Hostility against churches a 'growing trend,' as study finds hundreds of attacks on U.S. churches in 2024

Hostility toward churches across the U.S. remains alarmingly high, according to a new study from a Christian organization that has tracked such incidents since 2018.

In its annual "Hostility Against Churches" report released Monday, the Family Research Council documented at least 415 hostile acts targeting 383 churches across 43 states in 2024.

While that figure reflects a decline from the 485 incidents tracked in 2023, it is still more than double the number of attacks reported in 2022, and nearly equal to the 420 total incidents the group discovered in its first report, which spanned a 57-month period.

The report relied on publicly available data and found a cumulative total of 1,384 acts of hostility against churches from January 2018 through December 2024. The group acknowledged that this figure is likely higher due to cases unreported to law enforcement or by the media.

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Vandalism was the leading offense against churches (284), followed by arson (55), gun-related incidents (28), bomb threats (14), and other incidents of assault, threats or disruptions (47). On average, there were 35 attacks against U.S. churches each month in 2024.

The report highlighted several instances where churches were targeted by repeated vandalism or acts of arson that caused devastating financial losses. In southern Ohio, four churches in two adjacent counties were targeted by arson and completely destroyed.

Gun-related incidents were the only category to see a notable increase in 2024, more than doubling compared to the prior year. Pro-abortion-motivated incidents fell from 59 in 2022 — when some churches faced attacks due to the U.S. Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade — to just two in 2024. 

Anti-LGBTQ-related acts also declined but remained relatively high at 33 cases, most commonly involving the theft of Pride flags.

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The report's authors clarified that anti-Christian hostility wasn't always the motivating factor behind violence. But the report suggested that declining church attendance and cultural shifts away from Christianity may be contributing to an environment where attacks on churches are more tolerated.

U.S. church attendance fell from 42% to 30% over the past two decades, according to Gallup. Additionally, about 80 percent of adults in the U.S. think religion is losing its influence on American life.

"With Christianity seemingly losing influence and respect in American life and fewer people feeling emotionally or spiritually connected to churches, there may be less societal pressure to discourage would-be criminals from targeting churches," the FRC report said.

In February, President Donald Trump issued an executive order titled "Eradicating Anti-Christian Bias" that created a task force to investigate and halt discrimination against Christians by the federal government. 

"The existence of such an order shows that even the federal government has taken notice of the growing trend of hostility against U.S. churches," the FRC report said.

The Trump administration's Office of Personnel Management also sent a memo to federal agencies in July enforcing religious protections for federal workers in the workplace.

Family Research Council President Tony Perkins, who served as chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom during President Trump’s first term, said in a statement to Fox News Digital:

"Religious freedom is seldom handed to the passive; it is claimed by those who exercise it even when a hostile culture says they may not. This report clearly shows religious freedom faces substantial threats here at home. The American woke Left has been intentional in spreading its hostility toward the Christian faith throughout every corner of America. 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. Christians must expect and demand more from their government leaders when it comes to prosecuting and preventing criminal acts targeting religious freedom." 

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