Service to be held for Darfur
The Nameless Church to host a prayer service at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Fredericksburg to denounce the genocide in Sudan
Date published: 7/23/2005
By JESSICA ALLEN
A new local church is trying to raise awareness about an international problem.
Members of the Nameless Church in the Fredericksburg area want to bring attention to the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan, which has caused at least 180,000 deaths and made 2 million people homeless.
The seven-member Christian congregation, which is not associated with any denomination and meets at a member's home in Spotsylvania County, was formed in April. It plans to host a series of events that focus on the ethnic cleansing in the African country. Information is available on its Web site, thenamelesschurch.com.
A service titled "Worship in the Spirit of Justice" will be held at 1 p.m. tomorrow in Fredericksburg's Market Square. All are welcome.
Member Ian Soper, a 25-year-old Spotsylvania resident, said living out Christ's life includes serving those in need.
"We believe it's more than just saving people's souls but also about meeting their needs here on Earth," he said.
Church members were inspired by vigils in Washington speaking against the inhumane treatment of Sudanese Christians, Soper said.
Sudan's ruling regime, which seized power in a 1989 coup, is a mixture of military elite and an Islamist party. The country endured a 22-year civil war that tore apart the southern part of the country. The war ended last year when a peace treaty was signed, but there is still a separate conflict in the Darfur region.
The Rev. Jim Dannals, senior rector at St. George's Episcopal Church on Princess Anne Street, said he will attend tomorrow afternoon's event and plans to lead the prayer.
"There are many things in which we can disagree; hopefully this is what we can agree, that God is against genocide," Dannals said. "People of faith need to come together and make people more aware of the tragedy."
The Rev. Jeff Jones, senior minister at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Fredericksburg on Caroline Street, also will participate.
"Any way we can bring awareness and know what we can do to make meaningful change we can and should be doing in the Sudan," Jones said.
Staff librarian Sandy Mahaffey contributed to this story.
To reach JESSICA ALLEN: 540/368-5036 jiallen@freelancestar.com
Date published: 7/23/2005
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