Gord Sawatzky tells us that the chapter of his cross-cultural ministry in South Sudan, as the AIM country leader (2000-2005), was his most difficult and challenging assignment.
In all levels of society, from families in villages, to churches, to communities, to governing entities, I felt an over-arching spirit of dissension and mistrust. Over the 40 plus years I have been involved in cross-cultural ministry around the world I have regularly seen mistrust between people groups, but for me the situation in South Sudan was much harder to cope with. How could I develop significant relational trust with national church leadership when church leaders themselves had little desire to work with each other, let alone with me? How could I get alongside individual leaders without getting caught in the difficulties between people groups? On top of that, the government out of the northern part of Sudan exacerbated the local mistrust by supporting certain people groups as they sought to diminish others.
Emerging champions
Yet, in the midst of these dynamics, the Father has his hand on South Sudan. He is raising up an amazing assortment of emerging champions who are seeking to glorify his name, build his kingdom and reconcile the broken world of South Sudan to himself. While I continue to have the privilege of walking life with a number of these champions through leadership mentoring and coaching, they are striving to lead national mission initiatives, develop leaders and birth disciple multiplying movements. We are reminded again and again, that in the hopelessness of South Sudan (from our very limited perspective) we cannot, but God can. Perhaps the rejection, suffering and pervasive dissension are some of God’s tools to liberate us from human control, pride and the desire to please men. Power is dangerous in the hands of an unbroken vessel. When leadership comes out of brokenness, his strength is best demonstrated in our weakness.
Father, we are grasping your hand as we join you (1 Corinthians 3:9) in reaching the remaining unreached and developing your leaders in South Sudan. We long for your help, your deliverance and ultimately your return as we cry out with the psalmist, “O my God, do not delay” (Psalm 40:17).
