Officials to demolish church buildings in Sudan

(Source: Compass Direct) Government officials are threatening to destroy three church buildings in Sudan. The church buildings were marked for demolition with red crosses on September 11, and local church leaders say the officials simply said, "We are going to demolish these churches." Officials from the Ministry of Physical Planning and Public Utilities - Khartoum State arrived at the Sudanese Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church of Sudan and the Roman Catholic Church accusing them of operating churches on government land without permission, although church leaders say the buildings are not located on government land. Christians in the region also said officials from the Ministry of Guidance and Religious Endowment have called church leaders for information about their church members and activities, collecting information in an effort to make Islam the official state religion. "This is purely for intelligence purposes, so that they can put more restrictions on churches and Christians," said the Rev. Yousif El-Denger Kodi, general secretary of the Sudanese Lutheran Church. "We as church leaders are aware of their plans, but we pray for God to rescue us from their evil plans."