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.