Texas pastor rejoices with family of hostage released by Taliban: ‘It was God’s timing’

January 28, 2025

A Texas man who was captured while on a business trip and held hostage by the Taliban for nearly 900 days has been released and safely reunited with his family.

The Christian Post reports that Ryan Corbett was abducted by the Taliban in Oct 2022 and held for 894 days before being released as part of a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Afghan governments.

Pastor David Theobald, who leads Grace Baptist Church in the same community where Corbett’s father once served as a pastor, said there was a period of time when few people knew of Corbett’s capture.

Theobald said Corbett’s situation was a “huge responsibility,” adding, “We had been walking with them through it for a year before they did that,” he said, referring to the day Corbett’s story became public.

Corbett and another American named William McKenty were released in exchange for Khan Mohammed, an Afghan national who faced two life sentences after being convicted of drug smuggling and aiding terrorist activities.

According to the Christian Post, the release of the two Americans raises the possibility that there are even more American hostages being held by the Taliban.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a post on X, stated, “If this is true, we will have to immediately place a VERY BIG bounty on their top leaders.”

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