A new report from the Family Research Council (FRC) reveals 1,384 acts of hostility against churches across the United States between January 2018 and December 2024. The report documents a dramatic increase in attacks over the last three years, with incidents nearly tripling since 2021. Churches have faced rising levels of vandalism, arson, bomb threats, and gun-related violence.
FRC tracked 198 attacks in 2022, 485 in 2023, and 415 in 2024—accounting for nearly 80% of all incidents since 2018. This marks a major escalation compared to previous years, which saw far fewer events: 50 in 2018, 83 in 2019, 55 in 2020, and 98 in 2021. The report relies on open-source data from news articles, police reports, and public documentation.
In 2024 alone, 383 churches in 43 states were affected. The most targeted states were California (40), Pennsylvania (29), Florida and New York (25 each), Texas (23), Tennessee (19), and Ohio (19). Types of incidents included 284 acts of vandalism, 55 arson attempts, 14 bomb threats, and 47 classified as “other.” Gun-related incidents rose sharply, more than doubling from 12 in 2023 to 28 in 2024.
FRC warns that this growing wave of anti-Christian hostility represents a direct threat to the freedom of worship and public expression of faith. The group emphasized that the true number of incidents may be even higher due to underreporting, especially in rural or smaller congregations. Churches continue to serve on the front lines of cultural conflict, increasingly viewed as political targets.
The rise in violence has occurred alongside broader national trends of secularism, political unrest, and targeted attacks on institutions aligned with traditional moral values. Christian leaders are calling for increased vigilance, stronger law enforcement partnerships, and legislative protections to deter future threats.
These attacks come amid heightened pressure on religious communities to remain silent on social and moral issues. The findings support growing concern that American churches face not only spiritual opposition, but physical danger for standing firm in biblical truth.
