Security and the Church

The unfortunate incident that transpired at a church in White Settlement, TX several days ago serves as a great reminder of how prepared every business must be...even places of worship. Simply put, churches are prone to higher risks of acts of violence. The reason why you ask? Places of worship have weekly services where large gatherings of people come together at the same exact time every week in a place where violence is least expected. This setting naturally poses a higher risk regarding security issues. Combine that with the general disdain for religion and common ideologies Christians share and the risk is even greater.

Many churches do not want to feel like they need to consider security issues. The church, in and of itself, seems to many like the one place where security should not have to be a concern. Church leadership may also worry that creating a more secure place of worship may lead to an atmosphere that promotes fear and is un-welcoming.

Churches can, in fact, create a more secure environment, while upholding values such as love and a welcoming spirit. To create this takes someone who understands the unique differences and challenges places of worship present to the security realm. There is a major difference in the approach of providing security as a necessary ministry versus creating an impenetrable armed fortress. Once realizing the importance of providing security for a congregation, many places of worship quickly throw together a group of volunteers to fulfill the role of a church security team. While this first step is important, it can often be detrimental, if no training is provided to members of the group. You may ask how it would be detrimental if many of the members involved in these teams are either active or prior law enforcement and military. The problem is twofold. First, providing proper security measures as part of a church security team can be different from the roles and responsibilities law enforcement officers and members of the military are typically accustomed to. Second, every church security team will consist of varying degrees of experience to none at all, however, all must work together for a common purpose. That is why training is important. It strengthens the understanding of what is expected from each member and their specific role so the entire team can function as a whole. The members that do have a background in security or law enforcement may have similar experiences, but were more than likely trained differently. A security team must be trained together in order to present a uniformed front when responding to incidents.

Places of worship, just like any other business, should do the following four things when starting the process of implementing church security measures:

1. Conduct a Risk/Threat/Vulnerability Assessment. This should include a thorough inspection of the physical site as well as an analysis of area and industry specific threats. The goal is to identify and rate risks so sensible security precautions can be implemented.

2. Establish sound policies. There should be formal, written policies in place that cover specific details such as roles and responsibilities of the security team and actions that will be taken in specific emergencies. These written policies should not only set a professional standard but limit liabilities. It should be mentioned that written policies and procedures serve no purpose if they sit in a filing cabinet never being reviewed by anyone.

3. Create a security team. Determine the best course of action for your place of worship. This could be hiring off-duty law enforcement to serve as a deterrent or creating a security team from church members that volunteer. If using members of the church is the best option, attempt to recruit those who have experience and/or interest in providing security. This may need to involve background checks, especially if there will be an aspect of armed members.

4. Train. At a minimum, conduct bi-annual training for members of the security team. This should include reviewing policies and procedures, mind-set and situational awareness training, and table-top exercises. It should also include training on how to provide professional level security in a way that does not intimidate or incite fear. Train for all types of hazards. Yes, it is important to train for a serious act of aggression, such as an active shooter situation. But train also for groups protesting, an individual disrupting the service, a building alarm activation, an issue in the children’s or youth area of the facility, or a serious medical emergency.

This small church in Texas understood the importance of security as a ministry. Make sure your place of worship is also prepared with proper church security measures and training.