By Dennis James
Special to The Answer

This is a subject that Christians may rarely think about, if at all. How secure is your church? In today’s failing economy and ever growing concerns of global terrorism, churches are becoming targets for various crimes.

Pastors and church leaders rarely consider the safety and well being of the membership. We are focused on meeting the spiritual needs of the congregations and never factor in the safety and physical security of the Body of Christ or our church properties. Unfortunately, the criminal elements see our church’s open doors and loving hearts as an opportunity to become a victim of their ill intent.

On April 23rd, a Church Security Workshop was held in Las Vegas at the One Body in Christ Church located on Jay Avenue. The workshop was the brain storm of Pastor Don Burse, also Director of Operations for Action Security and The Answer Newspaper’s Toni Terrell and Rochelle Schoener. Guest speakers were Deputy Chief Victor Dunn and Lieutenant Robert Hanks with the North Las Vegas Police Department, and James Harden, Security Consultant. The workshop was geared for area pastors and church leaders to focus on the security of their church and the liabilities and to provide awareness of the need for security in the House of Worship.

Deputy Chief Dunn and Lieutenant Hanks touched on some very interesting points such as what would you do if an intruder presented a threat or a member becomes unruly? Both gave sound advice that churches should have plans of action in place to activate if an incident should take place and also become acquainted with the local police. Most police departments are willing to provide patrols around our churches during services and also provide tips on crime prevention. Churches need to consider a security ministry and James Harden brought to attention the security of our Pastors should be a major part of our church security. Harden related that an act of physical violence towards a Pastor can become a real event and church leaders need to be aware on a plan to protect not only the Pastor but his family as well.

Pastor Don Burse spoke on the fact that our churches are an avenue of opportunity to the criminal element due to the fact we have our doors open and we greet people with loving and open hearts. Pastor Burse also advised that “Ministry is a business,” and as a business, churches can become liable as a result of an incident or in the case of a poorly trained security staff, if there is one in place. One key tip from Pastor Burse was, “it is not public information as to the location of your church’s count room.”

The workshop was attended by several local Pastors who all seemed to be in agreement that security in Church is of a necessity now more than previous years and most Pastors agree that with today’s failing economy and incidents of crimes against churches that we can not ignore the need for a security plan. One Pastor, Michele Ayabina, with Proceeding Word Church stated that there is a need to implement a security plan to include drills. Pastor James Harden, who also served fifteen years with the Savannah, Georgia Police Department supported Pastor Ayabina’s thoughts on security plans by relating that the church should have plans in place coupled with escape or evacuation routes in the case of an event or incident and that the acts of random violence dictates that we do something.

Along with the guest speakers, the following vendors were present and shared the benefits of their services and products; Sonitrol Alarms and Surveillance, Frontier Radio (2-way communication devices), A & H Insurance, Breath of Life (basic life support training), Action Security, and NID Housing Counseling Agency.

The workshop was a very informative and an eye-opening event. So the question for church leaders to ponder is, how secure is God’s House?