Entering church this Sunday, my mind dwelling on the two young Army officers killed in the IED blast that very nearly killed my oldest son May nine years ago, I observed an abandoned camouflaged backpack sitting on a chair in the rear of the church. The likelihood of a church bombing on a Memorial Day Sunday shouldn't be discounted so I brought it to the attention of the assistant pastor who, from memory correctly associated it with a member of the church staff and had it properly put away.
The event served to remind me of the topic of security in our houses of worship. It seems to be one that only episodically gets attention. This is unfortunate to say the least, the threat is real and will, very likely get worse in the near future.
Consider a few headlines from just the last five years ...
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security have issued an advisory bulletin warning of possible Islamic Terror attacks against Churches and Christmas events.
Mass Shooting at Church Service in Nashville - Masked Shooter Identified as Sudanese Immigrant
Syrian Refugee Arrested During ISIS Inspired Plot To Bomb Christian Church in Pittsburg
The Fort Worth shooting, which took place 3 miles from my apartment in 2019, happened in five seconds, and, without a prearranged security response, would probably have cost the lives of an additional half dozen or more attendees.
https://americanhandgunner.com/our-experts/lessons-from-a-texas-church-shooting/
So, as I have raised the issue of personal and family security a few times in the last year, it's worth asking - does your church have an active shooter security plan involving competent (judgement and marksmanship), reliable, rehearsed individuals?
If not, resources for consideration by the Senior Pastor and elders may be this group - https://churchsafetyguys.com/, anything on the topic by Massad Ayoob https://massadayoobgroup.com/, and the counsel of Senior Pastors in other churches in their states with established and robust security measures in place.
