L E A D E RSH I P
Bishop Patrick Augustine Ambassador for the Sake of the Gospel B Y T H E R E V. J O N AT H A N F R E N C H
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A N D T H E R E V. D A N I E L P I N E L
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Augustine began his international ministry in the United States in 1983, serving in Episcopal churches in Chicago, Virginia and Wisconsin. After 44 years of parish ministry, he looked forward to retirement. “I had just turned 69 … and was dreaming of retirement at the end of 2020,” he said. But God opened a new door for him to serve as the missionary bishop in the Diocese of Bor, South Sudan. This summer, the Diocese of Central Florida had the privilege of hosting Augustine in visits to five different churches. “Bishop Brewer graciously invited me for two reasons,” he said. “The first was for an opportunity to proclaim the gospel, celebrate the sacraments and share stories of the people of Sudan, their persecution and how to rebuild their broken walls like Jeremiah. The second was to invite people to partner
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with me in this mission to which Christ has called me.” Augustine has high hopes and deep prayers for his return to South Sudan, including those for ministering to young people. “I’d like to bring clean water to over 3,700 students,” he said. “I’ve recently talked to the dean of the cathedral, and he said the city of Bor is trying to bring water to the entire city. I’d like to see that happen because the children don’t have clean water to drink. “We also would like to build a couple of classrooms for 700 students and provide them with books,” he added. “This is a big project, and I’d like to start with two classrooms and then build more from there.” “I’d also like to reopen the sewing center for young ladies,” he said, noting that this ministry site has been closed for three years. “I’d like to work with the Mothers’ Union, a strong arm of the church, to start training with the young ladies and empower them.” Augustine also considers diocesan leadership a priority. “I want to hold a clergy retreat,” he said. “In South Sudan,
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