The news is largely tales of disorder and disaster leading to feelings of discouragement and detachment. Troubles from active shooters to natural disasters beset the houses of God. Guided by their leaders, churches are responsible for safeguarding their congregations and visitors from harm. This article teaches why church security is important, how to assess security risk, and the basics of a comprehensive plan.
By Mark D. Harris, MD, MPH, MBA, MDiv, ThM, PhD, DBA
While the need for enhanced security in churches may seem like a modern concern, protecting places of worship has been a consideration throughout history. Christians and their churches were attacked and destroyed both by mobs and by the government in ancient Rome, from Nero (AD 37-68) to Diocletian (AD 242-312). Eastern and Western Christians sometimes damaged each other’s churches and persecuted people, as in the Byzantine centuries. The most notorious example in the Middle Ages is the destruction of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem by the Fatimid Caliph Al-Hakim bi-Amr Allah in 1009.
Attacks on Christians and churches continued into the modern era. Muslim powers continued to persecute Christians. Ottomans butchered Christians and leveled churches in the early 20th century. The Nazis, Soviets, and Chinese Communists killed and imprisoned millions of Christians and eliminated churches in the 20th century. These threats were governmental and institutional, but destruction also came from the hands of hateful mobs.
The nature and scale of threats have grown, particularly in recent decades. Governmental attacks on Christians have been replaced in many places by smaller-scale attacks mounted by one or a few people. The number of these attacks has increased in the past century.
Continue reading “Church Security – Getting Started”
