Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 21 January 2026

These updates are shared to help raise the situational awareness of Faith-Based organizations to best defend against and mitigate the impacts from all-hazards threats including physical security, cybersecurity, and natural disasters.

Christian leaders urge protecting worshippers’ rights after protesters disrupt services

After anti-immigration enforcement protesters disrupted a Sunday worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul by entering the sanctuary, loudly chanting, and confronting attendees, several Christian leaders issued public statements urging that the rights of worshippers to worship without interruption be protected while also emphasizing compassion for migrants. Faith leaders described the disruption, which forced the service to end prematurely, as an unwelcome intrusion on a sacred space and called for respect for the sanctity of houses of worship; some also highlighted the need for pastoral care for migrant families affected by enforcement actions. The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the incident as potential interference with religious freedom under federal law.

Analyst Comments: Worship services are intended to be conducted without disruption; interruptions due to outside activity can undermine safety, continuity, and congregants’ sense of security. The incident reinforces the importance of protecting the rights of worshippers to gather and practice their faith without interference, regardless of broader social or policy debates connected to the protest itself. The Department of Justice’s involvement signals that authorities are evaluating whether the disruption crossed legal thresholds related to interference with religious freedom, which may shape how similar incidents are addressed going forward.

The key takeaway for security professionals is the increasing likelihood that worship services themselves may be interrupted by protests rather than activity remaining outside church property, with an additional consideration that churches whose clergy hold potentially controversial roles outside the congregation (such as the pastor holding a position at ICE that was the target of this protest) may face an elevated risk of protest-related disruptions and should plan accordingly.

Forecasters warn of a ‘potentially catastrophic’ storm from Texas to the Carolinas

Forecasters are warning that a significant winter storm is expected to develop later this week and into the weekend, potentially bringing heavy snow, sleet, and damaging ice accumulations across a wide swath of the United States, from Texas through the Carolinas and into the Southeast. An arctic air mass descending from Canada is expected to clash with moisture drawn northward, creating conditions that could coat roads, trees, and power lines with ice and cause widespread travel hazards, power outages, and dangerous driving conditions, especially in the South where equipment and preparation for winter weather are limited. The exact track and intensity of the storm remain uncertain, and forecasters have highlighted the risk of prolonged cold that could keep icy conditions in place even after precipitation ends.

Analyst Comments: From an impact and preparedness standpoint, this storm presents a heightened risk due to the combination of ice, snow, and prolonged cold across regions that are not accustomed to severe winter weather. Ice accumulation poses a particular threat to transportation and power infrastructure, as even modest icing can lead to hazardous road conditions, downed trees, and extended power outages. The uncertainty around the storm’s exact track means communities and organizations should prepare for a range of outcomes rather than a single forecast scenario, while the anticipated lingering cold increases the likelihood that hazardous conditions could persist beyond the initial storm period. For facilities, emergency planners, and service providers, this underscores the importance of contingency planning for staffing disruptions, delayed travel, backup power needs, and potential closures or schedule adjustments.

Resources:

• Winter Storm Safety: Learn how to stay safe during a blizzard and how to prevent or thaw frozen pipes
• Prepare! Don’t Let a Winter Storm Take You by Surprise
• Be Prepared for a Winter Storm
• Extreme Weather

Weekly Security Sprint EP 142. Winter blast, hacktivists, and a dose of cyber resilience

The Gate 15 Security Sprint is a weekly rundown of the week’s notable all-hazards security news, risks and threats and some of the key focus areas for organizations to consider behind the headlines. Gate 15 team members discuss physical security, cybersecurity, natural hazards, health threats and other issues across our environment.

In this week’s Weekly Security Spring Andy and Dave cover:

• Pro-Russia hacktivist activity
• Ransomware
• Domestic operations

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcasts (gate15.global).

Building an Intelligence Team for Your House of Worship

When: February 4, 2026, 12:00 PM ET. 

Register here.

The Mission and Purpose of an Intelligence Team and Program session will pose the questions:

• What is the local threat to my house of worship?
• Which threat actors/adversaries might support/plan/carry out a malicious operation in your area?

During this session we’ll discuss how broad context information (including global information) can help assess threats locally in our own houses of worship. Specifically, panelists will focus on helping houses of worship determine:

• What information they need.
• Where to find the information.
• How to process the information in a meaningful/useful/actionable way.