Persecution Unveiled Cause: Sudan Arrests 7 Pastors Who Refused to Give Gov't Control of Denomination

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Persecution Unveiled has established this cause to educate people about the persecution of Christians and religious minorities in the US & worldwide. Mission Raising awareness to the growing tide of bigotry and hatred toward Christians around the world has become a burden on those trying to wake up those who cherish religious freedom as a God given right. Persecution Unveiled has been called by God to prick the consciences of this nation and all free people to speak up and act on behalf of those who have no voice. Email

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Monday, September 11, 2017

Sudan Arrests 7 Pastors Who Refused to Give Gov't Control of Denomination

Christian Church in Sudan (PHOTO: REUTERS / MOHAMED NURELDIN ABDALLAH)

By Samuel Smith

Christian Post

Authorities in the overwhelmingly Sunni nation of Sudan have arrested seven Christian leaders and forced six others into hiding amid the government's demand that they fork over denominational leadership, sources said.

Citing multiple sources, Morning Star News reports that the seven pastors were arrested and detained for over six hours last Wednesday in Omdurman over their refusal to comply with an order from a government agency demanding they give up leadership of the Sudanese Church of Christ, a reformed denomination, to a government-appointed committee.

Among those arrested were SCOC Moderator Rev. Ayoub Mattan and SCOC's head of missions, Kuwa Shamaal. The church leaders were later released on bail.

The Rev. Kwa Shamaal. (Morning Star News)

The pastors reportedly said that they received a letter from Sudan's Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments dated Aug. 14, ordering them to forfeit leadership of the denomination to the government-appointed church committee.

It was after the clergymen refused to comply with the order that authorities lodged cases against them, the sources added.

The church leaders believe that the government's request for them to step down is contrary to the rules of the SCOC constitution, which calls for the committee to be elected every three years.

According to Morning Star News, the elected terms of Shamaal, Mattan and the other members of the SCOC's executive committee are set to expire in March 2018.

Along with Shamaal and Mattan, those arrested last Wednesday include SCOC Finance Secretary Abdulbagi Ali Abdulrahaman, SCOC Deputy Finance Secretary El-Amin Hassam Abdulrasool and SCOC pastors Yagoub Naway and Musa Kodi.

According to the report, six other church leaders are now in hiding after learning of the cases against them.

Shamaal had previously been arrested in 2015 and was jailed with Czech aid worker Petr Jasek. He was released in January 2017 due to insufficient evidence.

"Police asked if we still maintain our stance on our refusal to acknowledge the committee appointed by the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowments, and we said yes, because it is not the work of the [government] ministry to appoint committees for the church," Shamaal told Morning Star News.

Sudan ranks as the fifth worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution, according to Open Doors USA's 2017 World Watch List.

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