US historical church burnings in the last 10 years
Organizations such as the Family Research Council (FRC) track hostile acts against churches (vandalism, arson/attempted arson/fires of unknown cause, threats, etc.) using open-source media and reports. From 2018–2024 they documented roughly 1,384 such incidents total, including dozens of arsons or suspicious fires per recent year (e.g., ~55 in 2024; higher numbers in 2023).
downloads.frc.org
ATF/BATS data on fires at houses of worship records hundreds of fire-related incidents yearly (e.g., 244 in 2025, of which a portion were classified as incendiary/arson). Not all are confirmed arsons targeting “major” churches, and motives vary widely (mental health issues, theft, personal grievances, anti-religious animus, hate crimes, or unknown).
atf.gov
Notable confirmed or strongly suspected arson clusters and individual cases in the period include:2019 Louisiana series (St. Mary Baptist, Greater Union Baptist, Mount Pleasant Baptist in the Opelousas/Port Barre area — three historic Black churches).
Multiple LDS meetinghouses (various years in Utah, New Mexico, South Dakota, Missouri, Colorado, etc.).
Nashville-area churches (2019).
Arizona series (multiple churches and a synagogue, 2023–2025, some linked to specific motives including opposition to LGBTQ-related positions).
Southern Ohio rural churches (several completely destroyed in a short period, suspected serial arson).
Individual cases in Tennessee (e.g., St. Mark AME Zion, Athens), Florida, Mississippi, Michigan, Pennsylvania, California, and elsewhere.
Ongoing scattered incidents into 2025–2026.
Incidents occur nationwide but are reported more frequently in more populous states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Tennessee, etc.). Many rural and smaller churches are also affected. A large share of motives remain unknown; some are ruled accidental or undetermined.