Christians were attacked in their places of worship on Sunday in two assaults thousands of miles apart in Michigan and in Damascus, Syria. Experts say the attacks are reminders that Christian churches continue to be prime targets for terrorism both domestically and across the globe, and that churches should take appropriate security measures to protect themselves.
On Sunday morning in Wayne, Michigan, a 31-year-old white male dressed in tactical gear and carrying a “long gun and handgun” attempted to enter CrossPointe Community Church during services, but was thwarted by parishioners, one of whom struck the gunman with his vehicle amid gunfire.
At the same time, almost 6,000 miles away, a far more serious attack on Christians occurred on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria. As worshippers prayed inside a church, a suicide bomber shot his way inside before detonating himself, killing at least 25 and injuring an estimated 63 others. Although no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, Syrian authorities say the terrorist was affiliated with the Islamic State group (also known as ISIS).
The two attacks are the latest in a rising pattern of violence occurring against Christian churches both domestically and internationally. A 2024 report from Family Research Council found that 915 acts of hostility occurred against churches in the U.S. over the past six years, including “vandalism, arson, gun-related incidents, bomb threats, and more.” The report further found that the 436 incidents that occurred in 2023 represented an eight-fold increase when compared to the number of incidents that occurred in 2018. Globally, Open Doors reported earlier this year that numerous countries have seen “an increase in anti-Christian violence.” According to the organization, approximately 365 million Christians are currently subject to “high levels of persecution and discrimination,” compared to 340 million in 2021.
“It’s jarring to see violence against churches full of believers mirrored in the United States and Syria on the same weekend,” Arielle Del Turco, director of FRC’s Center for Religious Liberty, told The Washington Stand. “These acts are intended not only to end the lives of the Christians who gathered in those churches, but to terrorize and intimidate Christians far beyond the walls of those churches in Michigan or Damascus. We can pray for peace and safety for Christians around the world going to worship the Lord in community.”
She continued, “At a political level, the Trump administration should speak up on behalf of persecuted Christians at home and abroad, and work to ensure the nominee for the U.S. Ambassador at Large for International Religious Freedom is confirmed by the Senate quickly and can bolster the administration’s work to promote religious freedom around the globe.”
As to what churches in America can do to better protect themselves against violent attacks, security experts like former FBI senior director Wiley Thompson say that every church should find “a good leader with a good heart for service, who can recruit, organize, train, and deploy volunteers” in order to protect congregations from physical harm.
