(AgapePress) - The president of World Relief says churches in America have a chance to help Christians in war-torn and poverty-stricken Sudan.

A recent security deal signed by Sudan's government and the Sudan People's Liberation Army is a significant step toward peace in that country, according to World Relief president Clive Calver. He says the new security arrangement and opportunities for relief come at a critical time for many Sudanese who are suffering from hunger and health issues caused by a combination of war and natural disasters.

Having just returned from the Sudan, Calver says the opportunities have never been greater for spreading the gospel in that country.

"There's been almost no transportation -- there are no telephones [or radios], so there is no ease of communication," Calver explains. "So it's been a huge problem for the spreading of the gospel -- and yet, Southern Sudan is [home to] one of the fastest growing churches on Earth. People are so ready for Jesus."

According to the World Relief president, the security pact has important implications for the relief and development community.

"The message from the church [in the Sudan] to the brothers and the sisters in the West is 'Please help us,' because right now is the single, most wonderful opportunity for Southern Sudan in 20 years," he says. "We're going to get peace; now we've got a chance to share Jesus and change our country."

While in the Sudan, Calver met with Sudanese churches to discuss how to better mobilize them in light of the latest security deal.

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