Adventist Meetings in Juba the First Event Booked at Remodeled Stadium

The scorching sun did not prevent hundreds of Seventh-day Adventist church members, guests, and Bible study interests from finding a place in the stands of the Juba Football Stadium in Juba, South Sudan, July 13. Planned from 7:00 to 11:00 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day, the Sabbath worship service included congregational singing, offerings, a musical concert of several church choirs, a discussion of the Sabbath School lesson, and the preaching of the Word of God.

The Juba Football Stadium was the venue selected for the first week of the Homecoming evangelistic meetings in Juba. The soccer stadium, which was built in the 1960s, recently underwent major remodeling after the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) decided to fund the project as part of its Forward initiative, which seeks to support and develop soccer in non-traditional places.

Less than a month before the beginning of the evangelistic meetings, the stadium was officially inaugurated with FIFA president Gianni Infantino attending. The idea was to use the stadium for official international soccer matches and major events. It was then a surprise when, thanks to the support of government officials of South Sudan, including the country’s president, Salva Kiir Mayardit, the Adventist Church was allowed to use it for the Homecoming series, according to regional church leaders. “In fact,” they said, “it was the first event ever booked in the new stadium.”

The July 13 service was translated into Arabic. While English is the lingua franca of most South Sudanese, many speak Arabic, including its Juba and Sudanese variants. Also, South Sudan has an estimated 60 aboriginal languages, including those representing major indigenous groups such as Dinka and Nuer.

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A children’s choir welcomes guests and church members to the worship service through song. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Under a scorching sun, hundreds participate in corporate worship in Juba, South Sudan, July 13. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Singing about the hope that believers have in Jesus, a church choir inspires the hundreds who attended the July 13 worship service at Juba Football Stadium. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson invites those who still needed to surrender to God to do it right away, committing to study the Bible in preparation for baptism. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

People walk to the stage in a show of commitment to take their spiritual lives seriously. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Homecoming South Sudan speakers Anthony Kent and Ted N. C. Wilson greet those who approached to express a commitment to God and be prayed for on July 13. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

A page of the Gospel of Matthew in the Dinka language, one of about 60 aboriginal languages used in South Sudan. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

A group of teens pose for a group photo after the July 13 worship service at the Juba Football Stadium. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Members and guests who stayed for the afternoon baptism could have a banana or a similar snack before heading to the place of the ceremony. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

In the July 13 evening meeting at the Adventist compound in Juba, sign language interpreters help the deaf understand the message preached by Ted N. C. Wilson. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

People listen to the Bible-based message that General Conference president Ted N. C. Wilson preached on July 13, before leaving South Sudan hours later. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

“Jesus is the remedy to the stress of this life,” a church choir sings as they call people’s attention to the hope Adventists have in the second coming of Jesus. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

Some of those who had been baptized stand to be cheered, encouraged, and prayed for at the Adventist compound in Juba, South Sudan, July 13. [Photo: Marcos Paseggi, Adventist Review]

A concert included songs by church choirs and ensemble groups. A children’s choir also welcomed members and guests to South Sudan and to the meetings. A male group sang about being as faithful to God as were Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the Bible story, while the choirs reminded those attending the service about the hope that believers have in Jesus and His soon second coming.

Wilson’s message once more appealed to the various groups among those seated in the stands. All those who were ready for their baptism a couple of hours later were invited for a special prayer. At the same time, Wilson made a special point of focusing on those who had not yet committed to Jesus. “If you feel God is calling you, please come so I can pray for you,” he told the crowd. “Tell the Lord you are ready to start studying His Word. Tell Him that you want to get ready to be part of His church. Give Him your life today.”

In the late evening, the Homecoming series moved to the Adventist compound, where several church institutions are located, including the regional church headquarters, ADRA, a radio station, and two schools. There, church members and leaders welcomed the almost 200 hundred individuals who had been baptized a few hours earlier and prayed for them to stay faithful and connected to Jesus. Once more, Wilson appealed to those who were still struggling with their decision to follow Jesus, with dozens responding to his call.