America’s churches under siege as violence increasingly invades sacred ground
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.
FAITH, FREEDOM AND THE FIGHT AGAINST RISING ANTISEMITISM
Christina Osborn and her children Alexander Osborn and Bella Araiza visit a makeshift memorial for the victims of the shooting at Sutherland Springs Baptist Church on Nov. 12, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. (AP/Eric Gay)
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.
PASTORS WARN OF 'CHILLING EFFECT' AFTER ANTI-ICE AGITATORS STORM MINNESOTA CHURCH SERVICE
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.
GUNFIRE, ARSON AND VANDALISM: TRACKING POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN AMERICA
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.
Nicole Velasco is director of communications for advocates for Faith Freedom.
Article source: https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/americas-churches-under-siege-violence-increasingly-invades-sacred-ground