Sudan’s Episcopal Church consecrates new bishop in Mundri East county, South Sudan

June 27, 2011 (LUI) — The Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) consecrated Stephen Dokolo as the new Rt. Rev Bishop for the Diocese Lui in Mundri East, Western Equatoria stae, South Sudan, on Sunday.

The co-consecrators were bishops from all the Episcopal dioceses in Western Equatoria, including Bishop Peter Munde of Yambio and Bishop Samuel Enos Peni of Nzara. Foreign church leaders included Swiss missionaries and the World Gospel Mission from Arua, Uganda.

This is third bishop to be ordained in Lui diocese, the first Bishop was Ephraim Nathana, followed by Bishop Bullen Doli, who passed away last year.

Bishop Dokolo said his vision for the development of Lui is to see Christians of the dioceses become “mature in faith” and “self reliant both physically and spiritually.”

Dokolo assured the congregation that he would will improve the mission of evangelism and establishing more evangelism centres and in-service training programs for the non-English speaking pastors of the diocese.

“In the area of capacity building, I promise to establish a vocational training centre for the diocese of Lui and increase the number of church schools in the dioceses and revive the adult literacy program,” said Dokolo.

He he also has plans to “revive the agriculture program by establishing demonstration gardens at the Parish of Amadi and Lozoh and to train agricultural extension workers in the diocese,” and will look for more partners to “revive the church clinic of the seven archdeaconry of Lui diocese.”

Additionally, the bishop of Maridi diocese, Justin Badi called upon the congregation to extend more support to the new Bishop spiritually and financially in order for him to “lead the God’s people as a shepherd.”

He urged the government officials not to forget the tithes (one tenth of earnings paid as a voluntary contribution) of the church help the priests and Bishops work efficiently.

The Archbishop of the ECS Canon, Daniel Deng hailed the cooperation between the churches in Western Equatoria and the state government.

“I am grateful to the governor of Western Equatoria for having attended all church occasions held in the state and this indicates true blessings of God to the people of the state […] Western Equatoria has a lot of food stuffs as we prepare to host the all ECS synod or conference in November, am urging all the Christians of the state to contribute in all kinds,” said Deng.

At the event, called upon the Christians to change the attitude of begging from the church into giving to the church.

The governor remarked this during the consecration and ordination of the new Bishop Stephen Dokolo of Lui Diocese on Sunday June 27, 2011 at Dr. Frazer memorial Diocese in Lui Payam, Mundri East County.

The governor of Western Equatoria state, Bangasi Joseph Bakosoro expressed his gratitude to be part of the occasion.

“Last year I was here to attend the mourning of bate Bishop Doli, and today am here rejoicing the inauguration of the new Bishop” he said.

He pointed out that bishop Stephen Dokolo is the most “privileged bishop to be ordained just days before the declaration of the southern independence.

Bakosoro appreciated the ECS Archbishop Daniel Deng Bul for the tremendous work done in South Sudan by standing firm with Christians during his term in office.

“As I always say there is no government without a church but there is church without government” said Bakosoro. He donated an electronic Bible to Dokolo and the sum of SDG7,000 (US$2,620) to help support the Bishop in other church activities.

(ST)