THE MODERATOR of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, made time during a busy three-day visit to South Sudan to meet staff at Christian Aid’s office in Juba.
Dr Greenshields is part of an ecumenical peace pilgrimage with the Pope and the Archbishop of Canterbury.
During the meeting with Christian Aid, the Moderator was accompanied by the Principal Clerk, the Rev Fiona Smith, and the Church of Scotland’s Global Justice lead, Ian Alexander.
James Wani, Christian Aid’s South Sudan Country Director said: “We are thrilled that the Moderator of the Church of Scotland, the Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields has been able to make time during the Pilgrimage of Peace to meet our Christian Aid staff in Juba.
“Christian Aid has a rich legacy in South Sudan and we were able [to] share about our work, through our partners, on peacebuilding and emergency humanitarian assistance. The harsh reality is that conflict, Covid and the climate crisis have taken their toll and this year we expect more than three quarters of the population to require humanitarian assistance.”
Head of Christian Aid Scotland, Sally Foster-Fulton, who will herself be the next Kirk Moderator, added: “This historic peace pilgrimage brings with it much hope and optimism and we stand with our sisters and brothers in South Sudan at this time.
“Dr Greenshields and the Church of Scotland group received a warm welcome from our country team in Juba and it’s a rare opportunity for face-to-face conversation about peace, the impact of the climate crisis on South Sudan and Christian Aid’s vital humanitarian work. I hope this is just the start of an ongoing conversation.”
* Source: Christian Aid