As the countdown to a new year approaches, many American Christians are looking back at 2025 with a mixed sense of grief, loss, and perseverance. Christian institutions across America became the targets of arson and violence throughout the year, stirring both fear and solidarity in many believers.

In Lexington, Kentucky, a gunman opened fire on the Richmond Road Baptist Church, killing two female congregants, before being fatally shot by law enforcement. Jerry Gumm, pastor of the church, was also shot but survived the attack.

Gumm stepped back into the pulpit on Sunday, preaching his first sermon since the incident.

On Aug. 27, a shooter fatally shot two children, ages 8 and 10, and wounded 21 others at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The devastated community of believers has tried to cling to their faith and persevere through God’s grace.

Fr. Dennis Zehren, a priest in the church, explained to the National Catholic Reporter in December what he told the children to bring them comfort.

“When I was in Spain, I noticed that the shepherd would hang bells around the sheep’s neck, so that if they would ever get lost, the shepherd would listen to them,” Zehren said. “So, I tried to assure the children that, however they feel lost, however they feel confused, however they feel afraid, that Jesus is listening to them, and all they have to do is call out to Him.”

In Wayne, Michigan, a gunman was thwarted from an attempted mass shooting at CrossPointe Community Church. According to the New York Times, “police said the gunman arrived at the church wearing camouflaged clothing and a tactical vest… [and] was armed with an AR-15-style rifle with more than a dozen fully loaded magazines, a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.” The shooter was fatally shot by church security before he could gain access to the church, which was filled with children attending Vacation Bible School.

In September, a 35-year-old woman attempted to start a fire at Beth El Bible Church in El Paso, Texas, when she left a burning bag near an outside wall of the church. Authorities in El Paso stated that “the investigation revealed the bag contained a paper plate with hateful language inscribed” on it. The fire was extinguished before causing damage by a pastor who noticed the flames and acted quickly.

In Portland, Oregon, a man set the doors of Sacred Heart Catholic Church on fire using a blowtorch. According to Portland Fire and Rescue, the church doors were more than a century old, dating to the 1890s, and will cost thousands of dollars in repairs.

St. Teresa of Calcutta Church in Mahanoy City, Pennsylvania, was attacked on May 6 when a perpetrator lit a quarter stick of dynamite on an altar. The chapel sustained roughly $15,000 in damages, including the loss of rare stained-glass windows.

Despite the violence and attacks endured by Christians this past year, a study from Barna suggests that Christianity is experiencing a resurgence in America.

As of 2025, the study showed that 66% of American adults claim Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. That’s up 12 points from 2021 and 2022, when that number was 54%, which was the lowest it had been in more than 30 years.

David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna, stated that there is a clear revival happening in Christianity.

“Undeniably, there is renewed interest in Jesus,” Kinnaman stated. “This is the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade, pointing to spiritual renewal. And it’s the first time Barna has recorded such spiritual interest being led by younger generations.”

by Lynn Arias

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