Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth (1940 – 24 February 2026). He was a South Sudanese Anglican bishop in South Sudan. He served as the first Bishop of the Diocese of Bor from 1984 until his retirement in 2011. During decades of civil war, he became renowned for his itinerant ministry among the Dinka people, helping to establish hundreds of Anglican congregations, training clergy, promoting indigenous Christian leadership, and advocating for peace and reconciliation. Early Life and Education Nathaniel Garang Anyieth was born around 1940 in Jonglei State. He was raised in a traditional Dinka family and attended Rumbek Secondary School, an Anglican missionary school, where he was baptized into the Anglican faith. During Sudan's first civil war, he briefly joined the Anya-Nya movement before becoming a refugee in Uganda. There, he committed his life to Christian ministry. He later studied at Nairobi Pentecostal Bible College and completed further theological training at the Anglican seminary in Sudan. Ministry In 1974, Nathaniel became the first resident Anglican priest in Bor, ministering to the Dinka communities of the Upper Nile region. His pastoral work emphasized evangelism, discipleship, education, and the development of indigenous church leadership. Episcopacy In 1984, he was consecrated as the first Bishop of the newly established Diocese of Bor. After the Sudan's second civil war in 1983, Bishop Nathaniel was forced to leave Bor. Instead of seeking safety abroad, he remained among his people, travelling across remote areas controlled by the SPLA. During this period, he preached the Gospel, baptized thousands of converts, confirmed believers, ordained clergy, and established numerous congregations. He played a major role in the remarkable growth of Christianity among the Dinka people. He welcomed the ministry of the Dinka prophet Kon Ajith, encouraged women evangelists and hymn writers, and supported the preservation of indigenous Christian worship through the publication of Dinka-language hymns. Peace and Reconciliation Following the 1991 split within the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Bishop Nathaniel worked closely with Bishop Paride Taban in founding the New Sudan Council of Churches. Through this organization, he promoted reconciliation, dialogue, forgiveness, and peaceful coexistence among South Sudanese communities divided by conflict. He also ministered extensively to South Sudanese refugees in Kakuma Refugee Camp in Kenya, where he confirmed thousands of Christians, ordained priests, and strengthened Anglican congregations that later spread to North America, Australia, and Europe through the "Lost Boys of Sudan." International Ministry Bishop Nathaniel represented the church at international conferences and visited numerous countries to advocate for peace in Sudan. He met Pope John Paul II and maintained close relationships with Anglican mission organizations, while strongly supporting indigenous leadership within the South Sudanese church. Retirement Following the Comprehensive Peace Agreement of 2005, he oversaw the rebuilding of churches destroyed during the war and supported the creation of new dioceses as Anglican membership expanded rapidly. He retired in 2011 after serving for 27 years as Bishop of Bor but remained an influential spiritual leader, mentor, and adviser to bishops and clergy across South Sudan. Death Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth died on 24 February 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya, at approximately 86 years of age. Legacy Bishop Nathaniel Garang Anyieth is remembered as one of the greatest church leaders in South Sudanese history. His ministry transformed Anglicanism into a deeply rooted indigenous faith among the Dinka people and contributed significantly to the growth of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan. His commitment to evangelism, pastoral care, peacebuilding, and indigenous leadership continues to influence generations of clergy and believers in South Sudan and throughout the South Sudanese diaspora. - @meliss3liss111