Church Safety and Security

Counterpoint YD: Is the congregation trained to not draw their weapons immediately if a threat got inside? Our church probably has 50% CCW holders and a good portion probably carry to services, especially after Texas. I like that they do, but also am concerned that they do. I can easily see a friendly fire event, or even an over-zealous CCW holder jumping the gun (bad pun I know).

 

If you mean the churches themselves then you haven't had the discussions I have. Yes I know many prepare and I know many who don't. I have been in church government most of my life. It's the ones that don't I was referring to. I used to live in Washington State but have lived in Montana now five years. Montana is much better prepared, with some notable exceptions.

 

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007...Life_shootings

I'm not claiming any expertise here, I'm just sharing my experience. I'm also not claiming to speak for my church. My use of words like "we" or "us" or "our" is as a church member not a church leader or spokesperson.

I live in Colorado Springs. The New Life Church Shooting had a major impact on how our church implemented its security plan.

One of the Pastoral staff was a retired cop who's very last call was the NLC shooting so when the church decided to implement a security plan they put him in charge of it.

NLC had a security plan in place before they had their shooting and their plan worked. After the shooting they had a ministry set up to pass on lessons learned to other churches who wanted to implement their own security plan. Our church followed their model closely.

Our church uses Brotherhood Mutual

https://www.brotherhoodmutual.com/re...urch-security/

It's an insurance company that specializes in church related liability issues and they have a lot of experience consulting with churches on security issues and helping churches set up their programs and instituting training procedures and legality issues.

Our security team operates under they church's liability insurance rider. We keep training records proving that our security team has qualified with their handguns to the same standard as CSPD. That we have training on legal use of force. And that we all understand the church's security policy.

Another thing I want to briefly mention is I've attended two other churches who's idea of a security plan was to ask random parishioners to bring their guns to church. I think that's a really bad idea. They don't know who else is on the "security team". They don't have any form of communications, they don't train together, they're not posted to give maximum coverage ....I could go on.

I've also read a couple of posts on anoTHeR forum by people who appear to have simply appointed themselves as church security without so much as informing or even asking the Senior Pastor. The stupidity of that should be self explanatory.

 

What could go wrong?

 

I don't want to get too deep into "my" churches security plans but there are a couple of things I do want to address. I believe that being under the church's security rider Is critical.

One of the things that people don't talk about when the New Life Church shooting comes up is that fact that after the shooting Jeanne Assam was taken into custody for questioning and NLC's lawyer was with her. After the shooting she had a lawyer with her every time the police or the media spoke to her.

Our insurance provider requires that the security team participates in documented training in the church's security policy, non lethal use of force (removing a disruptive person from the building), use of force laws and biannual weapons qualification.

The insurance company also requires that all security and anyone that works with juveniles get the same background check check that licensed security gets.

All of this reduces our liability. If I'm ever involved in a security incident at my church and I'm operating within the security guidelines the insurance rider covers me and I'm covered under the church's medical. As someone once said "That's UUUUUUUUUGGGGGEEEEEEE."

Our actual security team is uniformed (all of our volunteers wear some type of uniform even if it's just a red apron (Sunday school helper) so you KNOW the person you're talking to is a volunteer) but we have a couple of off the pastoral staff who are armed and act as greeters so you're not met at the door buy a guy in a "Security" shirt which can be a little off putting.

Last thing. The Sutherland Springs shooting the shooter parked across the street and walked up to the church in Tac gear a and no one saw him coming. We post guards in the parking lot to help prevent such a circumstance.

 

Jesus doesn’t like guns. This creates a conundrum. Do I turn the other cheek or snipe this crazy bastard? The correct choice gets me an eternal reward. The other...................Ouch!!!!

 

Turn the other cheek if it helps you get a better sight picture. Jesus taught love and forgiveness not stupidity. I'll love and forgive a shooter even more when he/she is no longer a threat.

 

Well Jesus taught a lot of things. Choosing wrong gets you eternal pain.

 

Well I hope you chose right. Lol.

 

I'll tell you a little secret - He makes you keep coming back until you get it right. The UPSTAIRS Office Pool has 1,000,000 to 1 odds against me graduating before our goes supernova.

 

HUH?

you real sure about that? There is a verse that refers to Jesus saying purchasing a weapon even if ya have to sell your cloak...

there is also this...

Presbyterian Rev. Gilbert Tennant:

“He that suffers his life to be taken from him by one who has no authority for that purpose, when he might preserve it by defense, incurs the Guilt of self murder since God has enjoined him to seek the continuance of his life, and Nature itself teaches every creature to defend itself.”

 

^There’s a verse about cooking with poo as well. Poo. Lol.

 

Ya know what? We get it. You don't believe in God, or religion.
Not a problem, but your constant trolling of this thread and others that deal with the subject is getting really old and distracting for those of us that do believe and are trying to gather information to help out their churches.

 

I think its not just churches that need to address risk management with regard to active shooters....other venues with a large number of people in relatively confined spaces are also at risk. schools, concerts, political gatherings, sports stadia, among others come to mind. Churches probably have more control over their own space than perhaps other organisations / venues.

 

Looking at the stats....the take home lesson is.....attending a church on Sundays is a greater risk, than on other days of the week, and attending church services is riskier than attending other church activities. Conversion to Jainism may also be a safe option: Whoever heard of a rabid active shooter in a Jain centre / temple? Jainism in the United States - Wikipedia

https://www.churchmutual.com/media/safetyResources/files/ProtectingAgainstAnActiveShooter.pdf

http://www.jcrcny.org/wp-content/up...-your-facility-safer-and-more-secure-8-30.pdf