30/09/2025
How the Church Started in Bor
1. Arrival of Missionaries (1905โ1906)
The Church Missionary Society (CMS) from the Anglican tradition came from Uganda into Sudan.
In 1906, they established a mission station at Malek, just south of Bor.
This is recognized as the first permanent Christian mission station among the Dinka Bor people.
2. Early Work
The missionaries began by learning the Dinka language, translating Bible portions, and teaching children.
They introduced education (first schools), healthcare, and basic literacy alongside the gospel.
The first converts came slowly because many Dinka people held strongly to their traditional beliefs.
3. First Baptisms
After years of teaching, the first group of Dinka believers were baptized in the early 20th century.
This small group became the seed of the local Bor Christian community.
4. Growth of the Church
The mission trained local leaders and catechists to preach.
By mid-20th century, Bor had its first ordained clergy from the local Dinka community.
The Church became part of the Episcopal Church of the Sudan (ECS), which later became the Episcopal Church of South Sudan (ECSS) after independence.
5. Bor as a Revival Centre (1970sโ1990s)
A great revival movement swept through the Dinka Bor community.
Many young people repented, turned to Christ, and began spreading the gospel to other regions.
Worship songs, prayers, and preaching in Dinka language became powerful tools for spreading Christianity.
6. War & Displacement
During Sudanโs civil wars, many believers in Bor fled to Ethiopia, Kenya, and Uganda.
They carried their faith with them, planting churches in refugee camps.
When they returned, they brought back stronger revival and new leaders.
7. Today
Bor is now one of the strongholds of Christianity in South Sudan.
The Episcopal Church has several dioceses in the Bor region, with thousands of believers.
Other denominations (Pentecostal, Catholic, Presbyterian) have also established churches