missions
US Missionary Freed After 9 Months Captivity in Niger
Summary by Christgiving Editorial Desk Angela Fulton , as published by Christianity Today
· August 18, 2026
· 1 min read
Photo: Christianity Today · view original
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Summary created by Christgiving Editorial Desk — automated, rule-governed Byline on source page Angela Fulton, as published by Christianity Today Original story Read at the source Source published Aug 18, 2026 Indexed here Aug 18, 2026 AI assistance Automated summary drawn from the source’s own published text Prepublication human review No — editorial rules, flagged-item review, and published samples
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Key takeaway These online meetings were organized by Ishaku Izang, a SIM missionary in Niger, and were attended by at least 30 other missionaries every Wednesday night.
Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot, was released by kidnappers after nine months of captivity. His missions agency, Serving in Missions, announced the release. Rideout was held hostage in Niger, where he was serving as a missionary.
During his captivity, fellow missionaries around the world gathered weekly on Zoom to support him. These online meetings were organized by Ishaku Izang, a SIM missionary in Niger, and were attended by at least 30 other missionaries every Wednesday night. Further details about Rideout's release and captivity are available from Serving in Missions, as reported by Christianity Today.
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Category: missions Published: August 18, 2026 Source: Christianity Today Reading time: 1 min
Frequently asked about this story
What is this story about? Kevin Rideout, an American missionary pilot, was released by kidnappers after nine months of captivity. His missions agency, Serving in Missions, announced the release. Rideout was held hostage in…
When was this published? This article was first published on August 18, 2026 by Christianity Today and curated for Christgiving readers.
Who reported this story? This story was reported by Angela Fulton at Christianity Today. To learn more about how Christgiving selects and reviews stories, see our editorial standards .
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