Dagestan (NCN) — Sources from the North Caucasus Network confirmed reports Thursday that the senior pastor of an evangelical church in central Dagestan, Russia was ambushed and shot in the head by unknown gunmen as he departed the church's House of Prayer around 6:30PM local time.
The senior pastor died while in the hospital about an hour later. No other people were hurt.
NCN invites the global church to pray for this fellowship and their partners. The church has been targeted with harassment tactics from a vocal and often violent minority of people in Dagestan who harbor unfounded fear of Christian ministries present in the region.
Church members and church leadership routinely suffer intimidation tactics from various groups, with competing agendas.
Dagestan, 98% Muslim, is situated on the Caspian Sea in the North Caucasus region. Dagestan remains one of the economically poorest republics of Russia, despite the ethnic and historical richness of the 32 ethnic nationalities.
Dagestan continues to suffer under the competing factions of a complex global jihadi movement. Collaborative efforts of the global Church have a long-standing history of blessing families in Dagestan.
