This past Sunday, Father Isaiah brought the Jol Wo Lieec gathering to St. Bart’s for a joyful dance in the sanctuary. You may know by now that this is a fellowship of South Sudanese young adults in the United States. The group itself is global, but they gathered for the first time in the US at St. Luke’s last weekend! After the dance, an usher turned to me and said, “It’s alive!” I was later able to confirm with him that he was referring to the sanctuary, the service, the con

In Dinka, “God Look Back at Us” is “Jol Wo Lieec.” It is the name of a young adult ministry founded over 30 years ago by Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth of South Sudan. The goal is to strengthen young adults in discipleship and fellowship as they face the challenges of life. The Jol Wo Lieec ministry has expanded around the world as the South Sudanese diaspora has spread globally. Bishop Nathaniel died last month at the age of 85. But on the eve of his death, he received the

Last week, along with 850 other clergy and laity, I attended the Episcopal Parish Network (EPN) conference in Charlotte, NC. It was my first EPN conference, and I found it to be very enriching. My favorite meeting was a talk led by our new presiding bishop, with only rectors and cathedral deans in the room. While I didn’t meet him personally, it was wonderful to be in a small setting of 150 church leaders where all could speak freely. Presiding Bishop Sean Rowe was just insta