Faith-Based Daily Awareness Post 29 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.

Responding to First Amendment Auditors at Houses of Worship

The article “Responding to First Amendment Auditors at Houses of Worship” from Kearnan Consulting Group provides practical, legally grounded guidance for how faith communities such as churches, synagogues, mosques, temples, gurdwaras, and other centers of worship can respond calmly and lawfully when individuals conducting “First Amendment audits” record on their property. It explains that although auditors often cite constitutional protections to justify filming, houses of worship remain private property and therefore retain the right to regulate conduct including photography and video recording on their grounds. The piece outlines relevant legal principles, such as private property rights affirmed in Hudgens v. NLRB and the federal FACE Act’s protections against obstruction or interference with worship and distinguishes areas where constitutional recording rights apply from areas where they do not. It also offers structured communication guidance for staff and volunteers, recommended signage and scripts for trespass warnings, and best practices for documenting incidents and coordinating with local law enforcement, all with the aim of avoiding confrontation while protecting the congregation and its legal standing.

Analyst Comments: From a faith-based perspective, this guidance helps congregations uphold the dignity and sanctity of sacred space without inadvertently escalating conflicts that can disrupt worship or community life. Houses of worship often emphasize hospitality and openness, qualities that can make it challenging to enforce boundaries strictly; this article provides a framework that enables communities to do so respectfully and lawfully. The focus on calm, consistent communication rather than confrontation echoes many religious teachings about treating others with patience and respect while still safeguarding the congregation’s well-being and mission.

Moreover, by grounding responses in recognized legal standards, leaders are better equipped to protect both the physical and spiritual environment of their communities. In multi-faith and interfaith contexts, where diverse traditions gather under shared values of peace, justice, and mutual respect, knowing how to manage these interactions promotes a broader culture of understanding.

Police: Powder Springs man breaks into church bus and attempts arson

On January 20, 2026, police in Powder Springs, Georgia, arrested a man accused of breaking into a church’s bus belonging to Covenant Christian Ministries and attempting to set it on fire. Law enforcement says the suspect smashed a window of the bus and used an ignition source to start a fire, but firefighters and responding officers were able to stop the blaze before it caused extensive damage or spread to the church facility itself. The man was taken into custody and faces charges including criminal trespass, arson, and other related offenses. Authorities continue to investigate his motive and whether there were any underlying personal, ideological, or mental health factors contributing to the attack.

Analyst Comments: This incident highlights that faith-based organizations face risk beyond their primary buildings, with associated assets such as buses, vans, and other vehicles also vulnerable to vandalism, theft, or arson. Houses of worships’ (HOWs’) vehicles are often highly visible, regularly parked for long periods, and clearly marked, which make them easier targets than secured facilities. While the attempted arson did not spread to the HOW’s facilities, the event underscores how attacks on auxiliary property can still disrupt ministry operations, create fear within the congregation, and carry symbolic weight as an attack on the faith community.

From a preparedness standpoint, this case reinforces the importance of vehicle security as part of broader HOWs safety planning. Measures such as secure parking areas, adequate lighting, surveillance coverage, regular inspections, and clear reporting procedures can reduce opportunity and improve early detection. Faith-based institutions may also benefit from integrating vehicle security into their overall risk assessments and emergency planning, recognizing that threats to ministry operations can occur anywhere church activities take place, not just inside sanctuaries or offices.

Building an Intelligence Team for Your House of Worship

When: February 4, 2026, 12:00 PM ET. 

Register here.

This session is part of an FB-ISAO–led program, developed and delivered by our team to support faith-based organizations in building stronger threat awareness and intelligence capabilities.

The Mission and Purpose of an Intelligence Team and Program session will explore key questions such as:

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

During the session, FB-ISAO panelists will discuss how broader contextual information—including global developments—can be used to better assess and understand local risks facing houses of worship. The discussion will focus on helping faith-based organizations determine:

• What information they need,
• Where to find that information, and
• How to process it in a meaningful, useful, and actionable way.