In many cases it was the opposite. Churches were often the tallest structures in French villages and their spires and towers dominated the landscape, providing clear views for kilometres. Because of this, they made excellent positions for artillery spotters to spot the fall of shells and as such were among the first targets for enemy gunners. Even had this not been the case, the indiscriminate nature of the artillery war on the Western Front meant churches would have fallen victim to the intense bombardments witnessed throughout Northern France.

You might like to look into the tale of the Leaning Virgin of Albert. The cathedral in Albert is topped with a golden statue of the Virgin Mary. Early in the war, the cathedral was damaged, causing the statue to lean precariously. It became an iconic image of the war and there was quite a bit of superstition surrounding it. The British believed that whoever toppled it would lose the war so they rigged it with cables to prevent it falling as a result of their own actions. The Germans believed that whoever toppled it would win the war so it became a high priority target of their shelling. Ironically, it was the British themselves who toppled it in 1918 when the Germans captured the city during Operation Michael. To prevent it’s use as an artillery spotting position, the British shelled the cathedral, toppling the statue. The war ended a few months later.