Sudan (MNN) — The shackles of tyranny are slowly falling off the Sudanese Church. Sudan’s transitional government is taking significant steps towards freedom ever since former dictator Omar al-Bashir was ousted last April.
Earlier this month, Sudan’s Minister of Religious Affairs Nasreldin Mofreh dissolved committees that were used by the Islamist regime to confiscate church properties – a move praised by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom.
(Photo courtesy of Prayercast)
Now, Sudan’s Transitional Military Council has proposed a bill to remove the death penalty for apostasy. The bill would instead make it a crime to accuse someone of apostasy.
We spoke with Philemon*, a pastor in Sudan who says the Church shouldn’t waste the Gospel doors opening in Sudan.
“We are praying [about] what really we need to do. Maybe we need to have this opportunity to build churches that have no building, and to have an opportunity to share the Bible openly… and preach and go to some areas that we see [as] unreached areas.”
Also, Philemon says, “I think it’s a good opportunity to have maybe crusades, to have leadership training, to distribute some Bibles to others, to help some churches to be the churches, and I’m trying to do what whatever I can to help the Church in Sudan.”
However, there is still a lot of work to do for religious freedom in Sudan. Christians and other religions are still in the minority. The overwhelming majority of Sudan’s population is Sunni Muslim.
(Photo courtesy of Prayercast)
“I ask that Christians around the world continue as you did before to pray for Sudan,” Philemon says.
Please ask the Lord to give the Sudanese Church wisdom and boldness in proclaiming the Gospel. Pray for more leaders to rise to power in Sudan who champion religious freedom. Ask the Holy Spirit to sweep Sudan with a spiritual revival and lead many people to Jesus.
*Name changed for security purposes.
Header photo courtesy of UNMISS via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/unmissmultimedia/35933305190/
