A West Virginia man has been arrested after authorities alleged that he intentionally set several fires inside a local church building.
The Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office announced Saturday that Kevin Goodson was taken into custody in connection with a fire-related incident at Open Door Church in Shady Spring.
Investigators charged Goodson with three counts of second-degree arson and one count of entry of a building other than a dwelling. Authorities said he is being held on a $250,000 bond.
The investigation began when Deputy J.R. Quesenberry responded to a report involving “to a possible burglary not in progress” at the church.
As the inquiry progressed, law enforcement officials identified Goodson as the suspect. Authorities allege that he unlawfully entered the church, started multiple fires throughout the building and left behind several handwritten notes.
According to investigators, Goodson later contacted police and admitted responsibility for the incident. He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.
The case comes amid ongoing concerns about crimes targeting churches across the United States.
A report released by the Family Research Council last August documented more than 400 acts of hostility directed at churches during 2024.
According to the report, 415 incidents involving 383 churches were recorded in 2024. While that figure represented a decline from the 485 incidents reported in 2023, it remained significantly higher than the totals documented between 2018 and 2022.
The FRC report noted that while “the motivations for many of these incidents remain unknown, the rise in crimes against churches is taking place in a context in which fewer Americans are attending religious services or identifying with a specific faith.”
