Tragic Truth: A World of Escalating Violent Attacks Against U.S. Churches and Synagogues – 5 Things Every American Needs to Know

Key Takeaways:

Violent attacks against churches and synagogues in the U.S. are increasing significantly.
Although the trend is increasing, hatred and violence against both Jews and Christians is nothing new.
God-haters have attempted to annihilate Jews and to kill Christians throughout their history.
Iran is the largest state-sponsor of terrorism and of terrorist groups in the world.
Iran’s goal is to impose radical Islam worldwide and establish a worldwide Caliphate.
Because of the current military action against Iran, the likelihood of terrorism in the U.S. is very high.
Churches and synagogues which lack armed security are the most vulnerable – and therefore are the most likely to be attacked.

Hatred.

Persecution.

Violence.

It’s not just happening to Christians in Nigeria and Communist China and in other foreign countries.

It’s happening in America.

And your church or synagogue could be a target.

It’s time to become aware and prepared.

Here are 5 things every American should know and take to heart:

Attacks against churches in America are increasing.

Family Research Council reports that 1,384 acts of violence against churches in the U.S. occurred between January 2018 and December 2024.[1]

In 2024 alone – the latest year in which numbers have been tabulated – there were 415 acts of hostility against U.S. churches, including vandalism, Larsen and guns:

The number of gun-related church attacks in 2024 was twice the number in 2023.

And it was worse in 2025.

Here is a brief summary of just a few of the attacks on churches in 2025 that involved gun violence:

June 22, 2025 – CrossPointe Community Church, Wayne, MI. Attempted mass shooting during Vacation Bible School. Shots were fired into the building, but the gunman was stopped and killed by church security before he could enter.
July 13, 2025 – Richmond Road Baptist Church, Lexington, KY. A gunman shot a state trooper, hijacked a vehicle and drove to the church where he killed two women and critically injured the pastor before he was killed by police.
August 27, 2025 – Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Minneapolis, MN. A shooter shot through stained glass windows during morning school Mass. Two children were killed; 24 children and adults were injured. The shooter committed suicide.
September 28, 2025 – Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Grand Blanc, MI. An attacker rammed a truck into the church, opened fire on the congregation and set the building on fire; 4 killed, 8 injured. The shooter was killed by a police officer and a conservation officer in the church parking lot.[2]

Attacks against Jewish synagogues are also increasing.

According to the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), attacks on synagogues in the U.S. have surged dramatically since the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

Attacks on all Jewish institutions jumped 237% in 2023 to 1,987.

About 73% of the attacks – 1,444 – were on synagogues.

In 2024 there were 627 bomb threats to Jewish organizations – 89% of them were targeted at synagogues.

It was the 4^th consecutive year of record-high attacks.

Incidents of vandalism were up 20% in 2024 to 2,606.

Assaults were up 21% to 196.[3]

In January of this year, a man repeatedly rammed his car into the entrance of the Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in New York City.

He was immediately ordered out of the vehicle by police officers and placed under arrest.

Also in January, a synagogue was torched in Jackson, MS.

On March 12^th, an armed Lebanese-born U.S. citizen drove a truck through the entrance and down a hallway of Temple Israel, a large synagogue in West Bloomfield, MI.

The synagogue houses a pre-school with 140 children.

The truck was loaded with explosives and flammable liquids.

Security guards engaged the attacker when he became trapped in his vehicle in the hallway.

The vehicle caught fire and he either killed himself or was killed by the security guards.

Attacks on Christians and Jews are nothing new.

God-haters want to destroy both God-believing groups.

The greatest God-hater of all – Satan – knows he can’t kill God…

So he tries to destroy what God loves most – people.

Satan has been trying to destroy the Jews throughout their history.

Why?

Because of the promises God made to Abraham and to his descendants:

To be God’s messengers throughout the world – to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 43:10-12, 49:6; Acts 13:47).
To produce the Messiah – the Redeemer of mankind (Isaiah 7:14, 9:6).
To evangelize the world during the final days of the Great Tribulation (Revelation 7:1-14).

There have been many attempts to annihilate the Jews – but in every case, God has prevented them from being completely destroyed.

Here are a few of those attempts:

Haman’s plot against the Jews – recorded in Esther 3 through 9.
The Nazi Holocaust (1933-1945)
The Arab-Israeli War (1948)
The Six-Day War (1967)
The Yom Kippur War (1973)

Christians who love God and who try to obey God and spread His gospel of salvation are also under attack for the same basic reasons.

They are a threat to dictatorial regimes because their primary allegiance is to God rather than to the State or government.

Here are a few historical examples of massacres of Christians:

Roman killings of early Christians in the 1^st through the 4^th
Najaran Massacre (523 AD) – in Yemen, Jewish King Dhu Nuwas massacred 20,000 Christians after offering conversion or death.
Georgian Massacre (1226) – Turkish forces massacred 100,000 Georgian Christians after they refused to convert.
Ottoman Genocides (1894-1924) – over 2 million Armenian, Assyrian, and Greek Christians massacred.
Russian Revolution and Soviet Communist Persecutions (1917-1991) – millions of Christians killed or starved to death in atheist state campaigns.

We could add Christians killed in Nigeria, Iran, North Korea, Communist China, Cuba and many more countries.

The threat of Iran and radical Islam.

Just as there are many different levels of Christian faith and practice, so there are many different levels of belief and commitment to Islam.

Prior to 1979, Iran was a pro-Western monarchy ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pavlavi.

Since then, radical Islamist clerics have ruled the country.

The Quran and the Hadith – the teachings of Mohammed – call for:

The destruction of Israel and the annihilation of the Jews.
The conversion of all Christians to Islam – or else death if they refuse.
The commitment of all moderate Muslims to follow Islam literally – or die.
The establishment of a worldwide Caliphate.

When the Ayatollah and the Iranian clerics chant “Death to Israel” and “Death to America,” they are not just chanting slogans.

This is their government policy.

Their strategy to subdue the West – including Europe and America – is to inflict terror and fear in the hearts of as many people as possible.

Iran has supported and funded terrorist organizations all over the world:

Hezbollah – Lebanon
Hamas – Gaza
Palestinian Islamic Jihad – Gaza/Palestinian territories
Houthis – Yemen
Muslim Brotherhood – Egypt

The Muslim Brotherhood is a complex and decentralized network.

They have been operating in the U.S. since the 1970s.

With the current military action against Iran by the U.S. and Israel, the likelihood of terrorist attacks in the U.S. has increased significantly.

Churches and Synagogues that are the most vulnerable are most likely to be attacked.

The threat is real.

It doesn’t matter whether you live in a red state or a blue state.

If your church or synagogue is unprepared, you are at risk.

Pastors and Rabbis should do everything they can to protect their congregations during worship services.

This includes hiring security guards and/or training staff members in the use of firearms…

As well as training in how to respond to an active shooter scenario.

Thankfully, the security guards at the Temple Israel synagogue in the Detroit suburb of West Bloomfield had been trained by the FBI just 6 weeks before the attack that took place on March 12^th.

They knew what to do in a surprise attack.

They saved the lives of 140 children attending preschool at the synagogue that day.

The pastor of my church talks about Israel, about end times, about radical Islam.

Our church has private security.

We have church security…

And we have armed police both inside and outside the church during our worship services.

Your church or synagogue should do the same.

Action Items:

If your church or synagogue has no armed security protection, urge your pastor or rabbi to take steps to prepare for a terrorist attack. Share this article – and other news clips of terrorist attacks in the U.S.
Pray for your local government leaders – and for our national government leaders – that they will take the threat of radical Islam and Sharia law seriously. Iran really does want to bring their religion of oppression to America. They are already succeeding in the UK and across Europe.
Learn about the persecuted church. Get my book The Christian Voter: 7 Non-Negotiables for Voting For, Not Against, Your Values . Click HERE to order the book online.

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FAQs:

Q: Are attacks on churches and synagogues in the U.S. really increasing?
A. The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and the Family Research Council have documented a rise in incidents of violence since 2018. The number of gun-related incidents at churches more than doubled from 2023 (12) to 2024 (28).

Q: What types of threats do religious institutions face most often?
A. The most common incidents are vandalism, bomb threats and verbal harassment. Physical assaults and shootings are less common, but nevertheless are increasing and are concerning.

Q: What motivates these attacks?
A. Bottom line, Satan wants to destroy anyone who believes in God and follows the God of the Bible. Human motivations vary: religious or ethnic hate, extremist ideologies, political or social dissatisfaction, or mental illness.

Q: Are some places of worship more vulnerable than others?
A. Worship centers with limited or no armed security or emergency preparedness are the most vulnerable to attack.

Q: What security measures can churches and synagogues implement?
A. Common safety steps include:

Develop emergency response plans
Train staff and volunteers
Install security cameras
Coordinate with local law enforcement
Have visible security presence during worship services

About Craig Huey:

Craig Huey is a longtime direct-response marketing strategist and publisher who focuses on the intersection of faith, politics, culture, and economic freedom. He is president of ElectionForum.org and the founder of Creative Direct Marketing Group (CDMG), where his team has tested thousands of marketing variables and earned more than 100 industry awards. Craig publishes commentary at CraigHuey.com and co-hosts media projects that equip Americans to understand what’s happening—and what to do next.

[1] https://www.frc.org/issueanalysis/hostility-against-churches-is-on-the-rise-in-the-united-states/

[2] Amber Eikenberry, https://www.fox2detroit.com/news/grand-blanc-twp-church-shooting-officers-who-killed-shooter-acted-self-defense-prosecutor-says.amp

[3] https://www.adl.org/resources/report/audit-antisemitic-incidents-2024