South Sudanese Archbishop Posthumously Honored for “outstanding contributions to Church”

“The Archbishop Emeritus also championed ecumenism and the unity of the Church under the Sudan Council of Churches (SCC) now South Sudan Council of Churches (SSCC),” the Anglican Archbishop says and continues, “He rallied ecumenical effort for peace and reconciliation through advocacy and humanitarian service to those affected by war.”

Archbishop Welby adds that the member of the Comboni Missionaries who died April 5 at the age of 80 “was renowned for his deep spirituality, humanity, wisdom, love for all people, and his ardent desire for peace. He commanded the respect and admiration of many people, irrespective of religious affiliations, race, tribe and gender.”

Originally comprising of three categories namely the Canterbury Cross, Lambeth Cross and the Cross of St Augustine, the Lambeth Awards were expanded in 2016 to include the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation, Alphege Award for Evangelism and Witness, Lanfranc Award for Education and Scholarship, Langton Award for Community Service, Cranmer Award for Worship, and Dunstan Award for Prayer and the Religious Life.

Announcing the 2021 recipients of the annual international recognition, the head of the Anglican Church said, “During the pandemic, we have seen just how vital the contribution of churches is to the fabric of our society. As well as finding creative ways to worship together safely, churches have been feeding the hungry, reaching out to the lonely and offering hope to those struggling in the midst of the crisis.”

“This year’s Lambeth Awards recipients, not all of whom are Christians, embody this spirit of service – not just during the pandemic but, for many of them, through decades of faithful work,” Archbishop Welby said and commended the awardees for their efforts.

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Besides Archbishop Lukudu, the former Archbishop of the Episcopal Church in South Sudan, Danial Deng Bul, also received the Hubert Walter Award for Reconciliation and Interfaith Cooperation following “his outstanding ability to mobilize different religious, political and tribal groups for peace and reconciliation.”

Archbishop Deng chaired the High-Level Committee, which mediated peace between the government of President Salva Kiir and the rebel leader George Athor.

In 2013, President Kiir appointed Archbishop Deng the chairman of the National Reconciliation Committee. 

In the April 7 statement announcing the 2021 recipients of the Lambeth Awards, Archbishop Welby says the South Sudanese Episcopal church leader’s “contribution to reconciliation within South Sudan and beyond has been truly outstanding.”

Other African personalities who received the Lamberth Awards include Rev. Canon Dr. Isaac Kawuki Mukasa and Anglican Bishops Luke Lungile Pato of Namibia, Daniel Yinkah Sarfo of Ghana, and the late Ellinah Wamukoya of Swaziland.