Sydney's Sudanese community has suffered violence, but the gospel still grows among this war-weary people.
Early on the morning of December 9, 2006, Sudanese refugee Geoffrey Taban was bashed and left unconscious outside a Smith Street hotel in Parramatta. It wasn't until an anonymous caller alerted the police that Geoffrey was finally taken to Westmead Hospital. Geoffrey remained in a coma until the following Saturday when he passed away.
The Rev Bernard Suwa, leader of the Sudanese ministry at Christ Church, Blacktown, mourned the loss of his "brother-cousin' Geoffrey at a memorial service held on February 3. Prior to the afternoon service, which was attended by hundreds of Sudanese community members and family friends, more than 30 members of the community joined Geoffrey's family in a wreath-laying ceremony at the door of the nightclub where he was attacked.
On February 6, an 18-year-old man was arrested and taken to Parramatta Police Station for questioning. Strike Force Yillowra detectives charged the man over Geoffrey's death. The strike force has been set up to deal with violence towards the Sudanese community.
"While we may not be able to bring Geoffrey back to life, it is a huge relief to the family that at last justice will be done to the one who has caused them so much loss and pain," Mr Suwa says.
According to Mr Suwa, members of the Sudanese community in Blacktown are frequently abused in the street and have been pelted with beer bottles from passing cars. In January 2006, Sudanese refugee Kuol Agang was beaten to death in an Auburn street. "How can we integrate with the Australian community if we cannot walk in the streets?" Mr Suwa asks.
The problem of Sudanese integrating effectively into Australian society was highlighted by Tamworth City Council's rejection of Sudanese refugees last December.
The rector of Tamworth South Anglican Church, the Rev Ken Fenton, is one of the Christian leaders who has been vocal in supporting the Sudanese cause.
"There has been a lot of Christian involvement in the debate and through practical support for the Sudanese community. There are a good number of members of church at the forefront of this campaign," Mr Fenton says.
Local churches established a "family reunion fund' to help reunite Sudanese refugees already in Tamworth with their loved ones. So far $8000 has been raised.
"We want to help families come together and escape their wretched conditions in Sudan. Quite a few are nominally Christian and have shown up in our churches," Mr Fenton says.
"There are community attitudes that need to be addressed. There are people still opposed to migration, but they have to understand that these are refugees who don't have a roof over their heads."
Mr Suwa says comments by Macquarie University law professor Andrew Fraser several years ago claiming the presence of the Sudanese in Australia is "a sure recipe for crime and violence" and that the Australian government does not stand to benefit from their presence helped destroy Australian society's opinion of Sudanese refugees. However, Mr Suwa believes some refugees have contributed to their reputation through irresponsible behaviour.
"Various community and church leaders have "defended' the reputation of the Sudanese communities living in western Sydney," Mr Suwa says. "But how long will they continue to do this with any success if members of our communities continue to deliberately defy the laws of this land, particularly in regard to drink-driving and driving without valid licences?"
But despite the controversy, the Sudanese community in Sydney has proven to be very open to the gospel.
The Sudanese congregation at Merrylands has experienced significant growth after meeting for only 15 months.
The Dinka language service is led by Merrylands rector, the Rev Nathan Killick and Dau Jarkuch is the senior Sudanese leader of the congregation.
"In November 2005 we started with five families. The number is now growing and sometimes reaches 200," Mr Jarkuch says.
"The people come from different areas in Sydney. We have lots of large families coming. We have our own traditional songs and pray in our own language."
Thirty people from the Dinka congregation will be confirmed in June.
The Rev Lual Doong also leads a Dinka-speaking congregation which meets at Wentworthville Anglican Church. He recently formed a translation committee and set about translating a series of three Bible League studies into the Dinka language. They are now being used to evangelise Sudanese refugees.
