#SetThemFree - Pastors on Trial in SudanScot Bower - 8 Jul 2015

What would you do if your pastor was unjustly arrested?

How much noise would you make amongst your friends, the media and with MP’s to press for his release? How committed would you be in prayer if they, he or she were charged with espionage and potentially faced the death penalty? 

For a church in Sudan this is a reality, and they urgently need your help. They need you to speak up for them; to pray and protest.

Last December Reverend Yat Michael was arrested after speaking at a church in Khartoum. Sudanese officials were offended by his sermon where he encouraged the church to ‘stand firm’ in the face of a land dispute with government-backed investors; and a few weeks later a second pastor, Rev Peter Reith, was also detained after delivering a letter to the government asking where and why Reverend Yat was being held.

Over the last six months they have endured many abuses, including been being held in chains in a high security prison, being subjected to solitary confinement and being denied access to their lawyers. Most recently the head of their legal team was arrested on 1st July.

At a hearing last week the judge was to decide which of the six charges they had been arrested on were to be pursued. Around the world people were praying that the judge might dismiss the case entirely or proceed only with the more minor charges. Disappointingly, he decided to proceed on all counts. This means the pastors will face the serious charges of ‘undermining the constitutional system’ and ‘espionage’, both of which could carry the death penalty if they are found guilty. 

The next hearing on 14 July begins with the defence’s case - but as I write this prison authorities are not allowing the pastors access to their legal team until 15 minutes before the hearing starts, access and intimidation is mounting. They need your help.

Jesus was really clear when he talked about the Church being one body and that when one part of the body suffers the rest hurts too.

For the next two weeks, and until the trial finishes, could you consider these pastors your pastors? Commit to pray and protest! Use your voice to campaign for their release, both before God in prayer and fasting, and amongst people; whether that’s lobbying the Sudanese embassy in your country or shouting about the case loudly on social media. 

Together we can #SetThemFree! 

Here’s how you can help:

Pray

• For Pastors Yat and Peter, that God would give them strength, comfort and companionship while they are in prison.
• For the pastors’ family and the church in Sudan, that they would know the presence and comfort of God. That they would be free to worship without intimidation - last week 12 young women were arrested as they left church.
• For the legal team that they would have wisdom to know how to approach the case, and favour even where it’s not expected. Pray especially that they would be allowed to visit the pastors in prison to prepare the defence.

Protest

• Take action and lobby the Sudanese embassy in your country - this is really easy to do, visit the action page on csw.org.uk/ and select your country. It’s also highly effective. The Sudanese government will only understand the volume of support the church in Khartoum has if we tell them! 
• Take to social media and make some noise. Follow @CSW_UK on Twitter and use the hashtag #SetThemFree. You can follow developments on the CSW Facebook page too at facebook.com/cswuk.

Visit the case page at www.csw.org.uk/2015-sudan-pastors for more background details to the case.

On behalf of pastors Yat and Peter, their family and their churches, thank you! Your support is more valuable than you will ever know.