The Craig Bushon Show Media Team
Across the United States, congregations are under assault—places once considered safe for worship, fellowship, and learning are now targets. These aren’t random tragedies. They’re part of a pattern that demands our attention.
The Latest Attack in Michigan
On September 28 in Grand Blanc, Michigan, a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregation was attacked in a horrifying way. A 40-year-old man rammed a car into the church, stormed inside with firearms, opened fire on worshippers, and then set the building ablaze. Police intervened and killed the attacker. As of this morning, four people are confirmed dead and eight others wounded.
Minneapolis: Children Among the Victims
Just weeks earlier in Minneapolis, Annunciation Catholic Church—during an all-school Mass—was shot at by a 23-year-old. He carried three different guns, barricaded exits, and wounded over twenty people. Two children were killed before the shooter ended his own life.
Nashville: The Covenant School
In March of 2023, tragedy struck in Nashville’s Green Hills neighborhood at The Covenant School, a Christian elementary school tied to a Presbyterian church. A former student, identified by police as Audrey Hale, carried out a premeditated attack with multiple firearms.
Hale shot through locked doors to gain entry and moved deliberately through the school. By the time police engaged and stopped the attacker, six innocent lives were gone—three children, all just nine years old, and three adults who worked at the school.
Police later confirmed Hale had drawn maps of the school, written a manifesto, and planned the attack carefully. The Covenant massacre revealed the devastating truth: faith-based schools are as vulnerable as congregations themselves.
Houston: Lakewood Church
The year before, in February 2024, Lakewood Church in Houston—one of the largest and most famous congregations in the nation—was attacked. A woman entered with a rifle, opened fire, and wounded worshippers before police killed her.
The Pattern is Clear
From Charleston in 2015, where nine African American believers were murdered during Bible study, to Sutherland Springs in 2017, where twenty-six were killed in a small Baptist church, to Pittsburgh in 2018, where eleven were killed at a synagogue—the trend is undeniable. America’s faith communities are being deliberately targeted.
The addition of Covenant School to this list shows the threat goes beyond Sunday services. It reaches into schools, Christian education, and the very heart of faith-based communities.
Craig Bushon’s Warning
This didn’t catch Craig Bushon by surprise. Over a decade ago, on his show, he issued a warning that many dismissed at the time: the day may come when law-abiding believers would need to carry their firearms to church to protect their families and their congregations.
At the time, to many critics called it alarmist. But look where we are today. Congregations across America are under fire—literally. Bushon’s warning wasn’t about stirring panic; it was about urging responsibility. He wasn’t calling for chaos in the pews, but for preparedness.
Craig’s message back then was clear: prepare now, because once it starts, it’s already too late. He was also telling Americans, be ready before the headlines force you to wake up. That message, ignored by some back then, now sounds like common sense.
A Rising Tide of Attacks
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has recorded nearly 400 attacks on Catholic churches alone since 2020—ranging from vandalism and arson to full-scale shootings. And those are just Catholic churches. When you include Protestant congregations, synagogues, and mosques, the number climbs far higher.
What this tells us is simple: America’s congregations are under siege.
Common Threads
When we look at these tragedies side by side, the commonalities jump off the page:
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Churches and Christian schools are soft targets. They are designed to welcome, not repel. That openness makes them easy prey.
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Attackers come prepared. They bring multiple weapons, block exits, set fires. These aren’t impulsive acts—they’re planned assaults.
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Warning signs are ignored. Digital rants, unstable behavior, angry writings—too often the signs were visible.
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The goal is fear. Beyond the bloodshed, the real aim is to make Americans too afraid to gather or send their children to faith-based schools.
Historical Perspective
History reminds us that when societies grow divided, places of worship are among the first to be attacked.
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In Nazi Germany, synagogues were burned on Kristallnacht.
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In the Civil Rights era, Black churches were bombed to intimidate entire communities.
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Under ISIS, Christian villages were wiped out, churches burned to the ground, believers slaughtered.
The lesson is clear: when hate grows unchecked, faith becomes a target. And America is not immune.
What Needs to Change
So what do we do about it? The solutions are not complicated, but they require courage and responsibility.
1. Churches and Christian schools must prepare.
Every congregation and faith-based school—big or small—needs a security plan. Train ushers, greeters, and teachers to recognize threats. Limit entry points. Build safety teams. Large institutions should consider professional security. Smaller ones can rely on trained volunteers.
2. Communities must stay alert.
Most of the time, someone sees the warning signs. Friends. Neighbors. Family. If a person is unraveling, posting violent threats, or talking about targeting a church or school—don’t ignore it. Speak up. Report it. Step in. Silence costs lives.
3. Faith communities must unite.
Too often churches and schools operate in isolation. That has to end. Congregations and Christian schools should coordinate with each other and with local law enforcement. Training and information-sharing save lives. Evil thrives in division. It shrinks in unity.
4. Embrace personal responsibility.
Patriots know freedom requires vigilance. Better locks, cameras, and lights can help, but the most effective defense is a prepared, responsible community. Don’t wait for Washington to solve this. Protect your people.
The attackers’ mission isn’t just murder. It’s intimidation. They want to make families hesitate before heading to church or sending their kids to a Christian school. They want to silence worship through fear.
If America lets fear dictate worship, or keeps children out of faith-based schools out of fear, the attackers win without firing another shot.
A Call for Patriots
“This goes beyond politics—it’s about whether families can live free and worship without fear.” The Founders pledged their lives and fortunes so we could live free. The least we can do is stand watch over our congregations, our schools, our families, and our faith.
Craig Bushon saw this moment coming ten years ago. His warning wasn’t paranoia—it was foresight. And today, his words ring louder than ever: protect your families, protect your congregations, protect your schools, and be ready to stand when evil comes.
Faith should not be a death sentence. Worship should not come with fear. And America must never accept attacks on congregations and Christian schools as the new normal.
At The Craig Bushon Show, we’ll keep sounding the alarm. Because defending the right to worship freely is part of defending America itself.
This report is based on information available from law enforcement statements, news coverage, and public records as of the date of publication. Details surrounding these incidents, including motives and casualty counts, are subject to updates as investigations continue. The Craig Bushon Show Media Team presents this commentary for educational and informational purposes, reflecting both reported facts and analysis.
