Members of the clergy in the Presbyterian Church in South Sudan, a partner church of PC(USA)’s World Mission, were released in November after nearly seven months of imprisonment. Rev. Idris Joshua Idris Nalos and pastor trainee David Gayin were taken from their homes on May 19 by armed men identified by Amnesty International as security forces.
According to eyewitness reports, they were beaten and documents, phones and computers were taken. While neither Nalos nor Gayin were charged with a crime, they were allowed no access to lawyers or their families, and their whereabouts remained unknown until their release.
Leadership within the PC(USA) contacted the government in South Sudan and the U.S. State Department on the pair’s behalf, and congregations were encouraged to write letters and offer prayers.
In his last official letter, the PCC’s then-moderator, Rev. Dr. John Vissers, signed a letter to the South Sudanese authorities asking for the prisoners’ release.
“The PCC played a small role in supporting the efforts for the release of these Presbyterian leaders,” Vissers told the Record. “I am delighted that they have now been released.”
With files from the Presbyterian Church (USA).
