Dr Arkanjelo Wani Leni, the bishop of African Inland Church of South Sudan, has resigned following the end of his term.

Sources from the AIC-SS said Bishop Leni’s term ended last year in May but the church was not able to convene a general meeting to pick his successor due to the COVID-19 restrictions.

The meeting was postponed to Tuesday, February 23, 2021.

The cleric said on Wednesday that they had been inconvenienced once more by the partial lockdown that was announced on February 3, adding that no one knows when normalcy will return.

“It is therefore uncertain to determine the time in which the General Assembly will be called,” he said, adding: “This situation has presented the church with a constitutional dilemma with no authority or a precedence to refer to.”

Leni announced his resignation as the presiding bishop AIC-SS effective from the February 24, 2021.

“This decision I take is in accordance with the constitution as a matter of good governance principle and integrity of heart.’’

However, other church members felt that Bishop Leni should have waited for a succession plan to be mooted before stepping down.

However, the Secretary-General Rev Mulogola Mutitiya told the journalists that Leni served for 11 years and that he had sacrificed enough for the church by giving an additional year.

He said, “I appreciate him for enduring the additional year that he served. I wish that he would have continued until the general assembly is convened so that he now  hand over resignation letter officially to the general assembly.’’

According to the AIC-SS constitution, the general assembly is supposed to elect a bishop every five years. The incumbent can be reelected to complete a 10-year stint as was the case with Leni, who subsequently served an additional year.