SAR Roundup — Catch-Up Edition, June 1 to July 10, 2026
Reader-submitted suspicious activity at U.S. churches, anonymized for publication. If something here matches activity you've seen in your area, submit your own report at alert.christianwarriortraining
This edition: 9 reports across 9 states. Four of the nine involve surveillance or probing behavior, from a disguised cameraman to a vehicle circling two churches in one morning.
Alaska
Anchorage — Three Crisis Walk-Ups in One Week A safety team member at a church in Anchorage reported three separate incidents in a single week, all outside service hours. A stabbing victim walked to the church office doors, which double as the preschool entrance, and was transported by fire and police with non-life-threatening injuries. Days later, a man with an outstanding warrant called police dispatch asking to surrender at the church, and a man in an apparent mental health crisis came to the doors looking for a pastor and required EMS and a mobile crisis unit.
🛡️ Takeaway: Hurt people find churches even when the lights are off, so your after-hours plan and office-door protocol matter as much as your Sunday posture.
CWT case 20260709-1F36D6FE
Arizona
Northern Arizona — Vehicle Circling Two Churches in One Morning On Sunday, June 28, a safety team member at a church in rural northern Arizona responded to a report of a black Lincoln Navigator circling the building. The vehicle left when he responded, was later found parked along the highway moving back and forth in the same stretch for about ten minutes, and drove off when he tried to position for a photo. It then circled a second church nearby and parked south of that building for five minutes before leaving. A husky, possibly Siberian, was reported in the back. The county sheriff was notified.
🛡️ Takeaway: One vehicle working two churches in the same morning is area target assessment, not curiosity, so share vehicle descriptions with neighboring congregations the same day.
CWT case 20260702-FE564C3B
California
Central Coast — Mid-Service Entry, Scanning During Prayer On Sunday, June 21, the safety team at a Christian fellowship on the California Central Coast tracked a man who entered halfway through worship, stood in the aisle in front of the cross, did not sing, and kept his eyes open scanning the congregation during prayer. Subject is a white male with a Mediterranean complexion, about 6’4”, 250 lbs, goatee, dressed all in black with a barbed-wire tattoo on the right bicep. When a greeter engaged him on the patio he stated “the muslims got it right, not the Christians,” then left through the parking lot in a zig-zag pattern, looking into cars. A second unknown man, also dressed all in black, was later reported sitting in the overflow room during the same service.
🛡️ Takeaway: Scanning during prayer is one of the most reliable behavioral tells there is, because everyone else’s eyes are closed and the subject knows it.
CWT case 20260627-726FB1FB
Idaho
Boise Area — Repeated Trips Past the Children’s Wing On Sunday, June 28, greeters and security at a church in the Boise area flagged a first-time visitor who sat near the door, avoided eye contact and conversation, and made six to seven trips to the restroom and water fountain during service. The restrooms sit adjacent to the Sunday school area, and on one pass by the kids check-in he turned and entered the restroom when a security member approached. He gave only a first name, appeared to be quietly arguing with himself, declined prayer, and left quickly. White male, mid-30s, 5’7” to 5’8”, stocky, baggy clothes.
🛡️ Takeaway: Count the trips; movement that repeatedly routes past your children’s area is a coverage problem whether the driver is reconnaissance or crisis.
CWT case 20260630-3CD30BDF
Michigan
South-Central Michigan — Two Visitors, One Script A safety team member at a community church in south-central Michigan reported two first-time visitors, one on Sunday, June 7 and one on Sunday, July 5, with strikingly similar behavior: heavy scripture quoting, strong theological opinions that read like bait for argument, a big production of donating, and near-identical buzzwords, including emphasis on the words “community church.” One arrived over an hour early and left minutes before service began, and neither showed any interest in connection cards. Both were friendly and non-threatening, but the team flagged the seemingly coached dialogue as a possible connection or online network.
🛡️ Takeaway: When two strangers a month apart deliver the same script, start a file, compare notes with nearby churches, and photograph the third one.
CWT case 20260705-FBF86520
Montana
Billings Area — Protesters at a Political Faith Event On Friday, June 26, a Baptist church in the Billings area hosted a nationally affiliated political faith event that drew protesters to the parking lot. The security team managed the event with local police engaged, and there was no disruption or ongoing threat.
🛡️ Takeaway: The moment your building hosts a politically branded event, you inherit that brand’s threat profile for the night, so plan staffing and LE liaison accordingly.
CWT case 20260630-8123E7E2
North Carolina
Coastal Southeastern North Carolina — The Backpack Announcement On Sunday, June 21, a man on foot approached the parking team at a church on the southeastern North Carolina coast, held up his backpack, and repeatedly announced “I have a backpack.” The safety lead checked the bag with the subject’s consent, found it clear, and walked him to an usher inside, where he stood the entire visit, declined a seat, and left through the sanctuary door within twenty minutes, breaking into a run at the corner. He wore a heavy sweat jacket in 90-degree, high-humidity weather and kept his head down arriving and leaving. The church reports several backpack-related incidents over the past six weeks with an increasing trend.
🛡️ Takeaway: Loudly announcing the bag may be a probe of your screening response, so log it, pull the camera stills, and treat a repeat visit as confirmation.
CWT case 20260621-E2A40EC6
Texas
East Texas — Phishing for the Church Directory On Monday, June 29, the pastor’s wife at a congregation in east Texas received an email asking her to send a PDF of the church directory to an unrecognized address. The message used a real elder’s correct name and claimed he had misplaced his copy, but the signature style was wrong, and the elder confirmed he never sent it. The team assessed it as a phishing attempt to harvest congregation contact information and does not yet know whether other staff were targeted.
🛡️ Takeaway: Your directory is a targeting package; establish a rule now that it is never emailed based on an email request alone, no matter whose name is on it.
CWT case 20260705-F83992EE
Washington
Portland-Vancouver Metro — Four Hours on Camera, in Disguise On Saturday, May 30, a Messianic congregation in the Portland-Vancouver metro area watched a man in a long-sleeved shirt, hat, sunglasses, and face mask record their front door for roughly four hours with a high-end DSLR from a public lot across the street. His only words, when approached, were to ask whether the person was “the rabbi,” after which he stopped communicating entirely. When he finally left, team members followed and watched him remove the shirt, hat, and mask several blocks away before driving off. White male, approximately 50s with gray side hair, trim build, about 5’10”, in a white 2016 Subaru Outback. The plate was captured and provided to the county sheriff.
🛡️ Takeaway: Disguise plus a long-dwell camera on your entrance is pre-attack surveillance until proven otherwise, and asking for “the rabbi” tells you the targeting is specific.
CWT case 20260603-D3EB6D04
Patterns This Edition
Surveillance dominated this window: a disguised cameraman dwelling four hours on a Messianic congregation’s door in Washington, a vehicle circling two Arizona churches in one morning, and a probable screening probe on the North Carolina coast. A separate bulletin-documented incident at a Jewish congregation in Washington, DC during the same window involved a purpose-built recording rig and refusal to identify, consistent with the same reconnaissance pattern against Jewish and Messianic targets. If your congregation is Jewish, Messianic, or visibly high-profile, brief your door team on long-dwell cameras and repeat vehicles now.
How to Submit
If you observed suspicious activity at your church this week, report it at alert.christianwarriortraining.com. Reports are reviewed by CWT, logged, and where appropriate, anonymized and published here so other safety teams can pattern-match in their own areas.
— CWT