Rev Trang Vo was part of the team at Grace Community which helped the congregation deal with the deaths of two young people in September.
By Marina Williams
A group of boys had spent the afternoon playing basketball.
Within hours, two of the South Sudanese boys, aged 15 and 12, were dead, killed in a violent attack carried out by a group wielding knives and machetes – a tragedy that stunned families across Melton and sent shockwaves through Grace Community Uniting Church.
Word travelled quickly among South Sudanese congregations in Australia and overseas, reflecting the strong ties that stretch between Melton and faith communities abroad.
For long-time elder Father James Aboj, that September day last year marked the most painful moment in what had already been a devastating period for local families.
“In two or three months, we lost a lot of kids, like seven,” James says. “But that day, it was a black day.”
The deaths struck a congregation already burdened by earlier youth deaths, resettlement pressures and the ongoing trauma carried by many South Sudanese families.
“It was such a shock,” says minister Rev Trang Vo.
“The young people were scared, traumatised. They were afraid they might be the next victim because there is a lot of mistaken identity.
“They felt the community around Melton saw them negatively.”
For James, the violence came painfully close. His son had been with some of the boys earlier that day.
“They go together, play together,” he says.
When the group dispersed, his son stayed behind to wait for his sister.
Later that night, realising how near he had been to danger, James’ son cried.
“He said, ‘why?’ We were very close to that thing,” James says.
As families grappled with the losses, Grace Community became a place of gathering and prayer.
The South Sudanese community has deep roots in the Uniting Church, shaped by nearly two decades of partnership, welcome and mutual support.
James first came to the Church in 2007, joining with families seeking a place where they could worship together.
“Uniting Church do a lot for us,” he says.
“They support us. They open the arms to welcome us.”
Father James Aboj says many South Sudanese people have found a welcoming home with Grace Community and the Uniting Church.
When James moved to Melton in 2008, the community followed.
Both he and Gahak Thuoc had already been leading together for many years, first in the Anglican tradition and then through their transition into the Uniting Church.
“We work together, we are one family,” James says.
Their partnership continues at Melton, where Gahak now serves as the South Sudanese congregation representative and community leader, supporting families, assisting the minister and guiding cultural and pastoral matters.
Together, their leadership helped shape what is now one of the most culturally diverse congregations in the Presbytery, with South Sudanese, Tongan, Anglo and other families worshipping side by side.
Grace Community is a spiritual anchor for many, including Gahak.
“When I do not come in the morning, I feel like I miss something,” he says.
“Uniting Church is my home. All my children baptised here.”
For James, the support he and Gahak have received from the Church has strengthened their community in Australia.
“That is the best thing the Uniting Church do for our community,” he says. “It makes us strong.”
The relationship extends far beyond Melton. Over the years, the congregation has contributed funds for ministry in South Sudan, including a motorbike for a bishop’s travel, windows and doors for churches, and the construction of a bishop’s house.
They also supported the installation of a water well in Yirol, easing the burden for families who once walked hours for water.
These acts, James says, are expressions of unity between communities separated by distance but joined by faith.
This history of solidarity shaped the Church’s response when tragedy struck.
At the next Sunday service, Trang acknowledged the deaths and invited the congregation into small groups to pray for the families and wider community.
“I wanted to see how Grace Community could support the people,” she says.
“I do not respond until I hear it from the people what exactly they need.
“But holding a prayer, I do not think anybody would say a prayer being held is a negative thing.”
“(The) Uniting Church is my home,” says Gahak Thuoc.
The Church offered its building for the funerals, and the offer itself signalled the congregation’s grief and solidarity.
Meanwhile, James and Gahak spent long nights visiting families, providing comfort and presence.
“We go there, even when I come from work,” James says.
“Sometimes we sleep at 11pm because we make sure, we do our best to support.
“We try to comfort the family, the relatives.”
Beyond grief, deeper cultural tensions rose to the surface.
South Sudanese family life is shaped by interdependence; these expectations can clash with Australian norms.
“In our culture, the child must live with the parent from day one until they get married,” Gahak explains.
Even when children move into adult life, parents retain close involvement.
“You still monitor, you want to see them, what they are doing before they go there,” Gahak says.
By contrast, he says, “when the child is 16 or 18, they say they are independent. That is not our culture”.
Gahak emphasises that this does not diminish their belonging.
“I am coming from South Sudan. South Sudan is my country, but this is our country,” he says.
“The children go to school, to study, to work. This is our country.”
Trang sees the same push-and-pull.
“The parents struggle with both, but the kids also struggle with both,” she says.
“They say, ‘I have my rights’. Discipline becomes harder as they age.”
Trang also notes how young people witness their peers’ freedoms without fully understanding boundaries.
“They go outside the family discipline boundaries, and things become messy. There is the violence, there are the gangs,” she says.
Grace Community members had fun on the water at a gathering in late November.
Alcohol and other influences compound this tension.
“In our culture, when you drink, you drink in your own house,” Gahak explains.
“You sit quiet, but here it is open. Our kids do not know the level. That is what affects them.”
In response, Grace Community has strengthened its youth programs. Previously held fortnightly, youth gatherings now run weekly.
“Sometimes when youth do not have things to do, they get bored,” Trang says.
“This provides them a safe space to share, be accepted and a place for spiritual growth.”
Sessions include games, Bible study, and conversations about identity, expectations and choices.
“I share around the tables with them, invite them to share their thoughts, and have the opportunity to explain some of the challenges the parents face,” Trang says.
During the summer holidays, the congregation also organised a youth camp, recognising the need for safe, structured activities and community connection.
“It is good for them to be among their peers, build strong relationships, and strengthen a sense of belonging and faith,” Trang says.
Leadership from within the community is equally important.
James describes how his son, Malou, began hosting Bible studies before the pandemic.
“He brings a lot of young people,” James says.
One later told him the group changed the direction of his life: “Before, I steal the car. But when Malou call me now, I am changed. I have my children, I have my house.”
Identity and belonging also meet in worship.
South Sudanese members attend the English-language service in the morning, then gather again after 12.30pm for worship in Dinka.
For Gahak, maintaining Dinka is not about looking back but about holding identity with dignity.
“This is our country,” he repeats. “The children study here and work here.”
Trang ensures all services reflect this multicultural identity.
“I do not want it to be tokenistic,” she says.
“I want it to be, ‘you are part of this’. The congregation is very supportive of this.”
Outside the church, community organisations are helping young people find training and employment.
“Young people need a job,” James says. “It gives purpose.”
Within Grace Community, plans are under way to transform a former kindergarten into the Grace Community Hub, offering programs for families new to Melton. Renovation and funding are still needed, but the vision is firm.
For now, the work of healing and rebuilding continues.
“We are continuing to pray,” James says. “We pray God brings peace and unity.”
Trang adds, “When I serve, it makes no difference to me who the people are. I am here to serve anyone present for the benefit of the kingdom.”
