Abraham Nhial

Abraham Nhial is one of the dynamic young leaders of the "New Sudan." He has recently been appointed as the first Bishop of the Episcopal Church of Sudan, Diocese of Aweil, one of the ten States of Southern Sudan populated by over one million people. JL funded a church building there through NDI several years ago in partnership with Abraham. However, Abraham didn't start out in church leadership. He started out as one of the "Lost Boys of Sudan." He was about nine years old when troops sent by the northern Islamic government in Khartoum attacked his village in Southern Sudan. As a result, he was separated from his parents and family and became a refugee in Ethiopia and Kenya.

By God’s grace, Abraham came to the U.S. in 2001 from the Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya near the Sudan border.  During the long years he was in Kakuma, Abraham grew as a leader and pastored a multicultural church of refugees.  JL also ministered in Kakuma several times, teaching and encouraging pastors, leaders and the “Lost Boys.”  When Abraham was repatriated to America as a political refugee, he took advantage of the many educational opportunities that were available.  He completed his Bachelor of Biblical studies at Atlanta Christian College in Atlanta, GA in May 2007.  At the same time he worked for the Lost Boys Foundation and pastored a Sudanese congregation.  He then continued his studies and completed a Master’s Degree from Trinity School for Ministry, Ambridge, PA, in May, 2010.  He believes that God brought him to the USA and gave him all these opportunities as one of the “Lost Boys of Sudan” to prepare him for this new large ministry in Aweil.  Abraham married Daruka Aluong Bior, in 2003 and they have three children.  Abraham expresses his calling to Southern Sudan this way: “My vision for the Diocese of Aweil is to build churches that are united, caring, growing, worshipping and grounded in the Word of God.  Believers who are capable of sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with non believers through holistic transformation of Church and society in Aweil, Sudan and the world to the glory of God.”