Sudanese Ambassador shares Sudan’s struggles and petitions prayer

posted on Sep 20, 2010 by Katie Brosseau

   During MBTS chapel on Aug. 31, students, faculty and others sat in on a rare opportunity to learn more about a foreign diplomat from the perspective of a Christian worldview.

   Though it’s proper in political circles to refer to him as “Excellency,” in more informal settings,Sudanese Ambassador, Dr. Akec Khoc, prefers simply “Brother Akec” (pronounced A-keesh). He has been an ambassador to the U.S. since 2008.

   Brother Akec, a southern Sudanese physician-turned-ambassador, used the chapel service as an opportunity to share some of the harsh realities the southern Sudanese people face, as well as some of their God-given victories. The ambassador relayed his testimony by describing the desperate living conditions he witnessed among Sudanese refugees and prisoners of war during the twenty year civil war between the mostly Muslim north and the predominantly Christian south. Feeling he must do something, he gave his life to Christ in 1985 and now says, “I’m in the Lord, and the Lord is in me.”

   Khoc shared in a Q&A forum, moderated by MBTS President Dr. Phil Roberts, with Ken Welborn, the Executive Director of the Foreign Service Fellowship (formerly, Christian Ministries to the United Nations).  “The vision of the FSF is to establish a strategic network of diplomatic fellowships around the world, focused on the love, spirit and teachings of Jesus,”Welborn said.

   Christian Ministries to the U.N. was started 38 years ago by Southern Baptists, making it the oldest evangelical Christian organization in the U.N. “The purpose of our ministry is to come alongside ambassadors and diplomats that come to the United Nations, build mutual friendships, and to reach them with the Gospel of Christ,” Welborn said. “I tell people it’s the Great Commission in reverse. We’ve been commanded by our Lord to go and make disciples of all nations. But, in the providence of God, He has brought all the nations of the world together under one umbrella…and He lets us meet them there.”

   Roberts welcomed Ambassador Khoc and asked him to share some of the struggles Sudan has endured through the years. Khoc spoke of the civil wars that have been ravaging the country since the 1980s due to the different religions. The Ambassador said because the North is composed of Muslims and the South is predominantly Christian, religious tensions are especially high. Mixing religious conflicts with the North’s desires for the South’s oil-rich land creates an ongoing, volatile war.

   However, Khoc said hope is on the horizon with as a result of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA). In January 2011, the 8 million people in Southern Sudan will have the opportunity to vote in a referendum whether to stay united with the North or declare their independence. With conflict surrounding either side of this decision, the Ambassador petitioned the prayers of the Midwestern audience. “Should the South choose with its heart to secede, or should it decide…to remain in unity and avoid conflict?” Khoc asked.

   Due to the unknown outcomes of either withdrawal or unity, Khoc said the Southern Sudanese people have asked for “40 Days of Prayer and Fasting”—a time for the nation to cry out to the Lord for His Divine protection, direction and deliverance. The prayer period is Dec. 1, 2010-Jan. 9, 2011, which ends on the date of the proposed referendum.  In the promise of 2 Chronicles 7:14,Khoc remains hopeful that the Lord will answer the prayers of His people.

   “They (South Sudanese leaders) cannot do everything through politics,” he said. “They have prayed to God in the past and their prayers have been answered. Pray for guidance to vote for what is good.”

   Although Brother Akec has served as an ambassador for nearly five years, he still holds onto his physician’s license and holds degrees in medicine and surgery from Khartoum Medical School, one of the largest universities in Sudan.

   One event where he and Welborn interact is at the annual International Prayer Breakfast at the U.N. Welborn was also excited to report the establishment of the annual African Union Heads of State Prayer Breakfast on the African continent, which has been hosted for five consecutive years.

   Welborn also added prayer requests for the new FSF, which is planning to establish additional offices in Washington D.C.; Ottawa, Canada; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; Brussels, Belgium; and Singapore over the next several years.

   Roberts concluded the chapel service by presenting The President’s Medallion to the Ambassador for his “significant work for the cause of Christ.” A humbled Khoc accepted the award, saying “I’ve not been honored in this way before, and I don’t deserve it. Together in the Lord we’ll be strong.”