Churches need security as religious violence spreads across America

In the America of our childhood, churches were untouchable terrain—havens of refuge, worship, community, and peace. They were the only place where the noise of the world fell silent and reverence took its rightful place. It was the last place anyone would have thought would need security plans and emergency drills. Today, those sacred walls are threatened, not in theory, but in cold, documented reality. The data presents an uncomfortable truth: Places of worship They are being targeted with increasing frequency, seriousness and lethal intent.

Over the past 25 years, approximately 380 incidents of violence at religious institutions have resulted in approximately 490 deaths and hundreds of injuries. These attacks were not limited to troubled neighborhoods or areas with high crime rates. They erupted during quiet Sunday services, in small rural churches and suburban parishes alike. Evil has appeared where grandmothers pray, where children sing, and where families gather in faith.

These are not abstract statistics. They are real people, real congregations, real communities – and they are scarred forever. Some recent tragedies stand as stark reminders of how vulnerable houses of worship are.

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

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Christina Osbourne and her children Alexander Osbourne and Bella Ariza visit a makeshift memorial for the victims of the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church shooting on November 12, 2017, in Sutherland Springs, Texas. (AP/Eric Jay)

One year later, in October 2018, at Tree of Life Church in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, congregants were again targeted simply for their faith. Eleven people were killed while gathering for prayer and fellowship.

And most recently, in August 2025, at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Violence has invaded a place Designed for children and learning. A gunman attacked a church school, killing two students and wounding 21 others.

Just weeks later, in September 2025, in the town of Grand Blanc, Michigan, worshipers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were targeted in another horrific attack. An attacker rammed a car into a church building during Sunday mass, set it on fire, and opened fire on worshippers. The attack killed four people and injured eight others, turning a quiet morning of worship into chaos and grief.

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These are just a few examples out of hundreds. It illustrates a painful reality: no sect, no region, and no community is safe.

It’s impossible to ignore the pattern. Violence has occurred against places of worship in more than 30 states, crossing sectarian and geographic borders. No church is so quiet, so humble, or so far under the cultural radar that it cannot be considered an outcast.

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

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Attacking the church is not just a crime. It is an assault on the idea that the Holy Land still exists in America.

This trend did not come out of nowhere. It reflects a broader cultural decadence – a society increasingly indifferent to faith and tradition, and sometimes even openly hostile. In many corners of society, disrespect for the sacred ultimately becomes permission for the profane. Words create climates, and climates ultimately produce actions.

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

The conclusion is inevitable. The reassuring slogan “It can’t happen here” has become untenable. Churches need protection, not just for prayers and platitudes, but also Practical and responsible security measures Which recognizes the world as it is and not as it was before.

This is not a call to fear. This is a call for clarity. Acknowledging the existence of evil is not paranoia; This is common sense. When evil strikes, it does not target difficult targets. It targets the most vulnerable groups – families sitting in the pews, children in Sunday school, and the faithful kneeling in prayer.

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Churches should be proactive watchdogs for their congregations, not passive observers of risk. This is greater than a psalm or a sermon. This is about the spirit of America.

Churchgoers run out of the sanctuary during an attack on CrossPointe Community Church in Wayne, Michigan, on Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Metro Detroit Crime News)

Just as schools train for modern threats, churches must implement multi-layered security measures, create trained safety teams, coordinate with law enforcement, and practice emergency response. Security should be as intentional as a sermon and as disciplined as a chorus. Preparation is supervision.

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

This is the moment when we must wake up, think clearly, and act boldly. Not just to protect churches, but to protect the idea that Americans can worship openly without fear. This idea is not optional. It’s basic.

Irene Merceno is Vice President, Chief Justice and Appellate Advocate for Defenders of Faith and Liberty.