Diocese of Down & Dromore

CMSI's partnership Coordinator, David Gough, was interviewed by William Crawley on Sunday Sequence 19th December about the Sudan Referendum. If you missed it please listen again via this link.

'CMS Ireland has been supporting the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS) since the mid 1970's through prayer, finance and sending personnel,' says David.  'I have spoken during November with Archbishop Daniel Deng of the ECS when he highlighted the forthcoming referendum and the pressing need for all partners to support the church through prayer, solidarity and advocacy in the run up to the referendum.

'Indeed I also received the following email prior to the interview from Bishop Anthony Poggo of Kajo-Keji Diocese...

"It is good to have the opportunity to say something on BBC. The important thing is to say that it is important for the post referendum issues to be agreed upon before the actual referendum, This will help reduce some of the tension. The main issues include citizenship, boundary demarcation, share of the oil revenue, external national debt and of course Abyei."

Day of Prayer for Sudan

A reminder that a special Prayer gathering will be held in our Belfast Offices on Friday 7th January (weather permitting) from 11.30am until after lunch, to join with our 7 partner Dioceses and the ECS in Sudan to pray for a peaceful and fair Referendum in South Sudan on 9th January. Please encourage your congregation, family and friends to join us at some point during that time.

Nativity Prayer of St. Augustine

Let the just rejoice,

for their justifier is born.

Let the sick and infirm rejoice,

For their saviour is born.

Let the captives rejoice,

For their Redeemer is born.

Let slaves rejoice,

for their Master is born.

Let free men rejoice,

For their Liberator is born.

Let All Christians rejoice,

For Jesus Christ is born.

CMSI Belfast office:

CMS Ireland

33 Dargan Road

Belfast BT3 9JU

tel. +44 (0) 28 90 77 50 20

fax. +44 (0) 28 90 77 97 72

email.

belfastoffice@cmsireland.org