Christians Attacked during Sunday Worship in Michigan and Syria

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. Eventually, two church staff members fatally shot the individual. One staff member was shot in the leg during the incident.

So far, local police have not been able to determine a motive for the attack. “His motivations are unknown, but at this point it appears he was suffering from a mental health crisis,” Wayne Police Chief Ryan Strong stated.

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 Greek Orthodox 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).

Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, himself a former member of radical Islamist groups, called the attack “heinous” and vowed to bring justice to the perpetrators. The interior ministry reportedly arrested “a number of criminals involved in the attack” and seized explosive devices, saying that the operation was carried out against cells affiliated with ISIS. Al-Sharaa has vowed to bring stability to Syria after his rebel group ousted the regime of former President Bashar al-Assad last year. President Trump and Republican members of Congress have met with al-Sharaa, and Trump has expressed interest in normalizing relations with the new government.

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.

“When designing a security ministry, the altar, platform, or stage in the sanctuary represents the center point for imaginary strategic circles (or ‘layered security’),” he told TWS.

Thompson, a 25-year FBI veteran, further explained, “The first layer is the outermost ring surrounding the church property which can generally be staffed with parking lot greeters who observe and report anyone or anything that looks suspicious. The idea is to identify and engage a potential threat before it reaches the doors to the church building.”

He continued, “The second layer of security is the greeters and members of the welcome team who are trained to conduct behavioral profiling and communicate to the security team anyone or anything out of the ordinary. The third layer is the ushers, deacons, pastoral staff, etc., inside the sanctuary, who have the same responsibilities as those in the second layer.”

“The final layer is the posting of two security team members on the stage facing the congregation and one on the front row, with direct line of sight and path to the pastor or priest at the pulpit,” Thompson detailed. “The two are responsible for detecting and deterring any threat moving toward the pulpit during the service, while the gatekeeper in the front row has the primary duty of protecting the speaker by moving forward and leading the principal off the stage to a safe room, if necessary.”

AUTHOR

Dan Hart

Dan Hart is senior editor at The Washington Stand.

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EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2025 Family Research Council.

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