About the churches

About the churches

The first major Anglican mission in Sudan was founded in Omdurman in 1899, under the auspices of the Church Missionary Society.

The mission led to widespread conversion to Christianity throughout southern Sudan.

Missionary activity came first under the Diocese in Jerusalem, and then, in 1920, as part of the new Diocese of Egypt and the Sudan, with Llewellyn Henry Gwynne as its first bishop. As the pace of growth continued, a separate Diocese of the Sudan was formed with its own bishop in 1945 and, in 1974, Sudan became an independent province of four dioceses, creating the Episcopal Church of Sudan (ECS).  Due to continued growth and displacement resulting from the Second Sudanese Civil War, the province steadily grew from 11 dioceses in 1993 to 24 in 2011.   

The ECS played a significant role in the peace process that followed the end of the Second Sudanese Civil War.  Also, the ECS was present in the south of the original country of Sudan throughout both conflicts and played a prominent role in sustaining local communities during the decades of conflict between 1956 and 2005.   

Therefore, the ECS, as well as its successors, have been highly respected on an ongoing basis, having a strong voice at national level.   In South Sudan, many government ministers and high-ranking officials are members of the congregation of All Saints Cathedral, Juba, attending Sunday services on a regular basis.  The President, Salva Kiir de Mayardit, is a practicing Roman Catholic who attends Mass in Juba weekly.     

Following the independence of South Sudan on 9 July 2011, the Episcopal Church of Sudan took the decision to rename itself as Province of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan at the meeting that took place in Bor, South Sudan, from 27 to 30 November 2013.  

To find out what happened after 2013, click below on the flags of Sudan and South Sudan

Episcopal Church of Sudan

Episcopal Church of South Sudan