On a recent Sunday in 2026, a group of Muslims entered the small church of Drake Haron, located inside the Gorom Refugee Camp in South Sudan, and brutally assaulted him during worship. The attack, reported by the ICC on June 15, 2026, is representative of the unique vulnerability faced by pastors and Christian leaders who serve in refugee camps, spaces where different religious communities are forced to live side by side, often in constant tension. Drake Haron survived, but the congregation was left in a state of shock and fear.
South Sudan, the nation born in 2011 as the result of decades of struggle by a mostly Christian and animist people against the imposition of Islamic law by northern Sudan, continues to face extreme instability. Ethnic conflicts, famine, and forced displacement keep millions of South Sudanese in refugee camps inside and outside the country. In these environments, the pastors who refuse to abandon their flocks become especially vulnerable targets, without the protection of established community structures and without basic resources for their families.
Organizations such as Christian Aid Mission and local partners work to support churches in refugee camps, providing training for leaders, discipleship materials, and support for the families of pastors at risk. Even so, access to these communities is often limited by the insecurity of the routes and the political instability of the region. The ICC and Open Doors specifically call for prayer for the protection of pastors who serve in displacement camps, one of the most dangerous and least visible ministries in the Christian world today.
Pray for the recovery and protection of Drake Haron, and for his congregation in the Gorom Camp, asking that fear would not silence the church's testimony. Intercede for the safety of the pastors who serve in refugee camps in South Sudan and throughout Sub-Saharan Africa, that God would surround them with supernatural protection. Pray that the resources to support these communities would grow, and that the presence of the Church in these camps would be a tangible sign of the love of Christ for the displaced of every origin.
