Marc Nikkel
Encyclopedia
Marc Nikkel was a U.S. Episcopal priest and missionary in the Sudan
. Born to Mennonite
parents in Reedley, California
, Nikkel studied at the California State University School for the Visual Arts and at Fuller Seminary before converting to Anglicanism
. In 1981 he began teaching at Bishop Gwynne College in Mundri, Sudan. In 1984-1985 he studied at the General Theological Seminary
of the Episcopal Church in Chelsea, New York, being ordained to the diaconate by the Bishop of Southwestern Virginia and to the priesthood on his return to the Sudan.
Nikkel was kidnapped by the Sudanese Liberation Army in July 1987 along with several other Americans. He was later released in northern Kenya
. From 1987-1988 he taught at Saint Paul's United Theological College in Limuru
, Kenya
. He next left Africa to begin doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World in Edinburgh
, Scotland
. After doctoral work, Nikkel served as an advisor to several Sudanese Anglican dioceses, working in partnership with the English Church Missionary Society and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. His primary work was in theological education among the Dinka or Jieng people of the Nile basin.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998, and died in California in 2000.
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
. Born to Mennonite
Mennonite
The Mennonites are a group of Christian Anabaptist denominations named after the Frisian Menno Simons , who, through his writings, articulated and thereby formalized the teachings of earlier Swiss founders...
parents in Reedley, California
Reedley, California
Reedley is a city in Fresno County, California, United States. Reedley is located east-southeast of Fresno, at an elevation of 348 feet . The population at the 2010 census was 24,194. Its chief economic source is agriculture, particularly fruit and vegetable cultivation. The city is dubbed as...
, Nikkel studied at the California State University School for the Visual Arts and at Fuller Seminary before converting to Anglicanism
Anglicanism
Anglicanism is a tradition within Christianity comprising churches with historical connections to the Church of England or similar beliefs, worship and church structures. The word Anglican originates in ecclesia anglicana, a medieval Latin phrase dating to at least 1246 that means the English...
. In 1981 he began teaching at Bishop Gwynne College in Mundri, Sudan. In 1984-1985 he studied at the General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
of the Episcopal Church in Chelsea, New York, being ordained to the diaconate by the Bishop of Southwestern Virginia and to the priesthood on his return to the Sudan.
Nikkel was kidnapped by the Sudanese Liberation Army in July 1987 along with several other Americans. He was later released in northern Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. From 1987-1988 he taught at Saint Paul's United Theological College in Limuru
Limuru
Limuru is a town in central Kenya. It is also the name of a parliamentary constituency and an administrative division. Current 2004 population is about 4800....
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
. He next left Africa to begin doctoral studies at the Centre for the Study of Christianity in the Non-Western World in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. After doctoral work, Nikkel served as an advisor to several Sudanese Anglican dioceses, working in partnership with the English Church Missionary Society and the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. His primary work was in theological education among the Dinka or Jieng people of the Nile basin.
He was diagnosed with cancer in 1998, and died in California in 2000.
Selected bibliography
- The Outcast, the Stranger and the Enemy in Dinka Tradition contrasted with Attitudes of Contemporary Dinka Christians (unpublished Master's thesis, General Theological Seminary, 1988)
- Dinka Christianity: The Origins and Development of Christianity among the Dinka of Sudan, with Special Reference to the Songs of Dinka Christians
- Why Haven't You Left? Letters from the Sudan, edited by Grant LeMarquand ISBN 0898694728
External links
- Entry from the Dictionary of African Christian Biography
- The Crosses of Dinka Christians from Fox Video
- Editorial reflection on Marc Nikkel from Anglicans OnlineAnglicans onlineAnglicans Online is an unofficial weekly news magazine of the Anglican Communion. Its editorial staff is private and unaffiliated. A project of the Society of Archbishop Justus founded in 1994, AO includes more than 30,000 links and has more than 250,000 readers. calls it 'a kind voice in what...