According to a recent report by the Family Research Council, over 400 hostile acts against churches were documented in the United States in 2024, with a notable rise in incidents involving firearms.
The report, titled “Hostility against Churches in the United States” detailed various types of hostility, including vandalism, arson, gun threats, bomb hoaxes, and physical assaults.
The conservative Christian advocacy organization, based in Washington, documented a total of 415 hostile acts across 43 states, impacting 383 churches, based on open-source documents, media reports, and official records.
Arson and suspected arson incidents accounted for 55 cases. There were also 14 bomb threats, most of which turned out to be hoaxes. A category labeled “other” was used to describe 47 incidents involving physical assaults and disruptions that did not fit into other classifications.
Incidents related to pro-abortion sentiments decreased from 11 in 2023 to just two in 2024. Anti-LGBT incidents also declined from 42 in 2023 to 33 in 2024, often involving theft of pride flags from churches that supported LGBT causes.
Satanic-themed incidents saw a sharp drop from 12 in 2023 to only one in 2024.
The month of June experienced the highest number of incidents, with approximately 22% related to LGBT issues, while the lowest levels occurred between September and November. California recorded the highest number of incidents at 40, followed by Pennsylvania with 29, Florida and New York with 25 each, Texas with 23, and Tennessee and Ohio with 19 each.
Tony Perkins, president of the Family Research Council and former chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom during President Trump’s first term, stated that the report demonstrates "religious freedom faces substantial threats here at home."
"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," Perkins said.
"He emphasized, "Christians must expect and demand more from their government leaders when it comes to prosecuting and preventing criminal acts targeting religious freedom.”
