Churches and Christian Organizations (Past 12 Months)
March 2025 – February 2026
Compiled by: Kearnan Consulting Group, LLC
Date: February 28, 2026
Sources: Family Research Council, International Christian Concern, FBI, news reports
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Overall Statistics (2025 Calendar Year):
- 415 hostile incidents recorded in 2024 (most recent complete year analyzed)
- 383 churches affected in 2024
- 57 attacks on Catholic churches specifically in 2025
- 1,384 acts of hostility against U.S. churches since January 2018
- Incidents include: vandalism, arson, armed aggression, bomb threats, and deadly violence
Types of Incidents (2024 breakdown):
- Vandalism: 284 incidents (68%)
- Arson: 55 incidents
- Armed Aggression: 28 incidents (more than double the 12 in 2023)
- Bomb Threats: 14 incidents
- Other Crimes: 47 incidents
Geographic Distribution (2024 – Top States):
- California: 40 incidents
- Pennsylvania: 29 incidents
- Florida: 25 incidents
- New York: 25 incidents
- Texas: 23 incidents
- Tennessee: 19 incidents
- Ohio: 19 incidents
MAJOR DEADLY ATTACKS (2025-2026)
1. GRAND BLANC TOWNSHIP LDS CHURCH ATTACK
Date: September 28, 2025
Location: Grand Blanc Township, Michigan
Target: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel
Incident Type: Active shooter, arson, vehicle ramming
Casualties: 4 killed, 8 injured; verified total is 5, including the perpetrator
Details: – Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, drove truck into church during Sunday service – Opened fire on congregants with assault-style rifle – Poured gasoline inside building and set it on fire – Killed by police during exchange of gunfire – FBI classified as “targeted violence” against Mormons – Suspect had previous arrests for burglary and operating while intoxicated – Military background
2. ANNUNCIATION CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOOTING
Date: August 27, 2025
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Target: Annunciation Catholic Church and School
Incident Type: Mass shooting
Casualties: 2 children killed (ages 8 and 10), 21 injured (26 children, 4 adults total)
Details: – Shooter fired into windows from outside during school Mass – Targeted students attending Mass – Community devastated, ongoing counseling and support
3. RICHMOND ROAD BAPTIST CHURCH SHOOTING
Date: 2025 (specific date not provided)
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Target: Richmond Road Baptist Church
Incident Type: Active shooter
Casualties: 2 female congregants killed, pastor wounded
Details: – Gunman opened fire during service – Pastor Jerry Gumm shot but survived – Gunman fatally shot by law enforcement – Pastor returned to pulpit to preach after recovery – Suspect had charges including domestic violence, robbery, theft
4. SALT LAKE CITY LDS CHURCH PARKING LOT SHOOTING
Date: January 7, 2026
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Target: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
Incident Type: Shooting (funeral-related dispute)
Casualties: 2 killed, 6 injured (5 hospitalized with police protection)
Details: – Shooting occurred in church parking lot during funeral – Grew out of dispute between attendees who knew each other – Complicated crime scene with uncooperative witnesses
5. SAINTS PETER AND PAUL CATHOLIC CHURCH
Date: April 3, 2025
Location: Seneca, Oklahoma
Incident Type: Shooting
Casualties: Priest shot
Details: – Suspect allegedly entered church and shot priest – Investigation ongoing
6. ST. THOMAS MORE CATHOLIC CHURCH SHOOTING
Date: July 27, 2025
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Target: St. Thomas More Catholic Church
Incident Type: Shooting during community outreach
Casualties: 1 killed (15-year-old Alexander Puentes)
Details: – 15-year-old suspect shot victim during altercation – Victim helping with community outreach event – Suspect charged as adult for first-degree murder
ATTEMPTED MASS SHOOTINGS (PREVENTED)
7. CROSSPOINTE COMMUNITY CHURCH
Date: June 22, 2025
Location: Wayne, Michigan
Target: CrossPointe Community Church
Incident Type: Attempted mass shooting (prevented)
Casualties: None (attacker killed)
Details: – Brian Browning, 31, swerved into parking lot with multiple weapons – Armed with assault-style rifle, semiautomatic handgun with extended magazine – More than dozen fully loaded magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition – Church security shot and killed attacker before he reached building interior – Church had trained for such situations – No injuries to congregants
8. PARK VALLEY CHURCH ATTEMPTED SHOOTING
Date: September 23, 2023 (sentencing June 18, 2025)
Location: Fairfax, Virginia
Target: Park Valley Church
Incident Type: Attempted mass shooting (prevented)
Casualties: None
Details: – Rui Jiang sentenced to 25 years in prison – Posted disturbing content online including burning Bible – Threatened church online – Police alerted and prevented attack – Arrived at church armed with intent to murder parishioners – Motivated by anger at God and men over romantic relationships
9. FLORIDA CHURCH (unnamed)
Date: 2025
Location: Florida
Incident Type: Attempted attack (prevented)
Casualties: None
Details: – Armed man arrived during service – Made disturbing statements about mass shootings – Carrying loaded handgun and magazines – Staff delayed him and contacted law enforcement – Deputies disarmed and arrested without shots fired
10. LOUISIANA CHURCH (unnamed)
Date: 2025
Location: Louisiana
Incident Type: Armed intrusion (prevented)
Casualties: None
Details: – Armed man entered during Sunday service – Climbed onto media platform – Noticed by sound booth staff – Church security detained him without injuries – Police arrived and took custody
ARSON ATTACKS
11. SEATTLE LAESTADIAN LUTHERAN CHURCH
Date: August 25, 2023 (guilty plea April 24, 2025)
Location: Snohomish County, Washington
Incident Type: Arson
Damage: $3.2 million, church destroyed
Details: – Natasha Marie O’Dell pleaded guilty – Admitted anger about churches, specifically SLLC – Told acquaintances she planned to burn nearby church – Much of church destroyed in blaze
12. ST. MARK MISSIONARY BAPTIST CHURCH
Date: August 30, 2025
Location: Flint, Michigan
Incident Type: Arson (firebombing)
Damage: Multiple classrooms, smoke damage, broken windows
Details: – Individual purposely brought three gasoline cans – Used metal object and firebombed church – Church has outreach center hosting community events and food drives – Suspect identified on video but not yet arrested
13. BROOKLYN CHURCH ARSONS
Date: August 20, 2025
Location: Brooklyn, New York
Incident Type: Serial arson
Damage: 20 buildings including churches
Details: – Bryan Oviedo, 32, charged with setting fires – Church of St. Luke and St. Matthew among targets – Early morning attacks
14. WINDWOOD FREE WILL BAPTIST CHURCH
Date: January 2026
Location: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Incident Type: Vandalism and arson
Damage: Significant damage
Details: – Church serves as voting precinct – Offers parking to neighboring school – Was emergency supply distribution site after 2024 tornado – Part of community for nearly 30 years
15. BETH ISRAEL CONGREGATION SYNAGOGUE
Date: January 10, 2026
Location: Jackson, Mississippi
Incident Type: Arson (hate crime)
Damage: Fire damage
Details: – Stephen Pittman, 19, arrested – Pleaded not guilty to federal and state arson charges – Prosecuted as hate crime
16. SACRED HEART CATHOLIC CHURCH
Date: June 11, 2025
Location: Portland, Oregon
Incident Type: Arson
Damage: Century-old doors (dating to 1890s), thousands in repairs
Details: – Dominic Lee Wahl-Stephens, 45, set doors on fire using blowtorch – Called 911 to turn himself in – Mentally unstable according to authorities – Charged with arson in second degree
17. ST. TERESA OF CALCUTTA CHURCH
Date: May 6, 2025
Location: Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania
Incident Type: Bombing
Damage: $15,000 including rare stained-glass windows
Details: – Quarter stick of dynamite lit on altar – Rare stained-glass windows destroyed
18. BETH EL BIBLE CHURCH
Date: September 17, 2025
Location: El Paso, Texas
Incident Type: Attempted arson
Damage: Minimal (fire extinguished quickly)
Details: – Paper bag with hateful language left at church entrance – Pastor noticed flames and extinguished before damage occurred – Investigation revealed hate-motivated attack
19. OHIO CHURCHES (Four churches)
Date: August 2024 – Four months
Location: Two adjacent counties, Ohio
Incident Type: Serial arson
Damage: Four churches completely destroyed
Details: – Four churches burned over four-month period – Suspected single arsonist – No arrests made
20. ATHENS, TENNESSEE CHURCH
Date: 2025
Location: Athens, Tennessee
Incident Type: Arson with homicide
Casualties: Church secretary killed
Damage: Roof collapsed
Details: – Secretary killed before church set ablaze – Major structural damage
21. EDE, NETHERLANDS CHURCHES
Date: February 19-26, 2026
Location: Ede, Netherlands
Incident Type: Serial vandalism and arson
Damage: Multiple windows, meeting room, historic door
Details: – Evangelical Church De Schuilplaats (Otterloseweg): February 19-20 – Windows smashed, meeting room set on fire (1-2 AM) – Evangelical Lutheran Church (Beukenlaan): February 23 – Stained glass smashed, Molotov cocktail thrown causing fire (2-4 AM) – Reformed Oude Kerk (Grotestraat): February 26 – Historic church door set on fire, charred black (1:30-2 AM) – Pattern suggests coordinated attacks – Over 30 churches in Ede now concerned
22. KNOXVILLE CHURCH
Date: February 2026 (within past week)
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Incident Type: Arson
Damage: $2,000
Details: – Suspect broke into church – Set flag on fire – Suspect previously identified himself as “God” to police – Charged with burglary, vandalism, and arson of place of worship
23. TRINITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH
Date: January 2026
Location: Denver, Colorado
Incident Type: Vandalism
Damage: Stained glass windows destroyed
Details: – Historic significance: first church built in Denver – Part of broader downtown vandalism problem – Suspect arrested in connection – Under investigation for links to other vandalism
BOMB THREATS AND EXPLOSIVE DEVICES
24. MULTIPLE ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, COLORADO CHURCHES
Date: Convicted April 3, 2025
Location: Arizona, California, Colorado
Incident Type: Bomb threats, IED components
Details: – Zimnako Salah found guilty of hate crime – Visited four churches, left backpacks at two – No actual bombs in packs but IED components found in storage unit – Consumed ISIS violent videos on social media – Intentionally targeted Christians because of their faith – Acted to threaten and intimidate congregations
25. CATHEDRAL OF ST. MATTHEW THE APOSTLE
Date: 2025
Location: Washington, D.C.
Incident Type: Explosive devices
Details: – Law enforcement removed armed man with explosives from front steps – Prior to church’s annual Red Mass (attended by Supreme Court justices) – Man had tent in front of church – 200 homemade incendiary devices discovered in tent after arrest
VANDALISM AND HATE CRIMES
26. FAR ROCKAWAY CHURCHES
Date: October 5, 2025
Location: Queens, New York (Far Rockaway)
Incident Type: Hate crime vandalism
Targets: Three churches
Details: – The Refuge Church of Christ – The City of Oasis Church of Deliverance – St. Mary’s Star of the Sea Church – Masked suspect painted anti-Christian statements on façades – Painted on faces of religious statues – Suspect wore pride mask and pride flag
27. TULSA CHURCH VANDALISM
Date: 2024-2025
Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Incident Type: Repeated vandalism
Damage: $140,000 total
Details: – $100,000 to repair destroyed air conditioning units – $40,000 spent year prior on different AC system after vandalism – Targeted destruction of critical equipment
28. BETHEL BAPTIST CHURCH
Location: Portland, Oregon
Incident Type: Repeated vandalism
Details: – Multiple incidents of vandalism – Listed in Family Research Council report as example of repeated targeting
29. CATHOLIC CHURCHES (Nationwide)
Date: 2025
Statistics: 57 attacks on Catholic churches in 2025
Total since May 2020: 548 attacks
Details: – Spray-painting of satanic messages – Statues destroyed (often heads cut off) – Rocks and bricks through windows – Tabernacle thefts – Pro-abortion graffiti (381 attacks since Roe v. Wade leak in May 2022) – Illegal Mass disruptions – Primary motive appears ideological, not material gain
DISRUPTIONS AND PROTESTS
30. CITIES CHURCH
Date: January 2026
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Incident Type: Worship service disruption
Details: – Protesters disrupted worship service – Part of pattern of hostility against churches – Highlighted in Christianity Today coverage
FEDERAL HATE CRIME CONVICTIONS
31. NATASHA MARIE O’DELL
Conviction: April 24, 2025
Crime: Arson of Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church
Sentence: Pending
Details: Admitted anger toward churches and religious institutions
32. ZIMNAKO SALAH
Conviction: April 3, 2025
Crime: Hate crime, targeting Christians with bomb threats
Sentence: Pending
Details: ISIS-influenced, anti-Christian motivation
33. RUI JIANG
Conviction: Sentenced June 18, 2025
Crime: Attempted mass shooting at Park Valley Church
Sentence: 25 years in prison
Details: Mental health issues, anger at God
INTERNATIONAL COMPARISON
NIGERIA – BENUE STATE MASSACRE
Date: 2025
Location: Benue State, Nigeria
Target: Displaced Christian communities
Casualties: More than 200 killed in single night
Details: – Islamist militants (ISWAP – Islamic State West Africa Province) – Victims trapped, burned, killed with rifles and machetes – Organized anti-Christian slaughter, not random crime – Part of ongoing jihadist violence in northern Nigeria
TREND ANALYSIS
Increasing Violence (2018-2025):
- 2018-2022: Lower baseline (average ~200-300 incidents/year)
- 2023: Record 485 incidents
- 2024: 415 incidents (slight decrease but still elevated)
- 2025: 57 Catholic church attacks alone
- Total since Jan 2018: 1,384 acts of hostility
Attack Patterns:
- Vandalism remains most common (68% of incidents)
- Armed aggression more than doubled (12 in 2023 → 28 in 2024)
- Repeat targeting of same churches
- Coordinated series (Ohio arsons, Netherlands attacks)
- Ideological motivations:
- Anti-Christian hatred
- Pro-abortion activism
- Anti-LGBTQ backlash
- Political/cultural anger
- Mental health crises
- ISIS/Islamist influence
Vulnerable Populations in Attacks:
- Children (school masses, children’s programs)
- Elderly congregants
- Pastors and clergy
- Community service recipients
- Students
Church Security Successes:
- CrossPointe Community Church (Michigan) – Security team stopped mass shooting
- Louisiana church – Sound booth staff noticed threat, security detained
- Florida church – Staff delayed suspect, law enforcement arrested
- Key factors in successful prevention:
- Trained security teams
- Awareness and vigilance
- Clear communication protocols
- Prepared response plans
- Coordination with law enforcement
FINANCIAL IMPACT
Documented Damages:
- Seattle Laestadian Lutheran Church: $3.2 million
- Lansing, Michigan meetinghouse (2002): $5 million
- Roswell, New Mexico meetinghouse (1998): $2.5 million
- Tulsa church AC vandalism: $140,000
- Magna, Utah meetinghouse: $60,000+
- St. Teresa of Calcutta: $15,000
- Church History Museum tapa cloth: $10,000
- Sacred Heart Portland doors: Thousands (century-old doors)
- St. Mark Missionary Baptist: Extensive (multiple classrooms)
MOTIVES (When Identified):
- Anti-Christian hatred (explicit targeting of faith)
- Political/ideological (abortion rights, LGBTQ issues)
- Mental health crises (anger at God, delusional states)
- Terrorism (ISIS-influenced, anti-Mormon)
- Personal grievances (romantic rejection, church disputes)
- Hate crimes (religious/ethnic targeting)
- Unknown (majority of cases – perpetrators not caught)
GEOGRAPHIC VULNERABILITY
Highest Risk States (2024):
- California – 40 incidents
- Pennsylvania – 29 incidents
- Florida – 25 incidents
- New York – 25 incidents
- Texas – 23 incidents
- Tennessee – 19 incidents
- Ohio – 19 incidents
Zero Reported Incidents (2024):
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Montana
- Nevada
- Utah
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Regional Concentration:
- South: Overrepresentation due to higher church attendance and firearm availability
- Urban areas: Higher vandalism rates
- Concentrated attacks: Some counties experience multiple incidents
ATTACKER PROFILES (Mass Shooting Events):
Demographics:
- 97% male in shooting incidents where identified
- 26% over age 65 (differs from typical mass shooter profile)
- 23% ages 18-24
- 19% ages 25-34
- Average age: 32 for those killing 4+ people
Background Factors (4+ deaths):
- 60% had mental health history (vs. 18% in other worship homicides)
- 70% had suicidal ideation (vs. 17% in other worship homicides)
- 60% died by suicide during/after attack (vs. 10% in other worship homicides)
- 20% had military service
- 60% had criminal background
- Many had domestic violence histories
DENOMINATIONAL TARGETING
Christian Churches:
- 97% of deadly incidents at Christian churches (reflects U.S. demographics)
- Catholic churches heavily targeted (548 attacks since May 2020)
- LDS churches experiencing increase (Grand Blanc attack most deadly)
- Baptist churches targeted (Richmond Road, St. Mark)
- Evangelical churches vandalized (Ede, Netherlands series)
Other Faiths (Adjusted for congregation numbers):
- Sikh temples – Highest per-capita rate (few temples but targeted)
- Jewish synagogues – 1,380 hate crimes (Jan 2025-Jan 2026) – highest total
- Muslim mosques – Increased targeting post-9/11
LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE
Federal Prosecutions:
- Limited federal action despite attacks being federal crimes
- DOJ promised review in January 2022, minimal action taken
- No federal prosecutions in most cases
- Local prosecutions occurring in some jurisdictions
FBI Classifications:
- Grand Blanc attack: “Targeted violence”
- Multiple cases: Hate crimes
- Ongoing investigations in numerous unsolved arsons
WEAPONS USED IN ATTACKS:
- Firearms (rifles, handguns, extended magazines)
- Fire/Accelerants (gasoline, blowtorch, Molotov cocktails)
- Explosives (dynamite, IED components)
- Vehicles (ramming attacks)
- Vandalism tools (spray paint, rocks, bricks)
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHURCHES
Based on incidents where attacks were prevented or casualties minimized:
1. Security Team Training
- Armed and unarmed response teams
- De-escalation techniques
- Communication protocols
- Medical response (Stop the Bleed, CPR, AED)
2. Physical Security
- Access control during services
- Surveillance systems
- Lighting improvements
- Multiple exit routes
- Secure perimeters
3. Awareness Programs
- “See something, say something” culture
- Behavioral threat assessment
- Suspicious activity recognition
- Staff and volunteer training
4. Emergency Preparedness
- Evacuation plans
- Lockdown procedures
- Medical supplies (trauma kits, AEDs)
- Communication systems (radios, notification)
- Regular drills and exercises
5. Coordination
- Local law enforcement liaison
- Emergency services familiarization
- Mutual aid with nearby churches
- Community partnerships
6. Documentation
- Incident reporting systems
- Facility inspection logs
- Training records
- Threat assessments
CONCLUSION
The past 12 months have seen a sustained elevated threat level against houses of worship in the United States, with 415 incidents in 2024 and continuing attacks into 2025-2026. While the number of incidents decreased slightly from the 2023 peak of 485, the threat remains significantly higher than pre-2018 levels.
Key Concerns: – Armed aggression incidents more than doubled (2023: 12 → 2024: 28) – Multiple mass casualty events (Minneapolis: 23 victims, Grand Blanc: 12 victims) – Repeat targeting of the same churches – Coordinated attack series in some regions – Low prosecution rates despite federal crimes – Diverse motivations making prevention challenging
Positive Indicators: – Trained security teams prevented multiple mass shootings – Awareness increasing among church leadership – Law enforcement coordination improving in some areas – Community resilience and support after attacks
Call to Action: Churches must balance openness and welcome with reasonable security measures. The goal is not to create fortresses but to enable safe worship and ministry through prepared, trained, vigilant communities of faith.
Sources: – Family Research Council – Hostility Against Churches Report (2024-2025) – International Christian Concern – FBI Crime Data Explorer – CatholicVote Church Attack Tracker – Violence Prevention Project – News reports from multiple jurisdictions – USCCB Annual Report 2026
Report Compiled: February 28, 2026
Kearnan Consulting Group, LLC