What you need to know about security for your ministry... today and tomorrow.
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I was in a meeting at a large church one Sunday afternoon last year. This wasn’t a meeting about security or emergency planning, it was a meeting for new church members and my wife and I wanted to find out more about this church.
There were about 30 people there along with the Senior Pastor and some of the staff and volunteers, but this large church was relatively empty, the services for the day were over hours before.
During one of the breaks I was in the hallway speaking to one of the event coordinators and the Senior Pastor. Then topic turned to emergency preparedness and the coordinator told me that they have emergency plans in place and even had an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator) for heart attacks.
I commended them and said I wouldn’t expect less from one of the largest and fastest growing churches in the U.S.
I probed them further about their plans and who would respond if, in fact, someone did have a heart attack. Their answer is one I hear all the time, which is basically “We are a large church and in an emergency there are doctors, nurses, paramedics and police officers that would step in…someone would help.”
Then I asked the question ‘So what happens if I drop down right now and go into cardiac arrest – right now’, as I looked down at my watch I tell them they have about 6 minutes before I die.
I ask: who is here to do CPR, who gets the AED, who calls 911, who goes out and meets the ambulance, what door would they use, how would you even direct them in to a large building since we were in the basement, far from the main entrance?
Then I get that blank stare and the Pastor walks away.
The coordinator for the meeting admitted that I would probably be dead since she didn’t even know where the AED was kept or how to use it.
I wasn’t trying to embarrass anyone; the point I was trying to make is that counting on the chance that “Someone” will be there is a gamble; no one ever knows when an emergency will strike and who will be around to help.
I hear the same type of argument about having armed security in churches; Pastors tell me “We have a lot of police officers in our congregation and they would step up if something happened”.
Really, because a poll of Christian police officers in 2008 by Police.Com showed that only 39% always carry their guns in church. As we have stated over and over again, in an "active shooter” situation the incident is usually over in less than 10 minutes.
So you see, whether it is a heart attack or a violent confrontation, time is not on your side and gambling that “Someone” will be there to help is not a risk I am willing to take.
Security and emergency planning is having plans in place to deal with situations that may occur 24/7 in your organization and if you are a church, it is not only during service times – it is when there are small groups meeting or the church secretary is there by herself or the maintenance man is working or dozens of people are there for a wedding.
Training of all staff and volunteers, including Pastors, is critical.
I can tell you from experience, there is nothing worst than having an emergency occur and to stand there, waiting for emergency services personnel to respond while someone dies in front of you…5, 10, 15 minutes seems like en eternity and for loved ones standing around watching and waiting, it might as well be.
But to have trained personnel, with a coordinated response, having it planned out who does what, where and when shows that you have done everything humanly possible to act in an emergency, the rest is up to God.
But God tells us to be prepared, make plans, and care for each other. To be unprepared is not a gamble any Christian leader should be willing to take for the staff, volunteers and guests that enter their church, school or ministry.
Designate who that “Someone” is now – have a complete plan.
In Christ,
Jeff Hawkins
Executive Director
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