Published Article with the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC

FEATURED ARTICLE (From: The Sword and the Shield)

By Brian Gallagher Vigilance: Rebuilding Prospective on Safety and Security What is Vigilance and why should you consider attending this conference? Vigilance is an innovative event that is being sponsored and promoted by Southern Seminary in Louisville, KY.  This event is designed to rebuild the perspective on safety and security in Christian churches, organizations, and institutions. On March 8, 2009, Pastor Fred Winters of The First Baptist Church of Maryville in Illinois was shot dead by a violent attack during a worship service at his local church. Pastor Winters was a graduate of the The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Following this event, Southern Seminary felt compelled to fill a gap and provide educational training on the topic of safety and security. I Peter 5:2 exhorts Christian leaders to “Shepherd the flock” and to “exercise oversight” for those in their care. I, along with Southern, believe that this oversight is not just spiritual but physical as well. The shepherd carried both a rod and a staff. The staff was to guide the sheep back onto the safe path, while the rod was to strike away enemies that were approaching. Whether you are a church pastor, a business leader, or a member of a local church you are commanded by Scripture to be vigilant in protecting those who are in your fold. Vigilance is an opportunity to equip you to carry out that command. This conference will be filled with pertinent and practical information to help you provide better safety and security for your church, conference, or religious institutions. You won’t want to miss this three day event, July 20-22, 2010, at Southern Seminary.  There will be four plenary sessions with thirty-five separate seminars. Speakers are coming from all corners of the country and represent local, state and federal governments, along with top tier private organizations. If you are looking for pragmatic information on how to enhance the security of your particular community or if you are just interested in hearing seminary level instruction on what the Bible says about this topic, you should plan to attend this event. Registration and additional information is available at http://events.sbts.edu/vigilance/.  Brian Gallagher has worked in the fields of Law Enforcement, Fire/Rescue, and Medical Emergency Services for more than a decade. These positions have included jobs with private corporations, as well as, local, state, and federal governments. Brian is currently employed in Washington, D.C. with one of the countries leading federal law enforcement agencies. Brian specializes in personal protection and venue security. He has a passion for the topic of Church Safety and Security and is working hard to make a difference for churches and pastors across the country. Brian is a member of Sovereign Grace Ministries and has directed security for multiple national conferences to include “Together for the Gospel” and “NEXT” (formally New Attitude). You can view his blog at . www.securityatchurch.com The above article was published in the weekly addition of  "The Sword and the Shield" which is a newsletter from the Institute for Church Safety and Risk Management, LLC. Click on the link to find out more about this great organization.