Numerous studies estimate there are between 300,000 and 400,000 religious congregations in the United States. Many people think of a house of worship as a safe area where violence and emergencies cannot affect them. However, violence in a house of worship is not a new phenomenon and many facilities are developing and updating security and emergency plans and procedures to ensure the safety and security of their congregations, visitors, staff, and facilities.
Approximately sixty-eight percent of all churches experienced a threat or other emergency in 2015. Fifty-five percent of churches had no security plan in place. (Source: Christian Security Network) Today’s churches simply must be prepared for a variety of threats and emergencies.
There are always two sides to every argument. However, it can sometimes be difficult to convince a congregation for the need to worry about church security. Some of the most common questions are: Won’t God protect us if we are in His house (Sutherland Springs Texas)? Why not just rely on local police and medical response teams in case of an emergency? Won’t congregants think that a security team is a “Gestapo group”? It is not practical to erect metal detectors at all entrances, so how can we be secure?
Throughout the Old Testament God depended on his warriors to fight the battles and protect the people (Neh. 4:9) Look at the headlines. There are numerous church incursions every year. Please read the article in 1st Safety Training ‘Resource’ dropbox on the topic: Does Your Church Really Need A Security Team?
1st Safety Training is a team of believers and we are servants of God. We do not charge a fee to do a security walk-through of any house of worship, regardless to the size of the congregation (10 members are just as important as 2000 members to us). We will work with any house of worship staff and pastor to assist in any way possible, just as long as the Lord leads the way.
The question is still the same: Does your church need a security team and/or a review of your security policies and procedures? It starts at the head when it comes to the leadership of the church. Only you can answer that question and if 1st Safety Training can assist please don’t hesitate to contact us.