FaithDaily briefing: deadly attacks on Christians abroad, a Dallas congregation's exit, and a new primate in Rwanda
The day's reports ran from mass killings in Ethiopia and an arrest after an attack in Jordan to a Dallas congregation's vote to leave its denomination and the installation of a new primate in Rwanda.
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FaithDaily briefing: deadly attacks on Christians abroad, a Dallas congregation's exit, and a new primate in Rwanda
Good morning. The most serious news came from Ethiopia. Charisma News, citing the BBC, reported that armed attacks on Christian communities had left more than 60 people dead, a figure reported by the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church. The violence struck the Shirka district in the Oromia region, with families mourning their dead and residents fleeing their homes. For the reader, it is a reminder that in some places ordinary worship carries risk that is hard to imagine from a quiet pew.
A second attack, in Jordan, moved toward its legal reckoning. Charisma News, citing CBS News, reported that Jordanian security forces had captured all three gunmen accused of attacking a Greek Orthodox church during a funeral in the Karak governorate. Anglican Ink reported that Bishop Hosam Naoum, Bishop Coadjutor of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, condemned the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Saint George in the town of Hamoud. The two outlets together show both the response of the state and the response of the wider church.
In the United States, Charisma News, citing Fox News Digital, reported the death of Bobby McGill, an 81-year-old Mississippi man who openly shared his Christian faith. McGill was asleep beside his wife, Peggy, when Eric Basco allegedly broke into their Union County home around 4 a.m. on 15 October. He was shot and killed. Basco faces the allegation; the case is not yet proven.
In denominational news, United Methodist News reported that members of Highland Park, a Dallas congregation, voted after two days of balloting to sever ties with The United Methodist Church. More than 90 percent backed the move, according to the church. Separately, United Methodist News reported that participants at a Leadership Gathering offered 16 recommendations for the denomination's future after long hours of small-group discussion.
From Rwanda, Anglican Ink carried a report by Archbishop Mbanda on the installation of a new primate. The Global Anglican Council met in Kigali on 22–23 October, with a concluding gathering on Sunday 25 October.
Two further items touched church and public life. Christianity Today reported that at an 11 October service, Prestonwood Baptist Church pastor Jack Graham urged parishioners not to vote by party—doing so beside Governor Greg Abbott, who had just delivered a stump speech there. And Charisma News reported that an American pastor was arrested and charged after praying and demonstrating on the sidewalk outside the Chinese embassy in Washington, with the American Center for Law and Justice taking up his case after a recent arraignment.
Zoom out: Much of what the churches reported concerned violence against Christians—two deadly incidents abroad and a killing in the American South—set beside quieter news of governance and succession.
What we're following
- United Methodist News: Highland Park votes to leave United Methodist Church Read it
- Charisma News: ‘Jesus Is Lord’ Sign Raises Questions After Christian Man Killed in Shocking Home Invasion Read it
- Christianity Today: In Heated Red State Races, Republicans Appeal to Evangelical Voters Read it
- The Gospel Coalition: On My Shelf: Life and Books with L. Michael Morales Read it
Sources
- Highland Park votes to leave United Methodist Church United Methodist News
- ‘Jesus Is Lord’ Sign Raises Questions After Christian Man Killed in Shocking Home Invasion Charisma News
- In Heated Red State Races, Republicans Appeal to Evangelical Voters Christianity Today
- On My Shelf: Life and Books with L. Michael Morales The Gospel Coalition
- Our hope for years to come: Archbishop Mbanda reports on the installation of the new primate of Rwanda Anglican Ink
- Pastor Arrested for Praying and Protesting Outside Chinese Embassy in DC Charisma News
- Dozens Killed in Attacks Targeting Christians in Ethiopia Charisma News
- 3 Gunmen Captured After Deadly Attack on Christian Church Charisma News
- Gathering offers 16 ideas for church future United Methodist News
- Simon Says: Inconspicuous Evidence of Eyewitnesses in Mark The Gospel Coalition
- Jerusalem Anglican Bishop decries terrorist attack on Karak church Anglican Ink
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Summarized from the linked reports by the FaithDaily desk. Verify against the original sources before citing.
Previous briefings
All briefings →- 25 Oct 2026Jerusalem bishop condemns attack on Karak church as Anglican leaders gather in KigaliAn Anglican bishop in Jerusalem condemned a terrorist attack on a Greek Orthodox church in Karak Governorate on Sunday, the same day Anglican Ink reported on the installation of a new primate of Rwanda.
- 23 Oct 2026Friday Briefing: Funeral Gunfire in Jordan, Ecumenical Meetings in Windsor and LondonA deadly attack on mourners at a Greek Orthodox church in Jordan led a day that also saw ecumenical meetings in England and fresh strain inside two large denominations.
- 22 Oct 2026Methodist numbers fall again as Anglican disputes move through synods and courtsUnited Methodist decline, Anglican votes and legal proceedings, and evangelical outlets turning to film, artificial intelligence and the heavens.
- 21 Oct 2026Daily Church News Briefing — Wednesday, 21 October 2026A day of reported violence against congregations in Myanmar sat alongside church governance disputes, court rulings and leadership gatherings on several continents.
- 20 Oct 2026Daily Briefing: A pastor killed in Colombia, a contested claim over Ukraine, and a runway scare in Las VegasA reported killing in Cartagena leads a day whose other news ranged from a dispute among US Orthodox over Ukraine to a private jet that ran off a Las Vegas runway.
