When starting to talk about church safety, I sometimes get the response, “We have a few people who carry guns to church, so that is taken care of.” Security is only one part of the need for churches to provide safety within their congregations.
The problem of a mass murderer visiting a church is very real, although unlikely. The problem of a domestic dispute or panhandler getting out of control is very real and may be more likely. A heart attack, stroke, severe burn, food allergy reaction, choking, falling, severe reaction to a bug sting, children running and hiding, unauthorized persons trying to pick up children, sharp objects in the play areas, cuts and bruises, unauthorized entry by non-members, mass viral transmission, and other challenges are far more common safety incidents.
Good safety for churches involves a few serious points:
- Threats require a fast response.
- Good responses are coordinated and controlled. This requires communication and planning by a response team AND the congregation.
- Responders must be capable to deal with the threat AND be able to witness to the Gospel as needed. This requires LOVE to be the motivation for responders.
- Serious incidents either destroys trust within the congregation or increases it. Destroying trust is easy because it requires us to do nothing in advance. Increasing trust involves the congregation believing that this was THEIR response, and that the Lord Jesus will bless them for it. Arriving at this requires the congregation to be aware of, and in agreement with, the planning for how to deal with those incidents.
Consider the following case and scenarios:
An estranged and distraught father comes to church to see his children and stands around outside the church for the last part of the worship service. There is a court order keeping him away from the family. The man confronts the mother and children when they try to exit the door of the church. The children are crying to see their dad, and the mother is screaming about how dangerous he is and yelling for help. He is yelling in response. He is carrying a pistol that can be seen.
Scenario 1
There are armed members at the church, but no organized security team, and the greeter does not know what to do about the man who is standing around outside the church during the last part of the service. The pastor is trying to intervene in the commotion but is being swarmed by the children and mother. The father and mother get more aggressive towards each other. A couple of church members try to push themselves between the two parties, and another church member tries to pull the two kids away from their father. The father panics and pulls out his gun but doesn’t shoot. A member to the side sees the gun and pulls his gun and shoots once and hits the father and the pastor with the same shot. Neither are seriously wounded, but the police pull up and the first officer shoots the member with a gun still pointed at the father and seriously injures him. The ricochet of that bullet slightly wounds one of the members not involved before this. Other police and EMTs arrive and place everyone under arrest until this gets sorted out.
Scenario 2
The church has an organized and trained security team working with the greeters, and radio communications among the responders, greeter, and a support person in the back of the church.
The greeter sees a man outside the church acting suspiciously and calls for assistance before the worship service is completed. Two security team members quietly go talk to the man and verify who he is. He says he just wants to see his children even though there is a court order against it because he lost his temper a while back. They advise the father that carrying a gun is the wrong way to do that and begin talking him down from his agitation and praying with him. The support person in the back of the church stops the mother and children from leaving to prevent a confrontation and asks another member to call 911 to ask for professional assistance. Other members stay with the mother and children and help them to a classroom without windows until it is safe to go home. The police arrive, take control (and the father’s gun), and escort the father away from the church.
Consider the probable different results.
Scenario 1 results in multiple people being wounded, one person possibly dying, and no one will trust the leadership of that church for many years. This is the result of a lack of education and preparation.
Scenario 2 results in a calm resolution to the incident with reassurances that the membership care about each other, the mother and children, and the father. The membership and security teams know that they obeyed the Gospel of Christ and that HE helped everyone go home safely. The membership can observe that they were challenged and did what was right before God. Trust and faith increased.
This is why organized Safety Teams are so important. Different scenarios could be detailed in the case of a heart attack, bad laceration, or peanut allergic reaction, or more. The church needs trained individuals who will respond calmly, quickly, and as a team to a crisis. This is part of what Jesus meant when He said,
John 15: 12-13
“This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
Safety for church involves the following areas, at least:
- First Aid
- Children
- Security
- Building and Grounds
- Food
- Sanitation
- Weather
- Evacuation
- Staff and offices
A church may have limited needs in some of these areas. The approach in Intentional Church Safety, Bevan Collins, 2022 (from Amazon.com) helps churches work through how to create a practical safety plan and organization within their congregation. The way forward is simpler than many think.
Bevan Collins
Bevan.C.Collins@gmail.com