The Archbishop of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Central Equatoria Internal province has announced that plans are underway for the appointment of a new bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Yei after the retirement of Bishop Hillary Luate Adeba late last month.
Archbishop Paul Yugusuk told Radio Tamazuj that the current position of the Bishop of Yei has been announced vacant.
Yugusuk says the church leadership is in the process of nominating three candidates to be screened by the church leadership before a new appointment is made public around April 2021.
“We are working to see that we call for an emergency synod in Yei on the 13th of February 2021. The church clerk in Yei will constitute an electoral college to nominate people for the position of the bishop. This process will go up to the internal province to constitute another electoral body for the election of the bishop for Yei Diocese,” he said.
Yugusuk appreciated retired Hillary Luate Adeba for his spiritual service to the congregation and the people of Yei saying he will be acting until a new bishop is installed.
“I also come to Yei to assume the responsibility of a caretaker bishop for Yei for the next three months (90) days. I want to declare that indeed the bishop of Yei has retired because he has attained the age of 65 according to the constitution of the church and a new bishop will be installed and I want to thank retired bishop Adeba for the peaceful and smooth transition of power,” the clergyman said.
Meanwhile, Gaga Frank a church worshiper at Emmanuel Cathedral thanked outgoing Bishop Adeba for promoting peace, reconciliation, and development in Yei.
Gaga called on the new upcoming leadership to promote development and unity within the church.
“Our retired bishop did great work since he assumed leadership in the church. He brought development programs to the church and retired peacefully and my expectation for the new bishop is to pick up from where Adeba has stopped so that we see development and unity in the church leadership,” he appealed.
Retired Bishop Adeba assumed this role in 2002 after the death of late Bishop Seme Solomona.