July 8, 2025

Camp Mystic Counselor’s Heroic Rescue Emma Foltz, a 19-year-old Camp Mystic counselor, saved 14 campers during the July 4, 2025, Texas floods. Guided by faith, she led girls to safety as waters rose, earning praise from Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry for her bravery at the Christian camp.

Camp Mystic Survivors Sing Hymns On July 5, 2025, Camp Mystic survivors sang Christian hymns while being evacuated past flood devastation in Texas. The girls, from the nondenominational Christian camp, found solace in worship, inspiring hope amid the loss of 27 campers and counselors.

Camp Mystic Junior Counselor’s Instinct A Camp Mystic junior counselor awoke on July 4, 2025, sensing danger before the Texas floods hit. Defying orders, she saved her sister and cousins, guiding them to safety at the Christian camp, a story shared widely by alumnae.

Camp Mystic Death Toll Climbs Flash floods on July 4, 2025, devastate Camp Mystic, a Christian girls’ camp in Kerr County, Texas. As of July 8, 43 campers and counselors are confirmed dead, with eight still missing, per Kerr County Sheriff’s Office. Search efforts continue amid debris and grief.

Congolese Christians Killed in Attack On July 7, 2025, ADF rebels attack a Christian village in eastern Congo, killing 30 worshippers during a church service. The assault in Ituri province displaces 1,000, with Christian leaders calling for international aid to protect vulnerable communities.

Mexican Church Leader Kidnapped In July 2025, a Catholic priest is kidnapped in Chiapas, Mexico, during a surge in cartel violence targeting Christian leaders. The abduction, the third in 2025, prompts local churches to suspend public masses, citing safety concerns.

Indonesian Church Permit Denied On July 6, 2025, authorities in West Java, Indonesia, deny a building permit for a Protestant church, citing local Muslim opposition. The decision, affecting 200 congregants, reflects ongoing restrictions on Christian worship in the region.

South African Christians Aid Flood Victims Torrential rains in July 2025 flood Cape Town, killing 15. Christian charities provide shelter and food to 2,000 displaced, including 500 Christian families, as churches coordinate with government relief efforts to rebuild affected areas.

Russian Orthodox Church Expands Influence In July 2025, Russia’s Orthodox Church opens 10 new parishes in occupied Ukrainian territories, replacing Ukrainian Christian congregations. The move, backed by Moscow, aims to assert religious control, displacing local priests and worshippers.

Pakistani Christian Girl Rescued On July 5, 2025, police rescue a 14-year-old Christian girl in Karachi, Pakistan, abducted and forcibly converted to Islam. The case, resolved after protests by Christian activists, highlights ongoing issues of religious coercion in the country.

Vatican Condemns Nicaragua Crackdown On July 8, 2025, the Vatican denounces Nicaragua’s arrest of 10 Catholic lay leaders for organizing prayer groups. The Ortega regime’s actions, part of a broader crackdown, restrict Christian activities, prompting global Christian solidarity.

Pakistani Christians Face Blasphemy Charges In July 2025, two Christians in Lahore, Pakistan, are charged with blasphemy after a Quran desecration claim. Facing life imprisonment, they deny the allegations. The case sparks protests by local Christian communities, highlighting ongoing misuse of blasphemy laws against minorities.

Iraqi Christians Rebuild Churches In July 2025, Christians in Mosul, Iraq, restore churches destroyed by ISIS in 2014. Funded by international Christian organizations, the rebuilding efforts aim to revive the community, reduced to 200,000 from 1.5 million, amid ongoing security challenges in Nineveh Plains.

Sudanese Christians Flee Violence In July 2025, thousands of Christians flee South Sudan’s civil unrest, seeking refuge in Uganda. Clashes between rival factions destroy churches, displacing families. Aid groups report 500 Christian deaths since June, urging international support for refugee camps.

Philippine Church Bombing Thwarted. On July 6, 2025, Philippine police foil a bombing plot targeting a Catholic church in Mindanao. Three suspects linked to Abu Sayyaf are arrested, preventing a repeat of the 2019 Jolo cathedral attack that killed 20 worshippers.

Egyptian Copts Gain Legal Recognition In July 2025, Egypt approves licenses for 200 Coptic churches, addressing decades-long restrictions. The move, backed by President Sisi, aims to improve Christian rights, though local opposition persists in rural areas, delaying some construction projects.

Russian Christians Face Restrictions In July 2025, Russia tightens laws on evangelical churches, labeling them “foreign agents.” Several Protestant congregations in Moscow are shut down, with pastors fined for unregistered services, reflecting increased state control over non-Orthodox Christian activities.

Indian Christian School Attacked On July 3, 2025, a Christian school in Uttar Pradesh, India, is vandalized by Hindu nationalists, accusing it of forced conversions. No injuries reported, but the attack damages property, prompting Christian leaders to seek police protection amid rising tensions.

Vatican Addresses Persecution Concerns On July 7, 2025, Pope Leo XIV meets with Asian bishops in Rome to discuss Christian persecution in China and Pakistan. The Vatican pledges diplomatic efforts to protect believers, focusing on underground churches facing government crackdowns.