Having security is never 100%; but having no security is 100% vulnerability.

If you have followed the Christian Security Network, you know that we really try to balance our approach to security for the church.

There is a tendency by some to focus on shootings, guns, and all the knee-jerk reactions that go with it, so we try to temper that by stating that the chances of someone having a heart attack in your church is far greater than anyone walking in with a gun to kill people.

That said, we also stress that the church cannot ignore the societal problem of rapid escalating violent confrontations or what has become known as the “active shooter”.

In fact, in the June/July 2009 issue of the Counter Terrorist magazine (a publication for Homeland Security professionals) I wrote an article entitled  “The Active Shooter” about active shooters, responsibility, and responses that are critical.

I wasn’t writing about just churches, I was addressing all public places that invite the public in and their responsibility to keep these people safe in today’s unpredictable world.

And then this past week we have had another incident, this time at the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC. A lone gunman walking into the museum with a rifle, opening fire and obviously looking to kill as many innocent people as he could.

The difference in this shooting from many others that we have seen is that the Holocaust Museum was prepared. I have known the head of security for this museum for about 10 years and we have had several discussions of their security measures and concerns.

They took security very seriously and it paid off because security personnel were able to stop the gunman at the door, unfortunately at the loss of life of a heroic security officer. But security did what it was supposed to do – save innocent lives and stop the shooter.

What if there were no armed security officers at the doors and throughout the museum?

The same could be said for the New Life Church in Colorado when they had an active shooter walk into their church in December, 2007 – security did what they were in place to do – stop a homicidal, violent, armed offender.

In the past month we have seen the shooting of the abortion doctor in his church by an anti-abortion extremist, the shooting and killing of a young military recruiting officer by an American-turned-Islamic extremist, and now the killing of a security officer by an Anti-Semitic extremist at the Jewish museum.

The motives, the ideology and all the rest that comes with second-guessing these offenders does not matter much after the fact. They are filled with hate. They are evil.

If you have attended any of the Christian Security Network’s  training, you know we teach about three levels of risk, the third being those threats which we have not even witnessed yet, but as we see the recent shootings unfold, I believe we are beginning to see the beginning of the Level III Risks.

Also, as you may know from our training, we tell Christian organizations, if you are not ready for Level I (basic) Risks, you will never be ready for Level III (continued violent) Risks.

If you have no idea what I am speaking of, you need to get up to speed, because the events that keep unfolding are not going to stop, they will only increase.

And this is coming from someone who wants to take a balanced approach and not have churches and ministry act out of fear or become an armed encampment.

But the reality of risk is sad and will not go away.

In Christ,
Jeff Hawkins
Executive Director