Visit coincides with US Congressional delegation and yields new information on troubled region.

Contact: Dane Rose, Faith and Action, 202-546-8329, ext 106, 703-447-1072, DaneRose@FaithAndAction.org

WASHINGTON, Apr. 9 /Christian Newswire/ -- The Reverend Rob Schenck (pronounced SHANK), president of the National Clergy Council and chair of the Committee for Church and Society of the Evangelical Church Alliance, returned over the Easter weekend from a seven-day diplomatic mission to Khartoum, Sudan and its Darfur state. At the same time, a ten-member U.S. congressional delegation was in the country for a 48-hour visit in Khartoum.

Schenck was part of a five-person delegation from the Institute on Religion and Public Policy headed by international religious liberty advocate Joseph Griebowski. The group was hosted by Sudan's Foreign Ministry. The purpose of the mission was to engage Khartoum's government in dialogue on religion and human rights and to gain first-hand information on the state of religious liberty in the officially Islamic country.

"I was surprised by what we found in Sudan," said Schenck. "The new unity government and various peace plans seem to be working. There is new power sharing with Christians, but much remains to be done. It's an extremely complex situation, one we need look at afresh."

Schenck added, "Evangelical believers in Khartoum gave us a strong message against U.S. sanctions, one I intend to deliver to President Bush."

Schenck is available for further comment at 202-546-8329, extension 106.