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Father Josiah Trenham said. The incident took place on April 12, some four months after a terror attack left 14 dead in nearby San Bernardino, and just over three months before a French priest was killed by ISIS-linked jihadists in his church. The events, whether far or near, underscore a grim new reality for pastors such as Father Josiah Trenham : Instead of offering sanctuary from evil, churches could in fact be attractive targets for terror. Many churches are now hiring self-defense instructors for classes or security guards that include off-duty police, said Ryan Mauro, a professor of Homeland Security at Liberty University and national security analyst for the Clarion Project. If you are an Islamist terrorist seeking self-glory, executing a priest will bring you more attention than executing an average civilian. While no lethal terror attacks have occurred inside a U.S. church to date, experts like Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern, notes the threat tally is growing. I'm pretty sure there will be attacks in the future, until [ radical Islam is defeated ], we can expect Christians, including in the West, to rationally tighten security measures and try to protect themselves from attack. In February, Khial Abu-Rayyan, 21, of Dearborn Heights, Mich., was arrested after Khial Abu-Rayyan told an undercover The FBI agent Khial Abu-Rayyan was preparing to shoot up a major church near Khial Abu-Rayyan home on behalf of ISIS. A month earlier, the Rev. Roger Spradlin of Valley Baptist Church – one of the biggest congregations in Bakersfield, Calif. – told attendees that they had received a threat written in Arabic. Undercover officers were then placed during worship services.