Church Leaders in Sudan Face Ongoing Harassment.

A church leader who was arrested in Khartoum, Sudan, last Monday has been released on condition that he reports to security officials every day.

Pastor Ayoub Tilian, moderator of the Sudanese Church of Christ (SCOC) was arrested at his office across the River Nile from Khartoum, and was taken to an unknown location.

Later on Monday he was released but ordered to go to the offices of Sudan’s National Security and Intelligence Services (NISS) for interrogation. NISS agents, who are upset about a recent conference of church leaders in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, questioned him about whether statements were made at the gathering that the Sudanese government was persecuting Christians.

NISS, reported to be staffed by hard-line Islamists, also required another SCOC leader, the Rev. Kwa Shamaal, to report to them each day and questioned him about the same conference. He was initially arrested on December 18th and released three days later, but had been required to report daily to a NISS office, where he was held from 8 am until midnight.

According to an area source: “Things are very difficult here in Sudan, as time after time we hear that a church leader is arrested”.

• Pray for Church leaders and pastors in Sudan, as they face growing pressure against them and increased risk of arrest and persecution.
• Pray for the pastors who have already been detained, for strength and peace as they face interrogations. Pray for their families, for protection and comfort, especially as they are often forbidden to visit those in prison.
• Pray for the Church is Sudan to continue to grow in numbers and depth of faith.
• Pray for a move of the Holy Spirit in this land, for many, including those in the security forces, to encounter Christ in life changing ways.

Hebrews 13 vs 3: “Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured.”

Source: http://morningstarnews.org/2016/03, http://www.persecution.org/2016/03