Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 27 May 2025

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. 

What 841 Church Attacks Reveal About Security Priorities in 2024

Christian Warrior Training has done an analysis of our Attacks on Houses of Worship 2024 Data (view key findings here) which documented 841 attacks on houses of worship across the United States, marking an 18% decrease from the previous year. Despite this decline, the nature of these threats has evolved rather than diminished. Protestant churches were the most frequently targeted, accounting for 49% of incidents, followed by Jewish synagogues (21%), Catholic churches (16%), and mosques (7%). Notably, Jewish, Catholic, and Muslim institutions experienced attacks at rates disproportionate to their representation among U.S. houses of worship.

Most of these incidents 80% were property crimes, including vandalism (28%), theft (18%), and arson (9%). The remaining 20% involved crimes against individuals, such as assaults and threats, which often occur without warning and pose significant danger. This data underscores the necessity for church security teams to monitor both internal and external areas vigilantly.

The findings affirm that property crimes, rather than active shooter scenarios, constitute the most prevalent threats to religious institutions. Consequently, prioritizing basic security measures such as surveillance systems, secure access points, and trained personnel is essential for safeguarding congregations. 

Analyst Comments: While the overall number of attacks has decreased, the disproportionate targeting of minority faith groups raises concerns about hate-motivated incidents. Security leaders are encouraged to prioritize prevention and situational awareness, especially for vulnerable communities. FB-ISAO plans to publish a comprehensive report in late summer or early fall of 2025. We urge members to continue reporting suspicious activity to local authorities, as well as sharing them with the community in our FB-ISAO Slack Workspace. The more complete data we have regarding attacks against houses of worship will allow us to continue to develop the most updated threat picture. If you are not a member of FB-ISAO, and are interested in access the report, you can learn more here.

Christians prayer rally attacked by mob of woke trans activist in violent clash

On May 24 a Christian prayer rally organized by Mayday USA in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood was violently disrupted by approximately 500 counter-protesters. The rally, part of the “#Dontmesswithourkids” tour, focused on promoting biblical values such as the sanctity of life and traditional family structures. However, it was met with opposition from groups accusing the organizers of promoting anti-LGBTQ sentiments. The confrontation escalated into clashes involving thrown objects and pepper spray, leading to 23 arrests over a five-hour period.

Related Articles:

• Pastor calls for Seattle mayor’s apology after Christians attacked at ‘don’t mess with out kids’ event
• Christians Attacked at Seattle Prayer Rally

Analyst Comments: The Seattle incident underscores the rising volatility surrounding faith-based public events, particularly those intersecting with contentious cultural and political issues. While free speech and religious expression are constitutionally protected, the rally’s location and message led to significant backlash and confrontation, highlighting the challenges of exercising these rights in polarized environments. The infiltration by extremist actors further complicated the situation and intensified the violence, raising concerns about public safety and event planning.

Faith-based organizations are encouraged to implement proactive measures to protect themselves, especially when hosting public events. This includes conducting thorough risk assessments, coordinating with local law enforcement, using trained security personnel, and engaging with situational awareness tools like threat intelligence networks. Additionally, having a clear crisis communication plan and ensuring de-escalation strategies are in place can help safeguard participants and uphold the organization’s mission even under pressure. FB-ISAO resource page has resources on informing preparedness activities.

The Gate 15 Interview EP 58 – Cathy Lanier: Leading NFL Security with Attitude, Effort, Crabs and Beer

The Gate 15 Interview is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s Founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.

On this Gate 15 Interview guest Cathy Lainer Senior Vice President and Chief of Security at the National Football League and Andy discuss:

• Cathy’s Background
• The 2013 Washington Navy Yard Shooting and Hostile Events
• The importance of exercises, challenging our assumptions, and after-action reports
• Her two biggest lessons learned
• The ever-growing mission of securing the NFL
• Cybersecurity, socio-political divisiveness and radicalization
• Getting leadership buy-in
• Private-public partnership
• The Human Factor: Getting immersed and getting intelligence
• Having empathy and understanding the other side
• Dealing with adversity
• We play 3 Questions!

Information on other Gate 15 podcasts can be found at Podcast.