Jan 16, 2021

Church issues national alert for alleged 'threat of attacks'

Posted Jan 16, 2021 7:06 PM

CLEVELAND —The United Church of Christ with churches located nationwide including many across Kansas and Missouri issued an alert Saturday.

The church wrote on their web site, "you may have seen our post urging caution to churches within the United Church of Christ. We are advising our congregations to be extra vigilant this week, to avoid gathering in their buildings after credible threats against government buildings and liberal institutions were received by a couple of Conference Ministers and one of our ecumenical partners."

"Mainline churches are among the entities that have been identified by law enforcement as potential targets."

"Erring on the side of caution and noting the previous attacks on our churches in the West and, in recent weeks, against like-minded churches in D.C., we decided to ask our congregations to be extra vigilant going into inauguration week."

"We do not want to cause undue alarm, but if the threats prove credible, this would be difficult to reconcile."

"Let us hold ourselves and our churches in prayer."

In addition to the United Church of Christ, Governors in some states have called out the National Guard, declared states of emergency and closed their capitol buildings over concerns about potentially violent demonstrations.