Churches Under Siege: Christian Worshipers Targeted At Home And Abroad

Christian churches are under fire--literally and figuratively--as violent attacks continue to escalate both in the United States and around the world. This past Sunday, two separate acts of targeted aggression--one in Michigan and another in Syria--sent a clear and chilling message: houses of worship are no longer sacred in the eyes of those bent on terror.

In Wayne, Michigan, a heavily armed man dressed in tactical gear stormed CrossPointe Community Church during its Sunday service. The 31-year-old, wielding both a long gun and a handgun, was reportedly prepared to open fire on the congregation. Thanks only to the quick thinking of a courageous parishioner--who rammed the would-be shooter with his vehicle--the bloodbath was averted. But the message was unmistakable: the war on Christianity is no longer just something that happens overseas.

That same day, over 5,000 miles away, a Syrian church on the outskirts of Damascus wasn't as fortunate. A suicide bomber affiliated with ISIS blasted his way into a prayer service and detonated himself inside the sanctuary, killing 25 believers and injuring 63 more in one of the most gruesome attacks on Christians in the region in recent memory. Syrian officials confirmed the attacker had ties to jihadist networks that have repeatedly declared their intent to annihilate Christian communities.

These back-to-back attacks--strategically timed, spiritually symbolic--are not isolated incidents. They are part of a sweeping wave of hatred toward Christianity that is intensifying in both frequency and ferocity.

Just weeks earlier, St. John's Episcopal Church in Washington, D.C., was vandalized in a vicious act of religious desecration. Sacred symbols were defaced, windows smashed, and the sanctuary left in disarray. Authorities believe the attack was religiously motivated--part of an alarming trend of hostility that's gone largely ignored by major media and many political leaders.

Internationally, Christians in Manipur, India are facing what can only be described as a coordinated campaign of ethnic cleansing. On June 2, masked gunmen torched a Christian prayer hall and sprayed bullets into the fleeing congregation, killing two and injuring more than a dozen. Over 150 churches have been targeted in the region this year alone, as radical elements seek to erase Christianity from the state's cultural landscape.

The data confirms what Christians already know in their bones. According to a 2024 report by the Family Research Council, 915 acts of hostility were committed against U.S. churches between 2018 and 2023. The number nearly doubled in just one year, with 436 violent or destructive incidents in 2023 alone--an eight-fold increase since 2018. Open Doors' global report paints an even grimmer picture: 365 million Christians are now experiencing high levels of persecution and discrimination worldwide, a staggering climb from 340 million in 2021.

"This is more than just random violence--it's a deliberate effort to intimidate and terrorize Christians into silence," said Arielle Del Turco, director of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council. "When you see churches attacked in America and Syria in the same weekend, you realize this isn't coincidental. It's coordinated. And it's spiritual."

Del Turco called on national leadership to take action. "The Trump administration must speak up boldly on behalf of persecuted Christians, both here and abroad. The position of U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom must be filled immediately so we can confront this global war on Christianity with the seriousness it deserves."

Security experts say the days of assuming churches are "off limits" are over. "Every church in America needs a security team--period," said Wiley Thompson, a former FBI senior director. "You need a trained, trusted leader to build a team of volunteers who can respond immediately and decisively. Hoping it won't happen to your church is not a strategy. Preparation is."