“Through my story”: Kenya-based Missionary-Peacebuilder Seeks to Preserve Church’s Memory in Sudan, South Sudan

“His stories were either horrifying, i.e. the ones which left him with trauma from nearly being killed several times, or so funny as he shared how everything can go wrong even with the best intentions,” the member of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (C.SS.R/Redemptorists), has said.

“But his story is about serious issues, the issues that he gave his life to – the quest for peace through justice in a horrendous war,” Bishop Dowling has said, adding that Ashworth’s “reflections in Journeying Towards Nonviolence are instructive for all of us who seek answers to the pressing questions we face everywhere today.”

Fr. Tony Chantry, a former Superior General of the Mill Hill Missionaries (MHM), said Ashworth’s collaboration with missionaries and the local Church made him “a champion of reconciliation between warring factions in Sudan.”

“This record of his journey is an inspiration for all who strive to establish peace with justice,” Fr. Chantry said.

“A Son of Africa” Anchored in Gospel Nonviolence

(Story continues below)

Sr. Teresia Wamũyũ Wachira, Co-President of Pax Christi International, described the memoir as an answer to a question that arose repeatedly during her conversations with Ashworth about his experiences in countries affected by war and other forms of violence.

“The conversations have always ended in this question, ‘John, please share how you have managed to be so nonviolent in such violent contexts,’” the Kenyan member of the Congregation of Jesus (CJ) said.

“This memoir is for me, the initial response to my question; a dream come true,” Sr. Wamũyũ said, and added “Unlike other memoirs, John’s is an invitation for us to walk with him on this courageous, visionary, hopeful and transformative journey.”

She added, “John came to Africa and not only lived among the people but become a ‘son of Africa’, the first journey to understanding what nonviolent living is all about. His life is anchored on Gospel nonviolence – rejecting violence with the transformation power of love in action.”

Marie Dennis, Co-Director of the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence, has highlighted Ashworth’s contribution to Catholic peacebuilding initiatives.

“John Ashworth’s extensive experience in African countries struggling with violence, his knowledge of and relationships in the African Church, and his deep commitment to Gospel nonviolence have greatly enriched the work of Pax Christi’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative and our newer Catholic Institute for Nonviolence,” Dennis said.

Ashworth has been deeply involved in the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative and has contributed articles, book chapters and papers on Sudan, South Sudan and peacebuilding to international publications, books and conferences.

A “Behind the Scenes” Voice in South Sudan’s Peace Process

Hon. Rev. Dr. Haruun Ruun Lual, a South Sudanese Senator and former Executive Secretary of the New Sudan Council of Churches (NSCC), has credited Ashworth with contributing to the country’s peace process away from public attention.

“John, my colleague and friend for over thirty years, was one of the most respected and influential ‘behind the scenes’ voices that contributed to South Sudan’s peace process,” Rev. Dr. Lual has said, and added, “His dedication to us as South Sudanese was a deep reflection of his humanity and humility.”

Rev. Dr. Samuel Kobia, a former General Secretary of the World Council of Churches (WCC), has recalled Ashworth’s survival of a death sentence and his subsequent commitment to peacebuilding.

“History teaches that in the struggles for liberation there comes a Kairos moment and individuals called to contribute to its realisation,” the Kenyan Methodist clergyman has said.

“Such was the situation in Sudan when providentially John Ashworth survived a death sentence and devoted the rest of his life to peacebuilding in Sudan,” Rev. Dr. Kobia has said.

He has continued, “‘Armed’ with a passion for just peace, courage, hope and a sharp pen he played a critical role that defined the Church’s contribution to the process that led to the independence of South Sudan, and beyond.”

Philip Winter, a Fellow of the Rift Valley Institute (RVI), described Ashworth’s more than 40 years of service to the peoples of Sudan and South Sudan as “extraordinary.”

The service extended to people in both countries, “North and South, Christian or Muslim,” and “provides an example to those who come after him, be they missionaries, aid workers or practitioners of nonviolent resolution of conflict,” Winter said.

From Missionary Experiences to Institutional Memory

Before publishing his memoir, Ashworth documented the lives and work of several Church leaders associated with Sudan, South Sudan and peacebuilding.

His publications include “Faith on the Margins: The Diocese of Malakal” and “Stop Fighting, Start Talking: Archbishop John Baptist Odama,” both published in 2024; “Pastor, Peacebuilder, Statesman: Rev Dr Haruun Ruun Lual,” published in 2022; and “An Angry Shepherd: Sudanese Bishop Macram Max Gassis,” published in 2021.

He also authored “The Voice of the Voiceless: The Role of the Church in the Sudanese Civil War 1983–2005,” published in 2014, and edited “One Church from Every Tribe, Tongue and People: Symposium on the Role of the Church in the Independence of South Sudan,” published in 2012.

Ashworth holds a Master of Arts in Spirituality from Gonzaga University in the United States and has served as a Visiting Scholar at the University of Notre Dame. He is also a Fellow of the RVI.

He and his wife, Jane, live in rural Kenya. Beyond his missionary and peacebuilding engagements, Ashworth has been involved for more than 30 years in restoring, maintaining and operating historic steam locomotives in Kenya, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

The Revd Prebendary Marjorie Brown and Prof. Avril Loveless said the memoir would appeal to Church personnel, peace activists, humanitarian workers, historians, railway enthusiasts and those interested in Christian mission and creation-centred spirituality.

“From childhood in postwar East London to an active retirement beside the Great Rift Valley in Kenya, John’s narrative will surprise, challenge and delight you at every turn,” they said.

The hardback memoir is available through Redhaven Books for £29.99, US$39.99 or €35.99.