Don’t forget to log suspicious occurrences or other info that occurs at your church this weekend using the link above👆. It is now in our intel dashboard. See all of the SAR’s on that page.
TERROR AND THREAT UPDATE
TIER 1 — Direct Christian Targeting
ISIS Claims 62 Christians Killed in Eastern Congo — Ituri and Beni, DRC
ISIS Central Africa Province claimed in its weekly newsletter that its fighters killed 62 Christians in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo during the reporting week, captured 10 more, burned approximately 115 homes, and displaced hundreds of people. The claimed operations concentrated in Ituri, with two attacks in the Beni area. Individual claimed actions include a raid on the village of Mongwiko in which 17 Christians were killed by knife and two taken captive, a raid on the villages of Bakwa and Kabutimo in which 13 were killed and eight taken captive, and three separate attacks around the town of Andiri accounting for roughly 19 more deaths and more than 40 homes burned. The group also claimed it burned two Congolese army barracks, wounded soldiers in a firefight near the village of Chanchani in Beni, and killed five more Christians aboard a river boat near the town of Biondo.
[Source: al-Naba issue 559]
🛡️ My thoughts: Each week Isis puts out the tally for the number of Christians that they killed that week. It is indeed a genocide occurring in Nigeria and we should continue to support and pray for our brothers and sisters in Africa.
ISIS Restates Convert, Pay, or Die Ultimatum to Congolese Christians
In the same issue, ISIS Central Africa Province stated that the recent wave of attacks was accompanied by a renewed message to Congolese Christians. The group said Christians in the region have been given three options: convert to Islam voluntarily, pay the jizya tax in a subordinate status in exchange for being left in their villages unharmed, or continue to face war. The statement closed by telling Christians to consider the fate of those attacked before them. The same issue reported that fighters in Mozambique conducted a preaching circuit near the town of Natolo in Montepuez district, where they met with local Muslims and with what the group described as protected persons who had already secured their own safety by paying the jizya.
[Source: al-Naba issue 559]
🛡️ My thoughts: the tax will be paid if you don't convert, but if you pay it, you will still be a slave to the Muslims. They will continue to treat you like a dog and torture your people.
ISIS Weekly Tally Classifies 72 of 90 Casualties as Christians
ISIS published a weekly operational infographic claiming 22 operations producing more than 90 killed and wounded. Of those casualties, the group classified 72 as Christians and 18 as apostates or unbelievers. The provincial breakdown claimed 67 casualties across 11 operations in Central Africa, 16 casualties across 7 operations in West Africa, 5 casualties across 3 operations in Mozambique, and 2 casualties across 2 operations in Khorasan. The group also claimed one commander killed, eight vehicles burned or disabled, and three military sites burned.
[Source: al-Naba issue 559]
ISIS West Africa Publishes 50-Day Campaign Totals for Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon
A second ISIS infographic in the same issue covered a period of just under 50 days, running from 2 Muharram to 18 Safar 1448. The group claimed 72 attacks producing 110 killed and wounded, including two commanders. Of the claimed casualties, 69 were categorized as army and police, 32 as militia members, and 9 as Christians. Claimed materiel losses included 50 vehicles destroyed or disabled, 40 homes burned, and 7 positions burned. The group broke its attacks into 8 bombings, 7 ambushes, 24 assaults and firefights, and 33 other actions, distributed across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa in northern Nigeria, the Maroua area of far northern Cameroon, and Diffa in southeastern Niger.
[Source: al-Naba issue 559]
🛡️ My thoughts: Americans may think that this does not apply to them. It does apply to you because they are Christians being slaughtered and a genocide. You should study these attacks because this is how they will attack you when they finally get organized in America. If you think the organization isn't happening, just look at Texas and Michigan.
TIER 2 — Attack Methods
Pro-ISIS Forum User Solicits Explosives, Poison, and Drone Instruction
On 3 August, a pro-ISIS user posted a request on a group-affiliated forum, written in Tajik, asking for information on constructing homemade explosives, creating poisonous materials, and using unmanned aerial vehicles. The user did not state a purpose or intended target and also asked to be directed to pro-ISIS channels that could supply further material. Another user responded by pointing him to a channel that has been prolific in producing tactical manuals. Analysts noted that a separate pro-ISIS user recently urged readers to exploit the ongoing conflict between the United States and Iran to prepare to move into areas with wider security gaps.
[Source: NYPD OSI Reporting, 9 August 2026]
🛡️ My thoughts: these weapons are readily available. You can go online right now and buy C4, dynamite, and other explosives. The weapons markets work just like the drug markets on the dark web. They're very difficult to investigate and stop. Attacks on churches have become more complex when you look at the last few years. Isis has been telling people how to construct improvise explosives to use vehicles, knives, firearms, fire, all at the same time.
TIER 3 — United States Homeland
Iranian Cyber Actors Compromise Municipal Water Systems in at Least Seven States
United States intelligence agencies assess that cyberattacks against water systems in dozens of municipalities across at least seven states were likely carried out by Iranian cyber actors. The intrusions targeted programmable logic controllers, the equipment used to remotely control and monitor system components, and were first reported in late July when operators at multiple Minnesota water systems reported malicious activity. Pennsylvania systems were also affected. The attacks did not compromise drinking water quality or produce prolonged service disruptions. Analysts placed the activity in a pattern going back more than a decade, including the 2023 intrusion at a water provider in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania, and a 2013 intrusion into the control systems of a dam in Rye, New York.
[Source: NYPD OSI Reporting, 9 August 2026; Indago Iran Weekly Update, 10 August 2026]
🛡️ My thoughts: this should be deeply concerning. The government has been warning us for quite a long time that these bad actors are in our municipal systems. This includes power. Do you need to prepare to be without water or electricity for over 30 days.
TIER 5 — Dates to Watch This Week
15 August. Spanish and European authorities are watching for a signaled second mass border crossing at Ceuta. Roughly 70,000 migrants breached the border from Morocco in the first event, and Spanish authorities confirmed at least a dozen convicted terrorists among the arrivals.
21 August. The United States 60-day general license authorizing Iranian oil sales expires. Analysts assess its collapse as the leading trigger for renewed regional escalation.
VIOLENT CRIME
Mass Shooting and Hostage Plot Against a Church Disrupted — Venice, Florida
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested 19-year-old Giovanni Pimienta of Venice on charges of written threats to kill, threats to bomb or conduct a mass shooting, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony. The investigation began July 31 when an FDLE agent received information through the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force about a person communicating online about obtaining weapons and glorifying prior mass shootings. According to the arrest affidavit, an anonymous tip on August 7 reported that Pimienta had written a manifesto, displayed guns on a messaging app, and had recently visited a local church and interviewed staff members about the exits. Investigators also recovered an AI-generated video and a manifesto posted to social media that promoted white supremacist, antisemitic, anti-Black, anti-Muslim, and accelerationist views. Agents served a search warrant at his residence on August 7 and seized a handgun and multiple electronic devices; the affidavit states Pimienta admitted sharing a plan with online associates to take hostages at the church, release those who agreed with his views, kill those who did not, and flee to Cuba. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, Venice Police Department, and FBI assisted, and the case is being prosecuted by the State Attorney for the 12th Judicial Circuit.
🛡️ My thoughts: this man's reconnaissance should've set off major alarms. I have a free class on identifying threats just like this. Take that course, it's free to you as a fellow follower of Christ. This was a tragedy that was averted. In the rollcall briefing put out yesterday, I discussed how you need to prepare and train for hostage taking like this.
Vehicle Occupants Fired On While Driving Home From Church — Collins, Mississippi
Holly Cadence Morgan, 38, of Seminary is jailed in Covington County on one count of shooting into an occupied vehicle and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Authorities say Morgan was a passenger in a stopped vehicle at the intersection of Cascio-Taormina Road and Highway 590 when she opened the door, stepped out, and fired three times at a passing car occupied by a family heading home from a church service. One bullet struck the vehicle and no one was injured. Investigators say Morgan did not know anyone in the vehicle and have not established why she fired on them. The arrest was reported on Wednesday, August 12.
🛡️ My thoughts: please have situational awareness at all times. While you leave your target because of your beliefs. Although that was not the case here, you should still pay attention to your surroundings and be ready to act. Here, when you see somebody getting ready to fire upon you, your vehicle can become a wonderful weapon to defend yourself.
Body Found Beside Church Parking Lot, State Police Investigating — Hoxie, Arkansas
Hoxie police were notified at approximately 3:15 p.m. on Tuesday, August 11, of a body on property adjacent to the parking lot of People’s Faith Tabernacle Church at 1202 Sullens Road. Arkansas State Police identified the deceased as James Frey, 34, of Salem, roughly an hour northwest of Hoxie in Fulton County. At the request of the Hoxie Police Department, special agents with the Arkansas State Police Criminal Investigation Division took over the case. Frey’s body was transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory, where the cause and manner of death will be determined. Authorities have released no cause of death, no suspect information, and no stated connection between the death and the church. Hoxie is in Lawrence County in northeast Arkansas.
🛡️ My thoughts: this is a sad event. We don't know how he died. But we do know that people that need Christ the most will go to a church 24/7 when they are in crisis. Whether it's a medical crisis, a drug overdose, or somebody trying to kill them. Have a 4K video system that includes the church perimeter. It is a force multiplier for you and the recording helps law-enforcement self crime.
Former Teacher and Choir Member Charged in Church Bomb Threat — Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Melissa Ann Redway on Monday, August 10, on charges including writing threats to kill or do bodily injury and threatening to discharge a destructive device. According to the arrest report, the threat was emailed to Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in February and referenced a concert scheduled at the church for February 20, stating she first needed to blow up the entire church with herself present at the concert. Redway had been a teacher at Westminster Academy, the church’s private school, and was laid off after a brain injury left her unable to perform her duties. Police say she also lost her position in the church choir and did not accept the news well, and a witness reported she arrived at a choir practice wearing a cassock, ran down the aisle, and left the building. The church’s executive director told police that Redway’s behavior had been increasingly concerning and expressed concern for the safety of congregants and students. Bond was set at $7,500.
🛡️ My thoughts: another crisis averted. Please study incidents like this and use it as a scenario in your next training day.
SEX CRIMES
Christian Academy Closes After Fifth Arrest in Sex Offender Scandal — Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Pawleys Island Community Church elders announced in an email to members on Monday, August 10, that the congregation is formally ending Pawleys Island Christian Academy after 25 years of operation. The case centers on Warren Spencer Perry, 70, a registered sex offender who pleaded guilty in 2023 to third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and who served in volunteer custodial and maintenance roles on the shared church and school campus. South Carolina probation officials arrested Perry on July 14 for allegedly entering areas frequented by children and repeatedly contacting minors, and the Georgetown County Sheriff’s Office opened an investigation after a parent complaint in July. Five people have now been arrested: Perry, former senior pastor Don Williams, his wife Ginny Williams, former academy director Jennifer “Niki” Howard, and church director of operations and missions Michael Anthony Fields, on charges including obstruction of justice, criminal conspiracy, and unlawfully placing a child at risk.
🛡️ My thoughts: this event was church ending. You should constantly think about crime like this and how I can end your church. I love my church and don't want to see it closed because of something stupid like somebody protecting the church instead of the innocent. But yet, this occurs several times a year around America. The Bible is clear: victims come before protecting the church.
Affidavit Details Released in Pastor’s Indecency Case — Edinburg, Texas
Jorge Ivan Gonzalez Martinez, 49, of McAllen, a pastor at Iglesia Internacional Poder y Gloria in Edinburg, was arrested July 27 and charged with three counts of indecency with a child by sexual contact and one count of indecency with a child by exposure. Arrest affidavit details released this week state a girl made an outcry to a parent on July 19 that Martinez had touched her inappropriately on multiple occasions between March and April 2025. The affidavit states all of the alleged incidents occurred in the church’s camera room. During a Children’s Advocacy Center interview on July 24, the child reported the conduct began with hugs that became tighter and involved body contact, progressed to kisses, and escalated to Martinez pulling down her clothing and placing her hand on his genitals over his clothes. Edinburg Police Chief Jaime Ayala said additional children have come forward with allegations, though investigators concluded those findings did not rise to the level of further criminal offenses. Bond was initially set at $300,000 and Martinez has since posted $70,000 in bonds and been released; the investigation remains open.
Charges Against Former Youth Pastor Double to 36 Counts — Clute, Texas
A Brazoria County grand jury returned a new round of indictments against Adrian Gerard Johnson, 35, a former youth pastor at Destiny Church in Clute, doubling the number of charges against him from 18 to 36. The charges include trafficking, aggravated sexual assault of a child, sexual assault of a child, sexual performance by a child, compelling prostitution, and indecency with a child. The indictments were filed directly with the grand jury by the Lake Jackson Police Department, which is leading the investigation. The original 18 counts covered offenses alleged between July 2015 and November 2020 involving three girls, and it is not yet clear whether the new indictments involve the same girls or additional accusers. Several women have alleged Johnson abused them when they attended the church or its affiliated school, Kairos Christian Academy. The case began with a multi-agency investigation opened in July 2025 after a 20-year-old woman filed a complaint alleging abuse that started when she was a teenager.
ARSON AND SUSPICIOUS FIRES
Church Arson Suspect Admitted Attempt on Second Church — Brooklyn, New York
Federal prosecutors in the Eastern District of New York disclosed in a detention memo that John Jones, 24, admitted setting the June 19 fire that destroyed the 173-year-old South Bushwick Reformed Church at 855 Bushwick Avenue, and further stated he had recently attempted to burn down a second church in Brooklyn. Jones was arrested on August 5 for shoplifting at a Midtown CVS and made the admissions during the post-arrest interview. Investigators recovered a notebook containing a handwritten chart with categories for violent targets, including entries reading murder them, kill them, and stab them, along with tally marks and repeated misspellings of the word church. The criminal complaint alleges surveillance footage shows Jones attempting to enter the church on the afternoon of June 19, walking to a nearby store to buy a lighter, and returning to the church before the fire started. The three-alarm blaze destroyed the sanctuary and toppled the steeple of the building, which was designated a New York City landmark in 1968 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Jones faces up to 20 years if convicted, and prosecutors are seeking pretrial detention.
🛡️ My thoughts: this man was going to continue burning other churches in New York City. New York City should be on alert. With Mayer mamdani, crimes against Christian and Jews has been skyrocketing.
Suspected Arson Destroys Church Storage Shed — McHenry, Illinois
The McHenry Township Fire Protection District responded at approximately 2:49 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, to a reported structure fire at Faith Presbyterian Church, 2107 West Lincoln Road in McHenry. A 911 caller reported a large shed on fire, and arriving crews confirmed a standalone shed heavily engulfed. The fire destroyed the shed and its contents. Fire officials have deemed the fire suspicious and the investigation is open, with investigators publicly seeking information from the community as of August 9. The church credited neighbors in the adjacent Eastwood Manor subdivision for calling 911 quickly and the fire district for a response that kept the fire from spreading.
🛡️ My thoughts: this is your reminder that I give every week to have a burglar alarm, a fire alarm, and a 4K video system. This is the most basic security measures in church can take.
Fire at Church Previously Targeted With Swastika Graffiti — Broomfield, Colorado
Colorado firefighters responded to a fire at a Broomfield church, and the extent of the damage is under investigation. The cause has not been publicly determined. Broomfield police investigated an incident at the same church last fall in which a swastika and other symbols were painted on the church sign. No injuries were reported.
INTERNATIONAL
Monk Arrested After Stabbing Two at Monastery — Cyprus
A 51-year-old monk was arrested after allegedly stabbing two men at a monastery in Cyprus on Friday, August 7. Reports state the monk had been asked to leave the monastery, went to his room, and returned with a box cutter. He attempted to stab the abbot but instead struck a 53-year-old maintenance worker, and also wounded a 27-year-old preacher. Both victims were hospitalized. The abbot and members of the church committee were present during the incident.
Bishop Says Gangs Are Targeting the Church as 65 Parishes Close — Haiti
Bishop Joseph Gontrand Décoste of Jérémie said armed gangs have made the church a direct target as violence continues to spread across Haiti. Reporting this week indicates 65 Catholic parishes have closed because of gang activity. Gangs are not only seizing church buildings and schools but converting them into fortified positions. Priests, seminarians, and nuns are regularly among the victims, and attacks on religious schools and kidnappings of clergy have been used to establish control over regions of the country. The bishop said congregations in his diocese continue to gather, pray, and worship despite the daily threat.
Forty Anti-Christian Hate Crimes Recorded in a Single Month — Europe
The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination Against Christians documented more than three dozen attacks targeting Christian churches, symbols, and worshippers across Europe during July. Incidents in the report include the desecration of churches with bodily waste and the stabbing of a woman as she prayed inside a Catholic church in Ireland. The report was published this week.
Copyright © 2026 Keith Graves. All rights reserved.
Thanks brother Keith and we need to pray for those that for any reason don’t like tha warnings and prefer a surprise than being ready for the worst. I had learned a lot with you at my 70 years old. God bless your ministry and keep the good work.
Keith...I have followed CW for a few years and pleased to say our church has a good team. Question...There seems to be some online links to get your CCW that will be good for all states to carry. Is this a hoax? I am in Montana and with our open carry law...I conceal carry without a CCW permit. There are time I need to go to Calif to see family and would like to be legal. Thoughts?