Safety in the Sanctuary: Is Your Church Prepared?

“Churches have been the last place to want to restrict access and appear unwelcoming,” says Strauch. “However, because of this they are now the most vulnerable and at the greatest risk for a person of violence to act.” Strauch points out that while most schools and businesses today have security plans, many churches still do not.

Violent confrontations are just one type of incident churches need to be prepared to deal with, says Jeff Hawkins. Plans should “prevent and address things like liability, crime, critical incidents [medical, fire, severe weather] and lost or missing children.”

For those churches just starting to think about security, there are three important steps to take when getting started:

Arrange an independent safety audit of your church with local law enforcement. If your church does not already have an established relationship with your local police department, now is the time to make that happen. Most local police welcome the opportunity to help places of worship make their congregations and buildings safer and will offer good tips and suggestions on what can be done for your church’s situation.

Dave Travis, managing director for Leadership Network, also suggests checking with your church’s insurance company. Most offer free consulting and books on the subject and are receptive to church clients who call with the goal of improving security and wanting assistance. “In my experience, they send someone out pronto because it’s in their best interest as well,” says Travis. “And they don’t charge because they want to keep your business.”

Know your local state laws and legal requirements. Does your state allow concealed weapons in a place of worship? Can a volunteer with a concealed weapons permit serve on your security team, or must he or she be licensed as a security professional by the state and on the church’s payroll for liability reasons. Understanding what is and isn’t allowed will assist you as you work with others in your church to develop a well-thought-out security plan.

Develop your security program. “A good security program is like an iceberg—you only see about 10 percent of it,” says Hawkins. “The rest is below the surface that people will never see. That’s how a security program in a church should work; people only see a small part of it, but the rest is there in the event of a situation.”

Andy Rodgers is the systems director for Houston’s First Baptist Church and has served on staff there for almost 30 years. Part of his responsibilities include acting as security liaison, a role he took on when he first started in 1979 and began assisting the Houston police officers who worked with HFBC.

“Security is not just about the problems that make the big news, but it’s also being prepared for the day-to-day prevention,” says Rodgers.