Report
of Visit to Bishop Gwynne College, Juba
October-November
2014
Introduction
This report to the Bishop Gwynne College Prayer Partners follows the
visit of the international consultant to BGC at the end of October
2014. The general impression is that the college is in very good
heart despite the terrible situation of the country. The site is
clean and free of the detritus left by the former workshops. The
neighbouring hotels continue to be built although relatively slowly.
The new building is in full use for worship and lectures with the
library upstairs. The new showers and toilets are very much
appreciated.
The welcome was enthusiastic, the worship vibrant and the faith
clearly present. There is much evidence of hard work on behalf of
students and staff.
Graduation
Ten
students graduated on 25th
October 2014 with a diploma from St. Paul's University Limuru. Nine
men and one woman. A majority of these had begun at the college with
a foundation year in 2010 – some as early as the re-inauguration on
31st
January 2010. The standard of the pass was impressive with some
coming out with distinctions and credits in a number of subjects.
New
Intake
The
college now has forty-two students of which over half are in the
August 2014 intake. Four of these are women which brings the number
of women students to five. SPU is no longer running a Special
Entrance Exam. Instead they require a secondary school certificate.
This is not good news for us because nearly all of our students come
from a background of disrupted and patchy schooling. However, an
internal entrance exam was set. The results indicated that only ten
were up to the standard we deemed necessary to undertake the diploma
and certificate for SPU. The other students have however been offered
the opportunity to study for a BGC diploma in theology.
Ethnic
Diversity
One
of the significant things about BGC is that it draws from many of the
dioceses of ECSSS including Kadugli (Nuba Mountains). It is also open
to applications from other churches. Interest has been shown
particularly from the Presbyterian Church. In among representatives
of a large number of tribes and language groups studying and living
alongside each other, we have both Dinka and Nuer, the ethnic groups
between whom there has been the most serious tension following the
political in-fighting that came to a head last December (2013). This
enables us to ensure the students understand that under Christ there
are no ethnic divisions. We along belong to Jesus Christ wherever we
came from. This has been a long standing ethos of the college dating
back to its inception. Students stick up for each other. (The famous
story of a student from one tribe facing down a drunken soldier
intent on killing his fellow from another tribe in the early 1980s
when the college was in Mundri is often told). Of
recent, one the students (from Nuer) who fled to UNMISS during the
crisis was encouraged by the Principal to come out and joined his
colleagues to complete his studies. He had graduated with is
colleagues and now helping at BGC Canon Benaiah Poggo Library.
Justice,
Peace and Reconciliation
This
has always been of concern to the college and our application of the
SPU syllabus has been done in the contextually taking full cognisance
of the South Sudan situation. However the emergency following the
15th
December 2013 has left the country in a state of insecurity, trauma,
displacement and humanitarian need. The BGC principal has been
anxious to expand the use of the college to assist in initiatives
within the ECSSS (Episcopal Church of South Sudan and Sudan) and SSCC
(South Sudan Council of Churches). An opportunity arose in
July-August to run a two week workshop for pastors and others at the
college. This was funded by AFRECS (America Friends of the ECS).
AFRECS have also offered finance for the employment of a part-time
teacher in the area of peace building and trauma healing for our
regular students.
Staffing
Currently the college teaching is done mostly by part-time staff that
the principal has managed to attract. These are are of good quality
and the standards remain high. We are fortunate in our location we
can access these people from Juba University and among our church
leaders. However it is recognised that this is not a satisfactory
situation.
There is an urgent need for the appointment of full-time staff. We
need at least an academic dean and an additional tutor who could act
in a pastoral capacity as well as teacher. Finding such suitable
people has not been fruitful to date.
We also need to review the salaries of all staff including the
support staff as the rates are falling behind those for Juba which is
an increasingly expensive place in which to live. Food prices and
rents are rising all the time. Inflation is high.
Administration
The college is blessed with a top quality administrator in the form
of Esparansa Emil Karl. She is intelligent and efficient and is
determined that the college goes ahead. Although she is well
qualified and experienced as a teacher and could command a salary far
in excess of what she gets at BGC, she is committed and highly
respected. Without her hard work the principal would not be able to
cope with the pressures of running a college in a very difficult
situation.
Principal
We are most appreciative of our gifted and highly motivated
principal, Samuel Galuak Marial. He has a vision for the college that
includes both practical training of humble pastors for the church in
South Sudan and the advancement of academic standards. In talking
with him one becomes aware that BGC is an academic institution fit
for its place in the academic world with intellectual standards,
without compromising on the need to train priests to work in parishes
and dioceses in every corner of the country.
In addition to his learning Samuel excels at communication – a gift
not often seen in South Sudan. His attention to detail has won him
friends among supporters of the college around the world.
Finances
The college is in a better position than it was a year ago. The
crisis of December 2013 did not help since the college relies heavily
on rents from it houses and offices which, if they are unoccupied or
tenants do not pay, means we have a crisis in income. In 2013 the
college had an overall income of $246900 USD of which just over
twenty percent ($50542 USD) came from overseas. This reveals just how
vulnerable we are to local changes. However, things have picked up
since February and currently all our property is occupied and rents
are coming in.
Inflation has been noticeable however. Food and fuel are increasing.
The cost of medicine has also gone up. Transport is a major cost to
the college as it it all has to be hired in. Up until now it has not
been possible even to contemplate the purchase of a vehicle and a
driver.
I
have undertaken to resume my efforts to attract further donations for
2015. I am grateful to our partners in the UK (Good Books &
Services, Peter Green), the US (Diocese of Virginia – Mary Anne
Bryant) and Australia (St Mark's Church, Warwick – Peter Johnson)
for their work in collecting donations small and large. (If any of
our Prayer Partners are aware of any organisation or grant-making
body that might support BGC, I shall be delighted to hear from you.)
This year we received a donation from the UAE for the first time –
our supporters come from around the world.
Library
BGC
has a wonderful new library situated upstairs in the new building.
This is its fourth home since 2008 – each time growing in size and
beauty. The present hall was equipped with $10,000 USD worth of
shelves – mainly from a grant from the Slavanka Trust. The
Theological Book Network has sent a large number of second hand books
from the USA, and Dorothy Lowe has given a car load of books from her
husband's library. John Lowe died in 2013. Dorothy and John served
the BGC in the 1950s and 60s up until the time they were forcibly
removed by Khartoum Government 1964 with all other white mission
workers. The proportions of this new library means that it can host
18,000 volumes of books and still have a long way to get 13,000 books
more. We are always grateful for visitors willing to bring books in
their suitcases. We have average of receiving 4 to 5 books per a day.
Computers
Thanks
to World Vision, BGC is now the proud owner of ten desktop computers
that are established in the new library. The world Vision Program
happened to be taught by professor taught our Principal from
different seminaries in the US and through that connection, we got
those wonderful gifts to equip our future leaders. Tuition in their
use is being given after school in the evening when the generator
comes on-line. During the day we have no power except for the
occasional and unpredictable bursts of city power. Our dream is to
put solar panels on the roof and this will give us twenty-four house
use with all the benefits that modern students have of accessing
material on-line. (Bearing in mind that V sat is not like fast
broadband.)
Pictures
I shall upload pictures of BGC and it students to our picture website
here.
Prayer
Partners
If
anyone would like to be included in the regular Prayer Partners email
please let me know at international@bishopgwynne.juba.anglican.org.
You might like to ask your friends. Please don't be shy of telling
people about BGC and including us in the your prayer meetings.
Please
feel free to circulate this report to anyone who is interested. It
will be published on our website: www.bishopgwynne.juba.anglican.org/
Trevor Stubbs
International Consultant
Bishop Gwynne College,
Juba,
South Sudan
6th
November 2014
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