Global South Anglican

By George Conger, Religious Intelligence

The Archbishop of the Sudan, Dr Joseph Marona has stepped down from office, two years ahead of schedule, due to ill health.   At a meeting of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan’s House of Bishops in Juba on Dec 29, Dr. Marona announced he would retire with effect from Dec 31, 2007. A successor will be elected at a special meeting of Synod in February. In his final address as Primate to the House of Bishops, Dr. Marona thanked his colleagues for their prayerful support during a tumultuous time in the life of the Sudan and in the Episcopal Church. He also singled out his wife, Mama Eunice Marona, and the provincial secretary, Canon Enoch Tombe for their support. Dr. Marona’s eight year tenure of Archbishop of the Sudan, has seen an end to the 25 year civil war between the Muslim-Arab north and Christian-African south, and the prospects for the first sustained period of piece in South Sudan since the end of Anglo-Egyptian rule in 1956. The Church has also weathered the schism of the former bishop of Rumbek, Gabriel Roric Jur, who after being defrocked as bishop, established a rival Reformed Episcopal Church of the Sudan with the backing of the Islamist government in Khartoum. Born in 1941 in the Western Equatoria province of Sudan, Archbishop Marona was educated at the Yei Teachers Training College and taught Arabic in Talia and Lui primary schools from 1962 to 1966. In 1966 went into exile in Uganda and continued his education at Makere University. Following the signing of the Addis Abba Peace Agreement he returned to the Sudan and served as a school headmaster in South Sudan from 1975 to 1978 when he entered the Bishop Gwynne College for his theological training. Ordained in 1982, he was appointed head of department of Christian education at Maridi Teachers Training Institute and in 1984 was appointed the first bishop of Maridi. In 1999 he was elected Primate of the Sudan and translated to Juba. According to a statement released by the church, the bishops voiced their support for Dr. Marona’s ministry as Archbishop of Juba and Primate of Sudan. Bishop Daniel Deng praised his prayerful and patient ministry while Bishop Andudu Adam Elnail expressed admiration of how by God’s grace the Archbishop had been able to overcome many difficulties through prayer and consultation. Bishop Levi Hassan declared that God had chosen the Archbishop at a difficult time and that through his humility, many things had been possible. Bishop Justin Badi paid special tribute to the Archbishop’s efforts to uplift the ministry of women within the church. africadesk@religiousintelligence.com