A South Sudanese Bishop has urged the politicians to desist from meddling in church and religious affairs, saying this negatively affects the mission and message of the church.
Speaking to Radio Tamazuj on Monday, Bishop David Akau Kuol, Bishop of the Awerial Diocese of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, said politicians in his area have been interfering with church activities and religious affairs.
“I am appealing to all our politicians, especially in this area, and not politicians alone, even those who have not yet joined politics; they are involved in church activities, and I am appealing to them not to destroy the word of God,” Bishop Akau said.
“Don’t bring politics into the church. The church has the role of reconciliation and the role of spiritual activities and the role of forgiveness, but if you enter and bring politics into the church, you are going to destroy the spiritual part, and that is what we don’t want,” he added.
According to the South Sudanese bishop, the internal problems have stopped the Anglican church from carrying out its developmental activities.
“Come to church as normal Christians and do what God has put in your hearts, but don’t try to interrupt the leadership of somebody because what happened in the last three to four years in Awerial Diocese prevented us from carrying out developmental activities because we have been criticizing and fighting each other,” he explained.
The Diocese of Awerial was formed in 2008 as a suffragan see within the Diocese of Yirol, and Bishop Akau Kuol was consecrated as its area bishop.
On 30 Nov 2013, the Provincial Standing Committee meeting in Bor, Jonglei State, voted to separate it from Yirol, and it was officially inaugurated on 18 Oct 2014 at a ceremony at St Paul’s Cathedral, Mingkaman, Awerial.
Bishop David was installed as the first diocesan bishop on 11 Jan 2015 at the Cathedral.
Awerial Diocese of the Episcopal Church has suffered internal conflict since 2020 when Bishop Akau was suspended by the Primate of the Anglican Church of South Sudan, Justin Badi Arama, to resolve his family issue after being accused of cohabitation.
Late Amose Awan, on 31 May 2023, filed a lawsuit, accusing Bishop Akau of engaging in unlawful cohabitation with his daughter, Amer, for nearly 12 years, a case the court dismissed recently.