MALAKAL, South Sudan (BP) — When minister Zach Potts was in Juba, South Sudan, in February, he was advised to cut his trip short amid escalating political violence that threatens a new civil war.

He had planned to attend the opening of Salvation Baptist Church in Malakal, the latest church plant of Empower One, a regional evangelistic and humanitarian outreach aided by Southern Baptist Send Relief to help those fleeing the war in neighboring Sudan. Based in Dallas, Texas, Potts is Empower One’s South Sudan liaison.

“They were still able to open the church, and it’s been attended well every Sunday since,” Potts told Baptist Press (BP). “The fighting has yet to enter into the town of Malakal. Although the two or three sides involved (in the fighting) are all represented there. So I think people are a little bit nervous. But right now what’s happening is people are leaving those outlying areas and coming into Malakal for safety.”

With neighboring Sudan already facing the greatest humanitarian aid crisis globally, and with global aid decreasing, a civil war in South Sudan would not only endanger Empower One’s work there, Potts said, but it would also further stretch the ministry’s resources.

Yet, Empower One’s ministers in Malakal are committed to the task, Potts told Baptist Press on April 24.

“I would emphasize that the Christians who are there in our network have said they’re committed to staying and working and living amongst the soldiers, and that, in their words, God is God and as long as they are alive, there is work to be done,” Potts said. “And they are very dedicated, and so they are not going to shy away from what we are hearing on the news.”

Since the early days of the war in neighboring Sudan in April 2023, Empower One has been feeding and sharing the gospel with refugees at its ministry center in Malakal, where more than 100 people had accepted Christ through September 2024.

While more than 30 million need humanitarian aid in Sudan, according to the United Nations — including 15 million children — South Sudan is also suffering. There, 9.3 million people are dependent on humanitarian aid of some sort, out of a population of 30 million, and 7.2 million are acutely dependent, said Lt. Gen. Mohan Subramanian, head of the U.N. Mission to South Sudan.

“Our primary purpose is to prevent this country’s lapse into a civil war situation,” he told U.N. News on April 16. “There is no appetite for more suffering in the population. A lot of refugees (from Sudan) are coming to South Sudan — 1.1 million. …South Sudan is not in a position to provide for them.”

Adding to the tragedy as the U.N. seeks to protect Sudanese civilians, the Rapid Defense Forces displaced an estimated 400,000 refugees when it attacked the Zamzam Camp in North Darfur, Sudan, April 11, Relief International confirmed April 12. Relief International was the last provider of “critical health and humanitarian services” at Zamzam, the ministry said.

“We have learned the unthinkable that nine of our colleagues were mercilessly killed including doctors, referral drivers and a team leader,” Relief International said in a press release. “This is a profound tragedy for our organization. Our deepest thoughts are with the victims, their families, and all those people suffering horrific violence in Zamzam Camp.”

Fighting in South Sudan delayed the last disbursal of a $100,000 grant Empower One received from Send Relief in December 2024 in support of a proposed $336,000 project to support households in several South Sudanese refugee camps for six months, Potts said.

“We have one more round of Send Relief funding that’s in country, but just making sure that we steward that wisely when it actually makes its way into Malakal,” he said. “So it’s going that way. … Our local leadership is monitoring the situation.”

In January, fighting escalated in South Sudan, but so far the country has escaped a civil war. Clashing are South Sudan’s People’s Defense Forces, Sudan’s People’s Liberation Movement-in-Opposition (SPLA/IO), and the White Army (an offshoot of the SPLA/IO-affiliate).

Potts and Empower One remain optimistic that their prayers have been answered, that God has stemmed a civil war in South Sudan. His ministry partners in Malakal say the fighting is localized outside their area.

“This week there was some fighting in the central Equatorial region and then of course up in that northeast corner around Malakal, not in Malakal,” he said. “But we feel like our prayers have been answered because it has been very limited. Because the vice president of South Sudan and his wife and his other leaders have been arrested. And so we were preparing for the worst, but civil war has not broken out.”

Potts’ response? He’s traveling to South Sudan in May for the opening of Empower One’s latest church plant in Kajo Keji.

“And so, we would urge people to continue to support the church there, especially the Baptists,” Potts said. “There’s a South Sudan Southern Baptist Convention,” so named because ministers there were trained by Southern Baptist missionaries.

Donations in support of ministry to Sudanese refugees may be made through Send Relief and through Empower One.

“Send Relief has been a tremendous partner the last couple of years,” Potts said. “It’s really hard. There’s been some really major world events that keep the attention away from Sudan and South Sudan. And so, you know, it’s been a blessing. I mean it’s literally saving lives. And then we’re seeing spiritual impact as well.”

(EDITOR’S NOTE — Diana Chandler is Baptist Press’ senior writer.)