Three Member Groups Organized in Juba, South Sudan

In the past few weeks, the Uganda Kampala Mission has organized three member groups in Juba, South Sudan, where the Juba Branch was reinstated earlier this year. The member groups are the Jebel, New-Site, and Shirkat Groups. Last Sunday, the groups had a combined attendance of approximately 80 people - nearly half of whom attended the Juba Branch. This marks the first time that the Church has operated multiple congregations in Juba. Member groups had previously functioned in a couple cities outside of Juba in the early 2010s, although these groups may not function anymore (such as in Akobo) or were never official member groups (like in Nyamliell). The creation of the member groups is a major development that has good potential to expand outreach and establish a center of strength for the Church in Juba. However, the unstable political situation in South Sudan poses a major barrier for the success of these fledgling member groups. Moreover, some countries where a similar approach to expansion has been pursued where only one branch operates in the capital city, most notably Mali, have had significant challenges and delays with member groups maturing into their own independent branches. It is unclear whether mission leaders have made efforts yet to establish member groups outside of Juba yet. Moreover, full-time proselytizing missionaries do not appear to have been assigned to Juba, and this may result in difficulties with these member groups growing in the near future.