🔥🕊️ “Pastor, Do You Have a Minute?”

GOOD MORNING.

In its latest weekly editorial, the Islamic State (ISIS) praised its operatives in Africa for attacks against Christian communities, specifically citing recent violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique.

The propaganda piece underscores how ISIS, despite territorial losses elsewhere, continues to leverage brutality against civilians in sub-Saharan Africa both to maintain relevance and to inspire further violence.

For a full strategic assessment, check it out at roamintelligence.com.

LET’S GET STARTED →

SPECIAL REPORT

The Scam Playbook: Real Incidents, Familiar Tactics

In mid‑August, members of Good Shepherd Anglican (near Charlotte, NC) got an urgent alert: emails spoofing their rector asked for gift cards—classic phishing. The sender’s address looked almost right, just different enough to fool a quick glance. Around the same time in Gilmer County, GA, multiple congregations received nearly identical “discreet request” messages impersonating pastors. These aren’t one‑off annoyances; they’re part of a wider campaign targeting churches’ trust networks with low‑tech, high‑yield social engineering.

Numbers back it up. The FBI’s Internet Crime Report shows phishing/spoofing as 2024’s most reported cybercrime with 193,407 complaints, and while total phishing reports fell from 2023, reported losses jumped to $70M (up from $18.7M in 2023; $160M in 2022). As technical defenses improve, criminals increasingly bypass them by exploiting human emotions—urgency, empathy, fear—via convincing emails that look like they came from a beloved pastor or ministry lead.

Why Churches Are Prime Targets: High‑Trust, Low‑Tech

Churches operate in environments built on familiarity and goodwill: staff emails are public, volunteers handle admin and tech, and members tend to trust leadership communications. That’s fertile soil for spoofed messages and “business email compromise” appeals. Experts warn the threat is broader than phishing alone—ministries face data breaches, malware, and ransomware—and size isn’t a shield. Many nonprofits lack formal cybersecurity policies, and some church teams see phishing‑simulation failure rates as high as 34%. The result: damaged reputations, shaken member confidence, and operational disruption that hits mission at the worst possible moments.

From Target to Tough: A Practical Defense Plan

Build a culture of skepticism (the good kind). Train every staffer and volunteer—quarterly, not once—on spotting red flags (gift card asks, urgent secrecy, mismatched domains). Create a simple rule: no financial requests over email or text without secondary verification (call or in‑app confirmation).

Harden the basics. Enforce multi‑factor authentication on email and finance systems; require strong, unique passwords; keep devices patched; use spam/phishing filtering and DMARC/SPF/DKIM on your domain.

Segment and sanitize. Use a guest Wi‑Fi for congregants; limit who can access donor/member data; post a public “How we’ll contact you” page listing official addresses and payment methods.

Operationalize reporting. Teach members to forward suspicious emails to a single monitored inbox (e.g., [email protected]). Log incidents, and share periodic “scam spotlights” with the congregation.

Rehearse the bad day. Draft an incident‑response checklist (who to call, how to notify, what to shut off), and run a tabletop exercise.

Get help that fits the mission. If budgets are tight, start with a posture review and phishing simulations from a nonprofit‑friendly provider; invest where risk is highest (email and finance first).

Bottom line: cyber defense is modern stewardship. By pairing people‑first training with a few technical guardrails, churches can protect trust, keep ministry running, and make scammers look elsewhere.

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REGIONAL THREATS

AFRICA

• ADO-EKITI, EKITI STATE, NIGERIA – Joshua Pius, 45, was arraigned before a magistrate in Ado-Ekiti after being accused of stealing bells and drums from a local church.

• KATSINA STATE, NIGERIA – Bandits have attacked both a Catholic church and a mosque in Katsina State, prompting urgent appeals to the president for enhanced security.

• KAIJADO / MAKUENI / MACHAKOS COUNTIES, KENYA – Six suspects were arrested in connection to violent robberies at missionary camps across Kajiado, Machakos, and Makueni counties; recovered items included police jungle uniforms used during the attacks.

• MEREBANK, SOUTH AFRICA – Two brothers were shot dead outside St. Mary’s Church in Merebank, Durban, after attending their uncle’s funeral; suspects remain at large and police have not yet established a motive.

• NORTH KIVU & ITURI, DRC – Between August 11–17, ISCAP claimed a series of attacks across North Kivu and Ituri provinces, including multiple beheadings and shootings of Christian villagers, with over 70 civilians reportedly killed and dozens of homes burned.

• CABO DELGADO, MOZAMBIQUE – ISIS-linked militants claimed multiple attacks in late July and mid-August, including executions of at least three Christians and the burning of homes and churches, displacing over 57,000 people across the province.

MIDDLE EAST & CENTRAL ASIA

• CHAK NO. 190, PAKISTAN – In mid-August 2025, police detained around 80 Christian villagers, including women and children, under disputed terrorism charges after a domestic dispute, sparking outcry from rights groups.

SOUTH & SOUTHEAST ASIA

• RAIPUR, INDIA – On 10 August 2025, members of the VHP and Bajrang Dal stormed and vandalized a church in Raipur, alleging forced religious conversions amid growing religious tensions.

• SOLAPUR, INDIA – On 6 July 2025, Hindu extremists assaulted a pastor after disrupting communion, falsely accusing him of serving blood and conducting forced conversions.

• SHENYANG, CHINA – On June 29, police arrested five Christians from the Sai Er Te Young Adults Fellowship under “cult” charges, releasing four on bail while Pastor Qu remains detained; families report coercive interrogations and mistreatment, raising fresh concerns about religious freedom in China.

• GARUT, INDONESIA – On August 2, local authorities in West Java shut down the Immanuel Prayer House and evicted its evangelist leader, leaving about 100 Christians without a worship site; rights groups say the closure reflects a wider pattern of church restrictions and mob violence in the province.

LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN

• JINOTEPE, NICARAGUA – On 15 August 2025, the government expropriated the San José boarding school run by nuns, renaming it after a Sandinista figure as part of its campaign against Catholic institutions.

• MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – On August 16, LDS Mexico City West Mission president R. Tyler Wallis was shot and injured during an attempted robbery at his home; he is in stable condition, while his wife was unharmed and local authorities are investigating.

NORTH AMERICA

• SPLENDORA, TEXAS, USA – On 16 August 2025, police arrested a suspect in a church burglary who was also found in possession of methamphetamine.

• MCKINNEY CHAPEL, MCKINNEY, TEXAS, USA – Two men were arrested and charged with arson, burglary, theft, and malicious destruction of property for a fire at McKinney Chapel Church, which caused over $300,000 in damage.

• NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, USA – A 39-year-old man, Mohamed Mohamed, has been charged with four counts of rape after allegedly assaulting an unconscious woman on the steps of Nashville Life Church on August 14, 2025; the victim later died.

• ECHO PARK, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, USA – A vacant 100-year-old church in Echo Park caught fire early Thursday morning; minimal damage was reported, and police have launched an arson investigation.

• GRAND RAPIDS, USA – Police arrested a man at the Cathedral of St. Andrew after he disrupted Mass and assaulted two parishioners before being restrained by churchgoers.

• WINNIPEG, CANADA – Between July 29–30, thieves broke into All Saints’ Anglican Church by smashing a stained glass window, stealing communion plates and cups of high sentimental and religious value, and causing over $3,000 in damage.

EUROPE

• OMBERSLEY, UK – Thieves stole a solid silver communion wafer box from St. Andrew’s Church during a service on July 27, part of a string of thefts targeting the church over the past 18 months.

• SUURE-JAANI, ESTONIA – Restoration work at Suure-Jaani Church was briefly halted after a man illegally climbed the tower scaffolding; police are investigating, and construction is set to resume within days.

AUSTRALIA & OCEANIA

• No current updates.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Please lift up in prayer our brothers and sisters in Nigeria who are being targeted with violence and persecution.

Pray for God’s protection over their lives, comfort for the grieving, strength for the faithful, and courage for church leaders.

May justice be established and peace restored to their communities.

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