The Church Office - A Security Threat?

Church Solutions Magazine

The Church Office – A Security Threat?
Keeping church premises safe is a 24/7 endeavor

Posted on: 11/07/2008

by Rick Anderson
Most of our attention today, as it relates to church security, is focused on the weekend services – and for good reason. We want to protect the church from random acts of violence or domestic disputes that may be brought into the church sanctuary. But an area of vulnerability that most church leaders tend to minimize, however, is the potential threat to themselves, pastors, and staff during the week in the office. At the weekend services, the church has a window of vulnerability that is measured in hours. The church offices have a window of risk that is measured in days.

Consider the church office. For the most part, the office is open during normal business hours five days a week. I ask church leaders, “If I call your church office, what’s the likelihood I can have a one-on-one appointment with one of your pastors in their office (behind closed doors) by the end of today? What are the questions I will be asked to determine if I get that appointment? And how much quicker can I see the pastor if I suggest that I have a concern with something about the church — if, for example, I take exception to a point that was made by the pastor in his sermon on Sunday?”

The overwhelming response is “Yes, you could see the pastor today, and we don’t ask intrusive questions (such as how long someone has been attending, etc.).” In fact, most church leaders tell me they will clear their schedules to see an agitated person immediately. And why do we do this? Because we are here to help the hurting and the lost. I know this because it is exactly how my church operated when I was in the pastorate for nearly 18 years. The thin line between being cautious and appearing unconcerned is most often left to chance.

As humans, our nature is to think that something bad will never happen to us. This philosophy keeps us from acting wisely as it relates to security. As I said, because of recent incidents, we are now reacting by hiring security guards or starting volunteer security teams for weekend services. But reaction is always slower than action. If we choose to wait for a problem to arise and then react to the event, we will be behind the curve. Instead, a proactive position is looking ahead and asking what will be the next wave of threats to the church.

Unbridled access to pastors and staff is an area of compromise for the church. As the future unfolds, we will increasingly find church leaders targeted for violence. This seems inevitable in a culture that continues to decay and celebrates a personal morality over a biblical one. The church and society will bifurcate and church leaders will be the target of greater animosity. This cultural angst will not be limited to the high-profile pastor. It will be generalized to all pastors and church workers. Now, please don’t misunderstand me. I’m not saying that every pastor needs a protective detail. What you do need is a heightened awareness of the elevating risk to yourself and your colleagues.

A prudent first step is to have an independent assessment of the security threat to your pastors and staff. As part of your security due diligence, you can begin by reviewing your staff’s accessibility during office hours.

Training your office staff — receptionists, secretaries, and administrative assistants — to screen calls properly and diplomatically, walk-ins, and unscheduled visits is important. We call this process “threat assessment,” and it can be taught to office staff, school administrators, and teachers in hours.

Pastors also should be taught to be aware both inside and outside the church. If, for instance, a pastor is approached in the grocery store or a child’s sporting event, what are the signals that suggest a person may be a threat to you, your family or others? You need to know.

So, to summarize, begin to focus on the internal safety of your staff. This can be done by having an objective third party assess vulnerability to staff and pastors. Follow this up with a training protocol for the front-office personnel, designed to identify threats to staff. Finally, organize training for pastors to identify compromising situations outside the church setting.

Rick Anderson is the CEO and Co-founder of Church Security Solutions, LLC (www.churchsecuritysolutions.com) in Salem, Ore. He was the business administrator of a large megachurch in the Northwest for nearly 18 years where he served as a member of the executive staff. Anderson led his church in pioneering the development of a safety and security team, which today is one of the most advanced and developed safety and security teams in the nation. You can reach him at 503.949.8862 or info@churchsecuritysolutions.com.

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