director of Jesuit Ministry to Refugees, who has offered support and help in our project to assist the community of Moli Andro to develop. 

The whole work has the seal of the Lord on it.  We are always grateful for the remarkable providence of the Lord that our involvement with WRF has enabled our partnership with the MukhanyoTheologicalCollege to develop and prosper to His glory and to the advancement of His kingdom in South Sudan.

In His service,

Rob NorrisThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.