Sudan (MNN) — Sudanese authorities agreed to send ousted dictator Omar al-Bashir and three senior officials to the International Criminal Court. Bashir and two of the leaders are imprisoned in Khartoum, while the third remains at-large.
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The ICC has wanted Bashir since 2009. He’s charged with committing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity during the conflict in Darfur. Bashir ruled Sudan with an iron fist for 30 years; transitional leaders promised justice to his victims when they took the helm two years ago.
Abraham* with the Program for Theological Education by Extension (PTEE) describes more good news: “I heard from the [Sudanese Christian] leaders that the situation with the new government is better than in the past,” he says.
“Now it [has] become a little bit more open for evangelism, more open for the Good News. Some missionaries came back; [they were] kicked out of the country four years ago.”
Gospel growth
Zoom allows PTEE to hold training sessions online, effectively bypassing COVID-19 in-person restrictions.
(Photo courtesy of PTEE)
Last month, PTEE held two-week online training sessions for believers in Sudan. “Around 21 leaders attending this training [on] Zoom and after they finished the training, they now [have] four groups for studying in Khartoum,” Abraham says.
PTEE works with and through local churches to provide accredited theological training in Arabic dialects. Visit PTEE’s website to learn more. The July training sessions were not typical PTEE courses, Abraham says.
“No, it is a training for trainers,” he explains, teaching course facilitators “how to lead the group in discussion, how to manage the course, and how to take care of the record of the course.”
Pray this training will help Arabic-speaking Christian leaders grow in their faith and disciple others. Praise God for Sudanese believers’ faithfulness and endurance, and pray PTEE can reach isolated Christians. “I think God gave us this gift of internet so we could reach out to different places in Sudan,” Abraham says.
“Despite all the challenges and difficulties, we praise the Lord for the encouraging news. They (Sudanese believers) like to study the Bible, have groups at home, and they are [continuing] to study with us.”
*Pseudonym
Header image depicts former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir. (Photo courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA)
