AMECEA calls on Church leaders to support communication departments 

The Social Communication coordinator at Association Member of Episcopal conference in East Africa (AMECEA) Father Andrew has appealed to Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference to help Church leaders understand the theological background of communication in the context of evangelization. 

Father Andrew Kaufa, made this appeal during a two-day strategic plan workshop to strengthen the Social communication office in Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference.

Kaufa said there are some leaders of the Church like bishops and priests who have not yet taken communication into consideration as a way of evangelizing.

“A general feeling of most of the people in the Catholic media fraternity is that there are still some on the leadership of the Church bishops, priests, who have not yet taken communication seriously into consideration as a way of evangelising.”

It is my appeal again, through your office, your Lordship that we help the pastoral activity, but also the leadership to understand even the theological background of communication in the context of evangelisation, “Father Kaufa stated.”

He added that there is a need to invest more into communication ministry in terms of infrastructure, and space for the communication departments 

Kaufa also called on the conference to invest in pastoral agencies to do specialization studies in mass communication.

On behalf of the bishops’ of Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference, the Auxiliary Bishop of Juba Archdiocese Santo Laku Pio thanked AMECEA for the great work they are doing to make sure the AMECA region is at the same level.

Bishop Laku Pio said the Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference is very much concerned about the social communication department because communication is very important for expanding the work evangelisation in the Catholic Church. 

“The Bishops are very much concerned about social communication, of course we have this random communication that is more less and unrefined people say anything anywhere any time for some other reasons, but this collective refined communication which acts as a power has been missing.”  

The Auxiliary Bishop said, Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference is trying its best through Father John Gbemboyo and the members who have come to develop the strategic plan so that the authority of the bishops find position in the society.

He adds that the Sudan and South Sudan bishops’ Conference is hoping to make sure that the social communication department leads the society.

The Auxiliary Bishop assures the participants that the bishops’ at the conference are ready to recommend the strategic plan to improve on the social communication department in Sudan and South Sudan bishops’ Conference.

Meanwhile, the social communication coordinator at Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ conference Father John Gbemboyo said the social communication department have taken a journey of what they would like to be as social communication at the conference and diocesan level.  

Father John stated that they started the workshop by looking at context analysis, social issues, political issues and also looking at the communication needs.

The social communication coordinator appreciated bishops’ Conference of Sudan and South Sudan for trying to bring back the department of social communication to it full operation

Together with AMECEA Social communication department, Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference held a consultative workshop to develop a strategic plan that can strengthen the social communication department of the conference. 

The workshop which was conducted at Good Shepherd Peace Centre in Kit, Juba, brought about 20 participants from across the Sudan and South Sudan Bishops’ Conference