The Eastern Upper Nile Presbyterian Church is mourning the death of their former head, Rev. Daniel Giel Pal, who was killed in Malakal two weeks ago.
Giel Pal served formerly as the church’s ‘moderator,’ which is the highest position in a regional assembly of Presbyterian churches. The pastor was shot dead on 21 January in Malakal during fighting between the SPLA and opposition forces.
Fifteen parishes from both Ulang and Nasser counties are expected to attend a memorial service for the slain churchman tomorrow beginning at 8:00 a.m. at the Presbyterian Mission in Nasser.
According to Rev. James Gatluak Gatkuoth, vice moderator of Eastern Upper Nile Presbyterian Church, the death of Giel is a ‘great loss’ to all Presbyterian Churches of South Sudan.
He explained that the Rev. Daniel Giel was 51 years old. He started his biblical education in 1983 at Doleib and graduated in 1986 with a diploma in Bible Study.
On 31 Dec 1992 he was ordained as a pastor and he also worked as a pastor in charge at Wanding Payam, Nasir County in 1996.
In 2008 Daniel Giel was elected as Moderator for the Presbyterian Church of Eastern Upper Nile and he was sent to study at Nile Theological College. He was killed while on leave in Malakal during a break from the theological college.
He also had an advanced diploma from Accra, Ghana, and served in the Presbyterian Church for 27 years in South Sudan, according to Gatkuoth.
Reporting by Sobat FM
Photo: A parish youth group from South Sudan Eastern Upper Nile Presbytery Church at a youth conference in Western Bahr al Ghazal, South Sudan (youtube.com)