Friday's Briefing: Christian leaders press Washington on global health as a migrant charity is cleared
On Friday, 25 September 2026, the churches' dealings with state power ran through the day's news — from an appeal by Christian leaders over $1 billion in global health funds to a lifted freeze on a Catholic migrant charity.
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Friday's Briefing: Christian leaders press Washington on global health as a migrant charity is cleared
Good morning. The most consequential item came from Religion News Service, which reported that 120 Christian leaders had written to Trump administration officials urging them not to withhold $1 billion in global health funds. RNS described the letter as an unusual instance of evangelical leaders pressing the administration to change course, and noted the signatories included a religious adviser to the president. The sum is large and the appeal is public; the outcome will bear on health programmes far beyond the United States.
Closer to home, Religion News Service also reported that the Department of Homeland Security had lifted a financial freeze on Sister Norma Pimentel's Catholic migrant charity, and that the investigation had been dropped. According to RNS, Pimentel announced the news during a conversation with the network's events host, Niala Boodhoo, at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin.
Two stories concerned the papacy. Anglican Ink reported on a new Vatican interfaith statement, published on 16 September 2026 with Pope Leo XIV's approval, which holds that God has not abandoned the Jewish people while insisting that Jesus Christ remains their Saviour — two convictions the document asks Christians to hold together. Separately, Religion News Service reported from Paris that Pope Leo XIV had denounced the "scourge of war" in the Middle East; the pope and President Emmanuel Macron agreed on promoting peace and building ethical safeguards for artificial intelligence, though the pope also pointed to tensions between the Catholic Church and a secularized France.
In the United States, United Methodist News reported that the Louisiana Conference is investing $15 million in local churches through a new Jubilee Initiative, helping congregations pay off debt, fund ministries and expand staffing.
Elsewhere, Charisma News reported that Jared Kushner, in a video posted by the Board of Peace, described what that body, a new International Stabilization Force and a governing committee for Gaza are building around Israel. Christianity Today revisited the kinship between the writers Annie Dillard and James Kilgo, and The Gospel Coalition reviewed the film "Heart of the Beast" on the theme that it is not good that man is alone.
Zoom out: Several of the day's stories turn on the same question — where the church's work meets the decisions of governments.
What we're following
- Religion News Service: DHS lifts financial freeze on Sister Norma Pimentel’s Catholic migrant charity Read it
- Charisma News: Jared Kushner Reveals What the Board of Peace Is ‘Building’ Around Israel Read it
- United Methodist News: Louisiana Conference invests $15M in churches Read it
- Christianity Today: When Annie Dillard Met James Kilgo Read it
Sources
- DHS lifts financial freeze on Sister Norma Pimentel’s Catholic migrant charity Religion News Service
- Jared Kushner Reveals What the Board of Peace Is ‘Building’ Around Israel Charisma News
- Louisiana Conference invests $15M in churches United Methodist News
- When Annie Dillard Met James Kilgo Christianity Today
- ‘Heart of the Beast’ Shows Why Man Should Not Be Alone The Gospel Coalition
- Christ alone, but not Christians alone? Rome’s new statement on Jews and salvation Anglican Ink
- 120 Christian leaders urge Trump administration not to withhold $1B in global health funds Religion News Service
- The medieval world had its own ‘deepfakes’ – church officials cited a fake imperial decree for centuries Religion News Service
- Some climb for faith, others for the views. This Chinese sacred mountain draws them all Religion News Service
- She lived to see ‘Deb’s law’ take effect. Now she can choose how she dies Religion News Service
- Roy Cohn was an American Jewish Darth Vader Religion News Service
- Shroud of Turin Breakthrough: DNA Discovery Points Back to the Holy Land Charisma News
- In France, Pope Leo denounces ‘scourge of war’ in the Middle East Religion News Service
- Talarico Leads Paxton Outside Margin of Error in New Poll Charisma News
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Summarized from the linked reports by the FaithDaily desk. Verify against the original sources before citing.
Previous briefings
All briefings →- 26 Oct 2026FaithDaily briefing: deadly attacks on Christians abroad, a Dallas congregation's exit, and a new primate in RwandaThe 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.
- 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.
