How Safe Is the Sanctuary?

“But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.” (Nehemiah 4:9)

In our language, sanctuary (literally a holy place) has come to mean a safe place.  However, since the Wedgwood Baptist Church shooting in 1999 and many other church shootings, along with news stories of vandalism, arson, and sexual abuse, the church doesn’t seem so safe anymore.  Over a thousand places of worship in the United States now have volunteer safety & security teams, and members in many more congregations are considering starting their own ministries.

Most of us still tend to think of a church as a sanctuary, not only as a religious center but as a safe place.  In recent years, however, frequent news stories of theft and violence shattered the image of churches as safe places.  Yet, many congregants still hold to the place of safety image with the idea, "It can't happen here."  The sad truth is, it can.  

Churches may now be, on average, more fireproof and better able to withstand storms, but criminal activity has become more of a threat during the past few decades.  Violence also includes non-deadly means of assault, with fists, elbows, feet, and less-than-lethal weapons.  Non-violent crimes which happen in churches or involve pastors, staff, and volunteers, include sexual abuse, physical abuse, kidnapping, and theft.  

Sexual abuse in churches is more prevalent than most want to admit.  It might not be as prevalent as theft, but it is more damaging to the minds, emotions, and bodies of its victims. Related to this is kidnapping.  Victims often suffer both physical and sexual abuse. Abduction is most often committed by a non-custodial parent, but children are also kidnapped by sexual predators or for ransom.  Rare, but still a concern, is child theft, when an unrelated person takes a child to make it her own.

Theft of various kinds may be the most prevalent non-violent crime in churches, even when excluding robbery since it threatens violence.  Vehicles in the parking lot are also targets for theft, usually for contents but sometimes for the vehicle itself or its parts (such as wheels).  The most expensive form of theft is embezzlement.  Embezzlement is also the type of theft which can go the longest without being noticed.

Criminal activity is not the only threat, challenging the church’s status as a safe place. Other threats are natural forces, technological failures, and human caused failures.  Natural events which threaten churches include severe weather, earthquakes, floods & landslides, wildfires, and epidemics.  The most dangerous severe weather events are tornadoes, hurricanes, winter storms, and extreme temperatures.  Wildfires can occur in any state, but are more likely in some, especially under dry conditions.

Fire can result from natural causes (such as earthquake or lightning), technological failures (such as electrical shorts, overheated equipment, or gas leaks), and human failure (such as candles not fully extinguished, range burner left on, etc.).  It can also be caused by criminal activity, especially arson.

How are the church and its members to be protected from the various threats to their safety and well-being?  That is the mission of a church safety & security ministry team, protecting the flock.

Be safe!

Integrity Security Consulting

Russ Sharrock

405-762-2471 | integrityseccon@hotmail.com

 I have developed and made available to anyone interested, for FREE, a series of Security & safety forms that can be printed for your use:

1) A Safety & Security Risk Assessment Form

2) Church Security Plan Template

3) Church Emergency Plan Template

4) A General Fire Safety Checklist

5) A Bomb Threat Checklist

6) A Bomb Threat Distance Chart:  Includes various types of explosive devises and to be referred to in an event of a bomb threat evacuation.  These are minimum distances to evacuate away from the area of explosion.

7) Facility Lockdown Checklist

8) Child Protection Covenant

These MS Word documents can be adapted as necessary to fit your church size and needs.  I will be adding new forms as time allows.

For a copy of any of these FREE forms, or if you have any questions, contact me and let me know what your needs are.