Attacks on U.S. Churches Surge Despite Conservative Victories

Despite recent conservative victories in important cultural wars, hostile acts against churches continue.

“The American woke left has been intentional in spreading its hostility toward the Christian faith throughout every corner of America,” said Tony Perkins, Family Research Council president and chair of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom during President Trump’s first term. “We applaud the efforts of the Trump administration, but efforts must be taken at every level of government to protect and promote this fundamental human right. Christians must expect and demand more from their government leaders when it comes to prosecuting and preventing criminal acts targeting religious freedom.”

The Family Research Council (FRC) recently released the newest edition of its Hostility Against Churches report. Among the key findings:

• The previous six years (2018 to 2023) featured an increase in hostile incidents against U.S. churches. FRC identified 50 incidents in 2018, 83 in 2019, 55 in 2020 and 98 in 2021. The total number of incidents in 2023 (485) was more than twice the number identified in 2022 (198).
• In 2024, the number of incidents leveled off with 415. This total from one 12-month span is nearly equal to the findings from FRC’s first report (420), which covered 57 months.
• California had the most incidents in 2024 with 40, followed by Pennsylvania with 29, Florida and New York with 25, Texas with 23 and Tennessee and Ohio with 19.
• There were 284 instances of vandalism, 55 instances of arson, 14 bomb threats and 47 “other.” Notably, the number of gun-related incidents in 2024 (28) was more than double the number identified in 2023 (12). Thirteen incidents fell into more than one category.
• FRC has identified 1,384 acts of hostility against U.S. churches that have taken place since January 2018.

“No instance of vandalism or other crimes against churches is acceptable, and political leaders should be quick to condemn such actions and affirm the importance of religious freedom,” said Arielle Del Turco, director of FRC’s Center for Religious Liberty. “Religious freedom does not rely on legal protections alone but also on cultural support. We must bolster cultural support for religious freedom and respect for our Christian heritage.”

–Alan Goforth