Over 400 acts of hostility against US churches in 2024; gun-related incidents more than doubled: report.
More than 400 acts of hostility were recorded against churches in the United States in 2024, with a sharp rise in gun-related incidents, according to a new report released by the Family Research Council.
The incidents highlighted in the group's "Hostility against Churches in the United States" report released Monday morning ranged from vandalism and arson to gun-related threats, bomb hoaxes and physical assaults.
The Washington-based conservative Christian advocacy organization documented 415 hostile acts across 43 states, affecting 383 churches, based on open-source documents, media reports and official records.
The total was slightly lower than the 485 incidents identified in 2023 but remained well above the yearly totals from 2018 through 2022. Since January 2018, the organization has tracked 1,384 incidents.
"Although the motivations for many of these incidents remain unknown, the rise in crimes against churches is taking place in a context in which fewer Americans are attending religious services or identifying with a specific faith," the report notes.
According to Gallup data, less than a third of the U.S. population regularly attends church services, and researchers say "fewer Americans share a common understanding of what church buildings represent."
"It is important to note that not all crimes against churches are motivated by hatred for Christianity. Some vandals appear to be motivated by financial gain through theft, while other culprits are teenagers engaging in a destructive pastime," the report states.
"However, there are still incidents that seem to be targeting church intentionally and with malicious intent. Regardless of the perpetrator's motives, such crimes can leave churches in physical, financial, and emotional disarray. Some churches struggle to cover the costs of repairs and fear future offenses."
Gun-related incidents jumped from 12 in 2023 to 28 in 2024.
In one case near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a man entered Jesus' Dwelling Place Church during a sermon and pointed a gun at the pastor before being tackled by a deacon.
In Georgia, an armed man disrupted services at three churches, filming his actions and encouraging others to join him.
In San Francisco, California, a man fired several shots at St. Augustine Catholic Church's main doors while people were inside. In Houston, Texas, a woman wielding a long gun at Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church injured two people before being shot and killed by police.
Vandalism was the most frequent offense, accounting for 284 cases. Churches reported smashed windows, destroyed statues, defaced property and theft of valuable materials such as copper wiring and air conditioning units.
In Portland, Oregon, Bethel Baptist Church, with about 25 congregants, has suffered repeated vandalism, including rocks thrown through windows and a recent attack that left the building covered in fire extinguisher chemicals. CP.
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