America’s churches under siege as violence increasingly invades sacred ground

In the America of our childhood, churches were untouchable ground – sanctuaries of refuge, worship, community and peace. They were the one place where the noise of the world fell silent and reverence took its rightful seat. They were the last places anyone imagined would require security plans and emergency drills. Today, those sacred walls are under threat, not in theory, but in cold and documented reality. The data delivers an uncomfortable truth: houses of worship are being targeted with increasing frequency, severity and lethal intent.

Over the past 25 years, nearly 380 violent incidents at religious institutions have produced almost 490 deaths and hundreds of injuries. These attacks have not been confined to troubled neighborhoods or high-crime areas. They have erupted during quiet Sunday services, in rural chapels and suburban parishes alike. Evil has shown up where grandmothers pray, where children sing, and where families gather in faith.

These are not abstract statistics. They are real people, real congregations and real communities – forever scarred. A few recent tragedies stand as stark reminders of just how vulnerable houses of worship have become.

The deadliest attack on an American house of worship within the past decade occurred in November 2017, at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A gunman opened fire during Sunday services, murdering 26 people and wounding 22 others.

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One year later, in October 2018 at the Tree of Life congregation in Pittsburgh, Penn., worshippers were again targeted simply because of their faith. Eleven people were killed as they gathered for prayer and fellowship.

More recently, in August 2025 at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, violence invaded a place dedicated to children and learning. A shooter attacked the church school community, killing two young students and wounding 21 others.

Only weeks later, in September 2025 in Grand Blanc Township, Mich., worshippers at a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel were targeted in another shocking assault. An attacker crashed a vehicle into the church building during Sunday services, set it on fire, and opened fire on congregants. The attack left four people dead and eight injured, transforming a peaceful morning of worship into chaos and grief.

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These are only a few examples among hundreds. They illustrate a painful reality: no denomination, no region and no community is immune.

The pattern is impossible to ignore. Violent acts against houses of worship have occurred in more than 30 states, crossing denominational lines and geographic boundaries. No church is too quiet, too humble, or too far off the cultural radar to be considered untouchable.

Violence in churches may occur less frequently than other crimes, but frequency is not the point. Consequence is. When violence invades a house of worship, the damage is catastrophic and deeply personal. These are not anonymous buildings. They are sacred spaces filled with families, children, and elders who assume, reasonably, that they are safe.

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An attack on a church is not merely a crime. It is an assault on the very idea that holy ground still exists in America.

This trend did not emerge in a vacuum. It reflects a broader cultural decay – a society increasingly indifferent, and at times openly hostile, to faith and tradition. In too many corners of society, disrespect for the sacred eventually becomes permission for the profane. Words create climates, and climates eventually produce actions.

The deadliest attack on an American house of worship within the past decade occurred in November 2017, at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. A gunman opened fire during Sunday services, murdering 26 people and wounding 22 others.

The conclusion is unavoidable. The comforting mantra that “it can’t happen here” has become indefensible. Churches need protection, not merely prayers and platitudes, but practical, responsible security measures that recognize the world as it is rather than as it used to be.

This is not a call for fear. This is a call for clarity. Acknowledging that evil exists is not paranoia; it is common sense. And evil, when it strikes, does not aim at hardened targets. It aims at the most vulnerable – families in pews, children in Sunday school and the faithful bowed in prayer.

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Churches must be proactive guardians of their flocks, not passive observers of risk. This is bigger than a Psalm or a sermon. This is about the soul of America.

Just as schools train for modern threats, churches must implement layered security, establish trained safety teams, coordinate with law enforcement, and rehearse emergency response. Security should be as intentional as the sermon and as disciplined as the choir. Preparation is stewardship.

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When the places where we pray, teach our children, and sing our hymns are under siege, the question is no longer about church security, it is about the character of a nation that still claims to cherish freedom.

This is our moment to wake up, to think clearly, and to act boldly. Not just to protect churches, but to protect the idea that Americans can openly worship without fear. That idea is not optional. It is foundational.

Erin Mersino is vice president and chief of Supreme Court and Appellate Litigation for Advocates for Faith & Freedom.