10th Annual National Church Security Conference

10th Annual National Church Security Conference

Dates: Friday and Saturday August 8th and 9th

Location: New Life Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado

Hosted By:

Click Here to Register

	Chuck Chadwick	Chuck Chadwick founded Gatekeepers Alliance in January of 2002 as an informal meeting of Security/Facilities Directors from some of the largest churches in the DFW area. Meetings were held to discuss issues/challenges and it was found that regardless of location the issues/challenges were similar. Chuck's home church (Fellowship Church, Grapevine, TX) grew from 6,000 TWA (Typical worship Attendance) to 22K and then from one location to multi-site. At the height of the organization Chuck directed and multi-jurisdictional task force of some 40 officers composed of Law Enforcement, Private Protection Officer, Security Guards and volunteers. In 2005 Chuck left full time Church Security Director employment to dedicate his life to Gatekeepers Alliance teaching seminars and putting together “Best Practices” for churches around the nation. The first Church Security Conference was held at Prestonwood Baptist Church in Plano TX in 2005. Chuck continues to direct the security operations of some of the largest churches in America through Gatekeepers Security Services, LLC. a Texas Corporation.  Conferences and Seminars are held several times a year in churches across the nation and membership has grown to hundreds of member churches. In November of 2007 the name of the organization was changed to, The National Organization of Church Security and Safety Management, LLC - "We feel the name change better reflects the broader scope and purpose of the organization”. NOCSSM continues the original mission by providing educational courses, conferences for churches throughout the nation as the "First Name in Church Security".
	Carl Chinn	Carl Chinn was introduced to the need for security while serving as Building Engineer for Focus on the Family – a Colorado ministry founded (and led at the time) by Dr. James Dobson. Like others in faith-based management, Chinn had dismissed the subject of emergency readiness through much of his career, considering it an inconvenient distraction of debatable importance. Experiences changed his views on the subject. In 1996 he was a responder in a standoff with an angry gunman who took hostages at the Focus on the Family ministry. Following the attacker’s trial, Chinn began researching and writing on the subject of criminal and other incidents in North American ministries. In 2005, he and others began to develop an intentional security program for New Life Church in Colorado Springs, CO. He was one of the team of responders directly involved with the active shooter on 12/09/2007. He continues to serve New Life security as the threat investigator and liaison between law enforcement and ministry security operations. Chinn travels and speaks at national conferences on the subject of real life lessons learned in the ministry security incidents experienced. His research and experiences have been featured in national media and publications including Focus on the Family, The 700 Club, Preaching Magazine, Christianity Today, the Washington Post, Moody Bible Institute and various radio interviews. He has spoken at colleges, seminaries, churches, ASIS, charitable events and the National Organization of Church Security & Safety Management.
	Brian Gallagher	Brian Gallagher is Director of Business Development at Decision Sciences International Corporation (DSIC), a security solutions company. In this role, Gallagher supports the company’s ongoing business development efforts domestically and abroad. Gallagher joins DSIC after serving almost 10 years with the U.S. Secret Service. For the last six years, he served as Senior Physical Security Specialist in the Technical Security Division and provided expertise and guidance on Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) countermeasures and physical security; performed protective detail for our nation’s leaders and visiting world leaders; educated other security personnel; and made product and equipment purchasing recommendations. Gallagher has a thorough understanding of physical security regulations and an in-depth knowledge of security methods, procedures and use of surveillance systems and countermeasures for weapons of mass destruction. Prior to the Secret Service, he held a number of protective service roles for more than a decade including security management and emergency medical services. In his spare time, he is dedicated to community and volunteer work related to public safety. He holds a number of advanced training certifications such as paramedic, firefighter, hazardous materials specialist and weapons of mass destruction specialist. Gallagher received a bachelor’s in Homeland Security from American Military University and is currently pursuing a master’s in Professional Studies, Homeland Security - Information Security and Forensics, from Pennsylvania State University.
	Bob Klamser	Bob Klamser is the Executive Director ofCrisis Consulting International and co-founder, a non-profit organization that provides security and crisis management services to the missionary, humanitarian and NGO communities.  Crisis Consulting International conducts training seminars and consults with organizations on a wide variety of topics related to organizational and member security, especially in dangerous and hostile environments.  The organization also provides hands-on assistance during emergencies.  These services include hostage negotiations, evacuation management, response to extortion, risk assessments, site surveys, etc. Mr. Klamser retired from a twenty-three year law enforcement career in 1994.  During that career he held a wide range of responsibilities, including command of a criminal investigation unit, command of a hostage negotiation team and command of the operations section of a municipal government’s emergency operations center.  In addition to his responsibilities with Crisis Consulting International, he has served as the Missions Pastor and Administrator of a large Southern California church.  He also serves on the Professional Services Network of the Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies. Mr. Klamser has presented training seminars and conducted consultations involving literally hundreds of organizations throughout the world.  He has personally participated in hostage negotiations in Africa, Latin America, Asia, Eastern Europe and the Middle East.  He has provided other crisis management and security services throughout the world.  Mr. Klamser earned both Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in management and executive leadership.  He has published professional articles and has conducted pre-publication editorial review for two international security management books.  He is a frequent conference and workshop speaker and has appeared as an expert commentator and as a technical consultant on several major television networks.  He and his wife, a retired police officer, reside in Southern California.
	Greg Love	Greg Love - Attorneys at Law, is a partner at the law firm of Love & Norris, based in Fort Worth Texas, and a founder and director of MinistrySafe.  He earned a B.A. in Accounting from Texas Tech University in 1987, followed by a J.D. from Texas Tech School of Law where he served on the law review.  He is a member of the Texas State Bar, Tarrant County Bar Association, and a Fellow of the Tarrant County Bar Foundation.  His peers have repeatedly chosen him as one of Tarrant County’s “Top Attorneys”.  Mr. Love serves as a guest lecturer at Texas Wesleyan School of Law, Dallas Theological Seminary, New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. MinistrySafe - In addition to an active law practice, Love and Norris are co-founders and Directors of MinistrySafe and Abuse Prevention Systems, entities dedicated to sexual abuse awareness and prevention.  MinistrySafe and Abuse Prevention Systems provide Sexual Abuse Awareness Training (live and online) and assist child care entities and organizations in the design and implementation of safety systems which reduce the risk of child sexual abuse.  Love and Norris are frequent speakers before educational entities, youth and children's ministries, day care, youth camps, and adoption and foster care organizations.  They have addressed national and regional audiences for organizations such as the National Association of Church Business Administrators ( NACBA ), National Council for Adoption (NCFA ), Young Life, Youth Ministry Institute ( NOBTS ), Kanakuk, the Presbyterian Church in America General Assembly, Church of the Nazarene, Prevent Child Abuse Texas, and Texas Alliance for Children and Families, and are featured writers for the upcoming NACBA resource entitled Professional Practices in Church Administration.
	Jimmy Meeks	Jimmy Meeks, Sheepdog Seminars for Churches Jimmy will speak on the scriptural validity of the need for Church Security and the calling he has felt to the church security ministry.  Jimmy has been a police officer since 1980. He is a licensed and ordained minister, certified school resource officer, police-training officer, hostage negotiator and a certified crime prevention specialist.
	Bob Wild	Bob Wild has been the Director of Finance and Administration and Risk Management for two mega churches over the past 20 years: Vineyard Christian Fellowship of North Phoenix and Christ's Church of the Valley, both located in the Phoenix area.  Bob has served on several boards including the local Phoenix NACBA chapter, CCV Youth Sports Inc., the largest nonprofit youth sports program in Arizona, Financial Planning Ministry and the Boys and Girls Club in Austin Texas among others.  Bob wrote and self published an instruction manual for church planters called:  Growing Your Church From The Ground Up: The Corporate Side. Bob has been published in Church Executive Magazine and more recently in Christianity Today and Group Publishing professional edition for their Children's Magazine.  In 2009 Bob joined the team at Brotherhood Mutual Insurance Company as the Sr. Director-Strategic Alliances.  Bob holds degrees in Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Wisconsin and a Masters Degree in Business.

Carl Chinn - Think About It - The Thing About Tunnel Vision

The Thing About Tunnel Vision…

You all know we have now had another school shooting in Colorado. An 18-year-old Senior from Arapahoe High School took a shotgun, 3 Molotov cocktails and a machete into his school.

Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said the kid wanted to shoot many. Even though his anger stemmed from an incident with one specific teacher, beyond his initial vendetta he just wanted to kill a bunch more.

The key comment from Sheriff Robinson was that when the gunman encountered the armed school resource officer, he killed himself. So his planned mass-casualty carnage only had one victim (a girl remaining in critical condition from a head wound) aside from himself. 80 seconds after he entered the school he was dead and the attack was over.

It has now been 6 years since our attack at New Life Church. As soon as our gunman entered our church the first thing he saw was me coming at him with a gun. As he and I took cover positions, our focus was entirely on each other. An excerpt from my book on the subject tells a bit about the tunnel vision of those moments;

It is possible there were others in the hallway in those opening moments, but adrenalin sets tunnel vision on the primary concern. That reaction works for both the attacker and defender. An attacker’s focus (and aim) goes to the armed defender even before shots are exchanged, thus providing one more element of protection for the innocent. [i]

Once our shooter entered the building, the random shots were over. As soon as Jeanne Assam (our armed private citizen security team member) surprised him from his left, he shot himself as she shot at him. He – like so many coward killers – was determined to control his own fate. His only bullet fired in that stage of the attack went into his own head.

The best tool for defending against a killer with a gun is a defender with a gun. A large reason for this is that tunnel vision does work both ways. As soon as a killer sees an armed defender, you can count on it that their tunnel vision has just locked in. Among all other reasons I promote an armed defense, this is key among them.

Think About it:

Ø Training is important for defenders. We have all been trained on the adrenalin aspect, including tunnel vision. These killer kids pick up a gun and envision their attack as if it is a video game, and their gun is the joystick. Their training has come primarily through X-Box. But when they meet an armed and trained defender, their adrenalin hits in a way they were unprepared for.

Ø These coward killers may have been to a range (most have not), and they may be able to shoot targets (most cannot), but they have not been through any tactical training and they have no noble honor in their DNA. They cannot continue in the face of nobility. Our shooter in 2007 had just tried to kill many in a YWAM facility 77 miles to our north. As he began shooting at that YWAM, he clumsily fell out a door which locked behind him and he couldn’t get back in. Do you want to see the actual demonstrated skill level of an active shooter? Click on the video from the Bay School District board meeting shooting in Florida. You will see the shooter miss every target from 8 feet away. You will see him accidently fire off his second round into the floor (finger tightening issue per your training). What you won’t see is the killer shooting himself as soon as he is hit with defensive rounds from trained and prepared school security officer Mike Jones (I will be doing a full TAI on this event soon).

Ø These unstable coward killers can’t handle a confident and capable defender. Train, drill and practice your protection skills. You will not “rise to the occasion” as these killers with a gun think they will – you will “default to your training”. If called into it, answer with the confidence of your capacity and end it. You may even have the help of the attacker in ending it, but end it quickly and decisively.

We can’t prevent them all. Murder was the first violent act in the bible, and will continue as long as there is life. But every attack will end, and we can do our part to end them quickly and thus mitigating their effect – sometimes just as the school resource officer did at Arapahoe High School this week without ever firing a shot.

Think About It: By Carl Chinn - Stuff Happens

Think About It Series: By Carl Chinn

Stuff Happens

The week of Sunday, 4/28 through Friday, 5/3 was a revealing, while not abnormal, look at church crimes across the U. S. Had I not been getting on a plane and preparing for the Sheepdog Seminar in Texas, I would have selected an example for Saturday as well.

On Sunday, 4/28/13 -- 24-year-old Lawrence Capener went wild with a knife in the St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church in Albuquerque, NM. As he rushed the platform where the choir was singing "Take My Hand, Precious Lord", he was going over the pews. As he made it to the stage, he yelled, “Fake preacher!” After stabbing four choir members (who are expected to survive), church members overpowered him and held him down as they waited for law enforcement to arrive.

At 5:30 AM on Monday April 29th -- an alert citizen observed a man climbing a pole beside the Good Shepherd Church in Royal Oak, MI. Police surrounded the church, and with the help of a K-9 unit discovered 45-year old Paul E. Murray hiding in the basement of the church where he was arrested for breaking and entering.

On Tuesday night April 30th -- a surveillance camera captured the face of 25-year-old William Hutto as he broke into the Albany Baptist Church in Albany, GA. It was the 2nd time that church had been burglarized in three days. Hutto has now been charged with three more church burglaries in the same county.

On Wednesday May 1st -- Corinth, TX Pastor Jeffery Dale Williams of The Church of Corinth was arrested for attempted sexual performance on a child. The incident had occurred a month prior, but enough evidence had accumulated during that time for an arrest. If the charges are true, it is one of many despicable examples of abuse by a person of trust. If the charges are a malicious fabrication, it is one of the many ways religious leaders are attacked.

On Thursday May 2nd -- FBI and IRS agents stormed the Swedenborgian Church on the Hill in Beacon Hill, MA saying, “Nobody move, nobody leave.” After several hours the federal agents were seen carrying boxes of evidence out to vehicles. It all appears to have something to do with a church employee and is said to not be connected to the nearby recent Marathon bombing.

On Friday May 3rd -- in Centralia, WA a house on the property of the Church of the Nazarene was intentionally set on fire around 03:30 AM. As firefighters were responding to that blaze, another arson broke out a mile away. Local authorities are asking for the public’s help.


Think About it:

• From the Pacific coast to the Atlantic and from Canada to Mexico -- stuff happens at churches.

• In all denominations; Catholic, Protestant and “non-denominational” -- stuff happens at churches.

• During services and during non-event times – from early morning hours until late at night and on any day of the week -- stuff happens at churches.

• From deadly force incidents, to lesser crimes -- stuff happens at churches.

• From intruders, occasional attendees, strangers and pastors themselves -- stuff happens at churches.

• Whether a one-time spontaneous outburst or another crime in a series -- stuff happens at churches.

Church Shooting -- Emporia, KS – 1988 - Carl Chinn - Think About It

Church Shooting -- Emporia, KS – 1988

By: Carl Chinn

A few days ago I answered the phone in my office. When the voice on the line said, “Mr. Chinn, my name is Jerry Waddell” -- I stood up. I had heard of Jerry (though I hadn’t learned his name until recently) throughout my years of research on deadly force incidents at faith-based organizations. To be speaking with him was an honor worthy of my full attention.

I have met some of the folks who were involved with this particular incident. This is a small portion of their story from Sunday morning, March 6th, 1988.

18-year-old Beverly DeWeese was sitting towards the back of the Calvary Baptist Church in Emporia, KS. They were all singing when she heard someone come in through the side exterior door behind her. Looking around, she saw a young man standing behind her wearing red ear muffs. It struck her as a bit odd but recognizing his foreign descent, reasoned it must be some Asian culture inconsistent with the mild Spring-like day. Not wanting to stare, she turned back around.

The young man standing there was 29-year-old Cheun-Phon Ji (aka Paul Ji). Ji had convinced himself that a particular girl (G. M.) would have had him as her boyfriend if the church hadn’t come between them in 1984. In truth, the girl wasn’t interested in him and the church had nothing to do with that. But in Ji’s mind, her rejection of him was caused by the church.

The 3 + years he had been gone from the college town (living in California, New York, then back in California) were years in which his anger festered. In 1988 he headed his car back to Kansas with vengeance in mind. It wasn’t ear muffs he was wearing -- it was ear protection for shooting.

Armed with a SIG 9mm, multiple clips in his waste-band, and plenty more rounds in his duffle bag, he entered the back door (being familiar with the church layout and operations). As he began shooting randomly, some thought it was a prank. The sight of splinters shooting like missiles from the pews, the smell of gunpowder, and the sound of screams quickly revealed this was no prank.

Beverly felt a bullet rip through her shoulder, then she and others hit the floor and began scrambling away under the pews as the shooting continued above them.

Further towards the front, and on the other side of the church, Jerry Waddell pushed his wife to the floor, and got down with her. He heard the shooting pause then recognized the sounds of fumbling with the gun. Looking up over the back of the pew, he could see the gunman struggling, trying to replace the spent 15-round clip.

Simply being angry at the rude disruption of their service, Waddell jumped up and began running towards the shooter. Still unable to work the clips, Ji dashed away from Waddell and back out the door. As they ran across the parking lot, Jerry realized he had his hard-cover hymnal in his hand with his finger still held in the page of the song they had been singing (“Peace Like a River” as Jerry recalls -- admitting his memory could be wrong). As they were both running, he launched the hymnal at the escaping gunman striking him in the back of the head.

Probably thinking his pursuer had struck him with a fist, Ji stopped and whirled to face the defender. The distance between them at that moment, combined with the freight train momentum Waddell had worked up resulted in a body slam that sent both men scraping down the driveway and 15 feet out into the street. Rick Grossenbacher and Richard Goza had also sprung to action and were right behind Jerry. The gang of defenders piled on and held the attacker down.

Police officer Mark Senn was just a few blocks away from the church when he got the call. When he came upon the scene, he could see the commotion outside and quickly determined the shooter was at the bottom of the anger pile. The men began to learn that their friend Thomas DeWeese (who had been sitting on the same pew with his daughter Beverly) had been struck through his chest by one of the bullets, and was dying. At this point Senn’s biggest challenge was to keep the defenders from killing the gunman.

When it was over, the 15-rounds fired resulted in the death of Thomas DeWeese. His daughter Beverly and three others were wounded. The gunman was taken away for life in prison. In his duffle bag they discovered a meat cleaver, several short pieces of rope, 2 loaded .44 Magnum revolvers, and boxes of .44 Mag. and 9mm ammunition -- clear intentions of mass carnage. An attack cut short by Divine intervention and the actions of a few good men.

Think About it:

• The church had no idea the man had any anger at them – a few barely knew him. Yet in his mind he was obsessed with their mistreatment of him. That anger had brewed for years. He had signs in his Apartment in California made of Chinese symbols representing, "Love", "Hate", "Patience", "Anger" (the Chinese “Anger” symbol was interpreted by some in his trial to mean, “revenge”).

• In a later appeal (May 22nd, 1992 – KS Supreme Court documents), the courts recorded that;

“…Even after he left Emporia in 1984 he believed that the people in Emporia were spying on him. Ji finally decided to travel back to Emporia to punish the members of the Calvary Baptist Church. He also believed if there were truly a Christian God that the bullets would be deflected and nothing would happen to the members of the church. If there were no Christian God, as he believed, the members of the church would be hurt. He believed that the members of the Calvary Baptist Church were criminals and he was morally justified in delivering their punishment. Ji admitted he was well aware of his actions and he realized what the consequences could entail but believed what he was doing was right.”

• In Ji’s head, the church (and the town itself) was full of "lying white supremacists." In an interview with a local paper in 1990, Ji justified his actions as a “the result of hatred caused by his years of victimization in an oppressive American society.”

• Threats can come as a surprise from many sources, to any size of a church. Something as innocent as a girl bringing a boy to a few bible studies can be the root of tragedy. Nobody gave it a 2nd thought when G.M would tell folks it didn’t work out and they’d moved on. That scenario happens many times in the lives of our youth. As we know from other studies, an abuser rarely “moves on”. Ji moved away, but he didn’t move on. G.M. wasn’t even at the church when the attacker returned.

• Ji was an officer in the Taiwanese Army before coming to America in 1983, yet he couldn’t eject and reload a SIG clip under stress. Defenders must operate well under stress, and hope that stress may cause a critical lack of mobility on the part of the attacker (we have seen this repeated many times over). Jerry Waddell took advantage of that stress, setting a model for others to follow. While there is nothing as valuable as a firearm to stop a deadly force attack, there are other things that a true warrior will use as weapons. Waddell showed us that (in the hands of a defender) a Hymnal can be a weapon.

• In my visit with Jerry he acknowledged the value of the hymnal tactic. He told me however, he would much rather have a gun were he ever in the same scenario again. I love pure simple Kansas logic – makes me proud to be a native Kansan.

• Jerry Waddell became the first civilian to receive the Gold Award for Valor from the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, (the result of nominations by former Emporia Police Chief Larry Blomenkamp and former Lyon County Sheriff Cliff Hacker).

Inspire Spring 2013 - Carl Chinn - Think About It

Inspire Spring 2013

By: Carl Chinn

Most of you know Al Qaeda has resorted to publishing an English language, on-line publication to recruit and train aspiring Jihadists. The fact that it is English speaking and on-line evidences the primary target.

Military operations had taken out American born Samir Khan (one of the key figures of the magazine) in the same operation that killed Anwar al-Awlaki on 9/30/11. While those strategic strikes were no doubt effective, and continue to prove the long arm of American law, the magazine continues. The Spring 2013 (or 1434 as they prefer to call it) has just been released.

These radicals are emboldened by past terrorist attacks, boasting how those attacks were effective by pointing out that;

• The number of mosques in the US has increased by 74% since 9/11.

• The national Muslim population in Britain has doubled since 9/11.

• The attack in Spain on 3/11/04 swayed the election and public opinions to be more favorable (I would say “cowered to”) Islamic opinions and against American influence.

There is a section called “Open Source Jihad” which is (by its own definition in the section subtitle) “A resource for those who loathe the tyrants; includes bomb making techniques, security measures, guerilla tactics, weapons training and all other Jihad related activities.”

The current leading article in that section encourages readers to use a simple match to combat all the “superior technology” of their enemy (that’s us by the way). The article goes on to say how gas can be carried in an apple-juice bottle as a disguise. The article boasts how 1,200 vehicles were torched in France on New Year’s Eve recently. By providing the procedures, they have also provided American security professionals and law enforcement with helpful counter-terror observations.


The procedures applicable to us as security professionals to note are;

• Carry your bottle(s) of fuel.

• Find a deserted parked car.

• Avoid CCTV cameras or areas where people could see you.

• After finding a suitable place, plan your escape route.

• Pour the petrol on the vehicle(s), do not forget the tires. You can pour a line away from the vehicle.

• Leave the bottle(s) to burn so as to not be caught with it (them).

• Do not touch the vehicle(s), just in case there is an alarm.

• Use a matchstick to torch the vehicle directly or the line of petrol.

• Quickly execute your escape plan acting natural so as to avoid suspicion.

Of all the news articles I have read on this today, none have pointed out the most concerning thing I discovered in the article related to those of us in church security. These Jihadist wannabes are cautioned to avoid the vehicles of fellow Muslims. One way to do that (according the article) is to “go to non-Muslim neighborhoods during their ceremonies”. That comment made me sit up, and should you as well.


Think About it:

• We all know it is a matter of time until the next front-line news story of an international terrorist attack on American soil. A common virus in American churches (even – I am sad to report – in ones with active security operations) is a culture that “it won’t happen here”. Somebody will be wrong about that.

• By being vigilant for such rare possibilities as terrorism, our eyes and ears teams will observe lesser impact but higher likelihood criminal and mischievous plans.

• In a section of Inspire written for women by a woman, they are reminded that, “We refuse humiliation and rejection, misery or subservience; and we want to be free from having to bow from the cross-worshipers.” This and many related comments throughout the common dialogue of this and other Inspire articles evidences that the teaching of Christianity is viewed as a direct attack on them, and they are poised and ready to counter attack.

• Every major metropolitan area, and many isolated small populations have a resident extremist population. Count on it that not far from you right now, are radical extremists who look forward to every new issue of Inspire magazine.

Security Expert Says Churches can be Susceptible to Crime

From: 9 WSOCTV News

CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
Every weekend, thousands of people gather at houses of worship across the Charlotte area. They are places many go to find peace. But security experts say that doesn't mean criminals leave churches and temples alone.

"They view churches and other ministries as an easy target," said Carl Chinn, a church security expert and author.

Chinn said that as security at places like schools, malls and airports increases, criminals will look for easy access somewhere else, and that a house of worship by nature welcomes people in.

"It's a sacred place, but it needs to be a safe place," said Reverend Jim Martin, the church business administrator at Providence Baptist Church.

- See more at: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/special-reports/9-investigates-security-expert-says-churches-can-b/nWZ38/#sthash.7QAWqs5V.dpuf

Think About It - Carl Chinn - Heart of Protection

The Sidewalk Presentation

By Carl Chinn

Those with the heart of protection who want their ministry to increase (or continue) security, should always be ready to clearly state why. We may hope for an opportunity to make a presentation justifying the need to the executive board or the senior pastor. To be so prepared is a good, but we should plan as if our only chance for that speech might happen as we get in step with the pastor in the short walk between his car and the church doors.

In smaller churches, an audience with the right people is easier – but even then we should be well prepared to state our passion in a crisp and effective manner.

So the following might be my Sidewalk Presentation. I encourage you to be ready with yours – in your own words and culture – when it is needed.

Pastor I am happy this is my home church. It is my home church largely due to your leadership. As you are called to lead, I am called to serve -- in protection.

Even before Joseph and Mary heeded warnings to physically protect (and even relocate) baby Jesus from harm intended by others[i], God has continually used His people to intentionally protect His people. At any one of those times (and especially with His own Son) He could have just used angels, but He typically prefers to use willing agents of protection. I am honored and humbled that He has moved upon me to be a servant of protection for our fellowship.

It is not my desire to see our property resemble Ft. Knox, our security team to look like Delta Force, or our medical volunteers dressed as surgeons. But I do hope you will allow us to intentionally and actively protect our staff and guests.

I’ve no doubt we both agree there is a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.[ii] Will you allow me to be our ministry’s Sheepdog?


Think About it:

• Not everyone thinks about security the way you do. Your pastor probably doesn’t have this website marked as a favorite, and that is OK. We want him to present the message of your ministry in the way he is called and credentialed to do.

• Even if you already have a team, and are recognized as a viable effort, there are some who do not agree with security in church. And the day may come when those who once acknowledged the need, no longer feel that way. Always be ready to clearly state your case.

[i] Matthew 2:14-15
[ii] 1 Peter 5:8-9

Managing Your Church - Interview with Carl Chinn

From: Christianity Today

2012: “A Bad Year for Violence” at Churches

Last month, church security expert Carl Chinn updated his statistics on violent incidents at churches and faith-based organizations. He began tracking this information in 1999 by learning of incidents reported by news agencies, which he then independently researches and verifies before categorizing and tabulating them. The result of this work is 14 years of data churches can use to analyze the risk of violence for their congregation.

Click for Link

Church Congregations Consider use of Armed Guards

From: Columbus Dispatch

At St. John’s Evangelical Protestant Church, leaders take seriously their job of protecting the flock.

Even before the shooting that left more than two dozen dead at an elementary school in Newtown, Conn., in December, surveillance cameras monitored the Downtown church’s grounds, visitors had to be buzzed into offices, and ushers were trained in how best to respond to emergencies.

But the discomfort level rises when the discussion turns to the best way to handle a weapon-bearing intruder, said the Rev. Virginia Lohmann Bauman, senior pastor over the United Church of Christ community of about 350. Like people at many other worship places, St. John’s members don’t feel that armed security guards belong in the sanctuary.

Click for Article

Comments on weekly Think About It Post - Calvary Albuquerque Church

I originally included this just as a comment to the last post by Carl Chinn; however, after thought I felt that it would be good for everyone to see…

------------------

Wow… I posted an article yesterday regarding this incident (family murder by Nehemiah Griego); however, until I read though Carl Chinn’s weekly “Think About It” series I had no idea the extent that the church played into this event!

The news and mainstream media will concentrate on the family members that were killed by this tragedy. They will focus on the fact that an “assault rifle” was used in this crime. I am not saying that these things are important; however, I do think that his is only part of the story. What the press will not do is focus on the fact that it was the precise actions of the pastor and security director that possibly prevented the deaths of multiple other lives.

We all can lean a lot from the actions that occurred at Calvary Albuquerque Church!

Thank you Carl for this post!

Carl Chinn - Think About It - Nehemiah Griego

An Attack Sitting Ready in the Parking lot …

By. Carl Chinn 

 

I don’t know Vince Harrison, and have never been to the Calvary Albuquerque Church where he serves as Security Chief in Albuquerque, NM. Next time I am in Albuquerque I am going to look him up.

 

On Saturday morning, January 19th, Mr. Harrison was teaching dozens of Sunday School teachers on principles of incident readiness – including active shooter readiness. While we don’t know exactly what time 15-year-old Nehemiah Griego began wandering aimlessly around the church campus, it is quite possible that as Harrison was teaching that group, Griego had arrived.

 

Harrison was called back to the church after completing the readiness classes, as young Griego had been saying some disturbing things to a pastor. When Harrison began to interview the teen, his flags went up and he called the sheriff’s office. Harrison then drove Griego to their rural home to meet arriving law enforcement. There they found many Griego family members – Mom, Dad, a 9-year-old brother, and sisters 2 & 5 years old -- laying throughout the house shot to death.

 

The 15-year-old confessed to shooting all of them in their beds around 1:00 AM that day, except his dad. His dad had been working all night at a homeless shelter, so the teen had waited in ambush in the family bathroom for his dad to come home. When dad got there, he too was gunned down and killed.

 

Then Nehemiah had taken the assault rifle he used and another gun, loaded them in a van and headed to town where he planned to shoot some random people. His primary target was Wal-Mart, but he went instead to the church, where the van with the weapons sat ready in the parking lot. Church video confirmed he had wandered the campus for hours, speaking to many he knew from church.

 

Nehemiah confessed that he intended to “shoot people at random and eventually be killed while exchanging gunfire with law enforcement”. Thankfully he never carried out the rest of his attack plans.

 

Think About it:

• You never know when someone enters your campus, or walks into your front door where their mind is at, or what kind of things they have encountered before being there at your place. 

• While “intruder awareness” is a good readiness subject, attackers are often not an “intruder” at all – they are familiar faces. Nearly 1 in 4 (24.5%) of attackers in the DFI study were affiliated (member, past member, employee, or volunteer) with the ministry.

• The Greigo family were “front row seat regulars” at the church. The elder Griego and Nehemiah had been on missions trips together. Nehemiah played drums in the church youth band. Harrison had known the family for 10 years. Griego’s dad had served as a pastor at the church.

• The pastor that young Griego was talking to followed something (Instincts? Policies? Training?) to call the church security director. Does your church have that kind of culture with the counselors, pastors, teachers and staff? Please fix it if it isn’t in your culture – print this TAI off and give a copy to your church administrator and / or senior pastor – anyone who can start the staff talking to security when needed. Blame me – I made you do it.

• When you feel an urge to prepare your people – follow that urge. While the incident you see in your mind isn’t how “it” will go down, readiness will help when “it” takes shape in front of you.

• Harrison said it sent chills up his spine to later learn what kind of potential was present and waiting in the church parking lot. It sent chills up our spines as well brother.

• Pray for this church as if they were your own. It could have been any of us, and this is a hard thing for them. More than 2,000 attended the funerals for this widely known and respected family. Pray for Harrison as well as he continues to lead his people in readiness.

2012 in Review by Carl Chinn

Think About It - Carl Chinn

2012 in review

As you may have noticed, I do not try to be the breaking news of deadly force incidents – that just isn’t my calling. It always takes a few days for the real story to work its way out. Since the intention of {www.carlchinn.com} is to provide helpful insight from lessons learned, it is incumbent to get the stories as correct as possible in a fair time frame.

All the 2012 stories are in now, and it was a bad year for violence at faith-based organizations. Here is an overview of 2012;


· There were 135 deadly force incidents discovered (the highest of any year yet). Of those 135 incidents, 39 (28.9%) were an attack which resulted in the death of others (ARDO’s).

· In those 39 ARDO’s, 56 victims lost their lives.

· Of those 56 victims, 40 (71.4%) were Intentional current or former participants (member, past member, employee, guest, volunteer) of the ministry. 16 (such as stories from 12/30, 11/11, 8/16 & 8/7 as examples) were victims of a homicide that took place at the ministry, but had no known victim connection to the ministry.

· 19 aggressors (counting suicides) died in these incidents, bringing the total violent deaths at faith-based organizations in 2012 to 75 – the most I have ever seen in one year – by a long way. This was nearly a 39% increase from the previous most violent year (2009) in which we saw 54 violent deaths at FBO’s.

· As typical with the multi-year study, nearly 90% of the attackers in 2012 were not stopped by others – they stopped when they were ready to stop. There were only 2 stopped in the process by responding active-duty law enforcement (the Greater Sweethome Missionary Baptist killer on 10/29/12 in Texas, and the Sikh Temple shooter in Wisconsin on 8/5/12). 3 were stopped by church members (though one of those was an off-duty officer and one was a former officer).

· The most common weapon was a firearm (55.9%), followed by stabbing weapons (17.9%).

· It was once again evident that the exterior of the buildings is most volatile. Again it was 2 to 1 more likely that an incident would happen outside than inside.

· Catholic and Baptist places tied for the most incidents – each had 23 experiences on US soil this year.


Think About it:

• Though a gun is still the most likely weapon any church will face if there is an attack, there are still a lot of folks (and state laws) who don’t understand the need for armed security. As we all know, the best way to stop a bad person with a gun is a good person with a gun.

• There was an average of 1.44 people killed in each ARDO. The average killed in attacks that were stopped by congregants in place was 1.33. The average killed by the time responding law enforcement got there was 3.5. This rating is consistent through the years – fewer people die when there is someone ready in the building. Year after year if the shooter isn’t stopped until law enforcement arrives, the death toll is going to be high. Yet there are still many who simply think 911 will suffice in a pinch.

• Though slightly off-topic, I want to encourage all of you to watch the Saturday Bulgarian assassination attempt. The suddenness of the attack should be a real eye-opener to all protection agents. Gavin de Becker’s book on the subject -- Just Two Seconds – is a very good read on this subject as well.

Breaking News: Carl Chinn's Evil Invades Sanctuary Hits Amazon

The book "Evil Invades Sanctuary" by Carl Chinn (author of our regular "Think About It Series") is now available from Amazon.

From Amazon: Many consider the need for security in churches and faith-based organizations, but little gets done until somebody gets hurt. Evil Invades Sanctuary is not a how-to church security book; it is a literary journey confirming the need for security in faith-based organizations. It tells the stories of those involved in deadly force incidents in such a way to help others (both law enforcement and civilian security operators) understand what goes on inside such a scene. Evil has invaded sanctuary, and will do so again.

The book is available for only $12.00

If you are reading this website then you should also be reading this book!! Amazon states that it is "Out of Stock"; however once an order is placed through Amazon, Carl will be notified and will send you a copy of the book directly. Amazon regularly does this with new books to estimate the proper number of stock for their warehouse.

Link to Book on Amazon

Carl Chinn: "Think About It" Series

Evil Among us

By: Carl Chinn

I am angry, can’t sleep, and am literally sick to my stomach. My wife’s throat hurt Friday from screaming out in anguish as the horror out of Sandy Hook Elementary became news to the world.

How do we stop such evil? At what stage can we stop it?

• Before it clutches the mind and soul of the attacker?
• If not then, perhaps before it plays out on innocent victims?
• If we can’t interrupt it before it starts, can we stop it short of its intended finish?
• If it runs a full course in one scenario, can we prevent it from the same source in the next?

It is incumbent upon us as protection professionals to give due diligence to every one of those phases. The 4 questions above fit into the security concepts of prevention, preparation, response and recovery.

As we brace ourselves for this thing to turn political, as protection professionals we need to stay out of the passionate arguments. We observe the horror to harvest our own lessons learned, and to sharpen the saw of our own readiness.

Think About it:

• Stand strong at your churches and ministries this week. Look into the eyes of those you protect and thank God for every one of them.

• I have studied and dissected 255 attacks which resulted in the death of others at faith-based organizations since 1999. Of those 255 attacks, only a total of 24 were stopped in the process by others (12 by law enforcement, 12 by volunteers). The troubling statistic here is that 90.6% of the time, the attacker did not stop until they were ready to stop.

• There is nothing like a gun in the hands of a defender to stop a gun in the hands of evil. I recall reading some of the criticisms in letters to the editor on our use of deadly force to stop the attacker at our church shooting in 2007. People actually suggested we should have used pepper spray. There really is a serious disconnect of reality in the minds of people who don’t understand evil – pure idiocy. That idiocy is observed in “gun-free zones”. We have to start fixing that issue. Gun free zones (like Sandy Hook Elementary) only provide a field of no resistance for evil. It is time we allow teachers, custodians, or any other workers who are willing to invest in training, and possess the character and desire of protection, to do so.

• Outside teams take notice. At Sandy Hook, the attacker parked in a drop-off zone. He was dressed tactically, and forced his way inside. Watch those DLR’s! (for those of you who are new to reading my website; DLR = “Don’t Look Right”).

• I thank you for your service of protection. Extend your thanks to those you serve with. Thank those in leadership for allowing you to serve in protection.

• Thank God for allowing us to do our parts in the deterrence, detection, delay, denial and destruction of evil. May He enlarge our steps as we work towards success in the protection of the innocent.

Church Security Training & Tips

Anthony Coppedge is a church technology consultant, speaker, and author with experience identifying strategies, building scalable systems and processes, and focusing efforts to stay true to the vision and DNA of an organization. He recently published an article on his blog featuring our friends Carl Chinn and Church Chadwick. I have included several of his points below, but encourage you to click on the link to view the full article.

From: Church Central Leadership Community

Church Safety & Security Tips

HIRING OFF DUTY LAW ENFORCEMENT
Many larger law enforcement agencies do not allow officers to serve as security volunteers when they are off-duty. However, extra-duty agreements are often an option with those agencies. There are often officers willing to serve from smaller jurisdictions in the region that do not have no-voluntary-service employment clauses.

VOLUNTEER SECURITY ROTATION
Try to organize volunteers into two teams – odd & even – each of which serves only on the Sundays with odd or even dates. This way you don’t burn out volunteers, and they are able to attend service with their family every other Sunday. A few times a year (on months with 5 Sundays) they need to work two weekends in a row

VIDEO CAMERA SURVEILLANCE SYSTEMS
CCTV (surveillance) systems not only deter crime and capture incidents, but verify what didn’t happen as well as (critical in false accusation cases).

INTRUSION DETECTION
Intrusion detection systems can be integrated with automated lighting controls. For example – when a door is forced, window broken or motion sensors are activated at night, all exterior building lights and the parking lot lights can come on. Lights always on can be almost as vulnerable as lights never on. But lights that come on due to some action catch the attention of both perps and night-time patrolling officers.

FIRE ALARMS
Pre-alarm covers on pull stations prevent most nuisance fire alarms. In addition, you may check with your fire alarm system provider regarding PAS (Positive Alarm Sequence) programming. This allows operations staff 180 seconds to investigate any alarm before the horns go off. The fire department will require evidence of effective staff training on fire alarms, which is a mandated benefit.

LIABILITY DUE TO SEXUAL PREDATORS
If you knew or should have known that a person had the potential and / or history of harming children, you may be liable. Beyond that man-made legal mandate is the far more important God-given order to look after those little ones with sincerity. When it comes to sexual predators – you won’t recognize them when you see them. Develop recurring background investigations for all volunteers and all staff regardless of whether their position is related to children, youth or vulnerable adults because all staff and volunteers will be around them in some way at some time.

SecurityatChurch.com recommends IntelliCorp for background check screening. Use Promotional Code: SAC001when setting up an account. Click for IntelliCorp Website

VEHICLE THEFT
A car broken into in a church parking lot is a serious issue. Police should always be notified instantly, as these thieves often take information from the vehicle registration to determine the home of the owner – drawing a conclusion that the home will be unguarded then, or at the same time in future weeks. In some cases, they take the garage door opener and before the investigation is over at the parking lot, they are already in the home. As a precaution, vehicle registration and other owner address information should be kept in a secure place in the vehicle.

SECURITY PROGRAM LOCAL HELP
Don’t re-invent the entire wheel when developing a security program. Local ordinances often require Shelter in Place, Emergency Action or Security Plans for schools. Police school resource officers will often share relative school district programs when asked.

LOGGING ACCIDENTS
Keep an incident log of medical emergencies, and quickly pass on the names of any persons treated for medical issues to pastoral staff for prompt personal follow-up ministry.

DISCREET LIVE NOTIFICATIONS
The best eyes on the audience are those of the announcer, Senior Pastor or Song Leader (depending on the time of service). When and of these folks see something that may need the attention of security, they can point with a unique gesture (not a normal gesture for them). To anyone in the audience, it simply looks like a normal speaking hand gesture. To those in security, you will know where to focus attention.

OFFICE RECEPTIONIST ALERTS
You can train receptionists to make an announcement to equally trained staff responders over the intercom system of “Tom Smith, you have a call on line 1” any time a situation is making her uncomfortable at the front lobby. Choose any name that is not someone working for you – it is an announcement requesting assistance.

SecurityatChurch.com recommends ePainic Button as an easy an inexpensive solution to notifications during an emergency. Click for ePanic Button Website

SECURITY PERSONNEL IDENTIFICATION

There are two primary ways of security personnel identification – uniformed, or non-uniformed. Non-uniformed is preferred in almost all ministry environments. Should a significant incident develop, there will be a need for identification as first responders arrive – they must be able to distinguish between the good and bad human elements on scene. Badges are good, but in a high-adrenalin incident they won’t be seen. Following are some options;
Professional jackets that look like good usher jackets but have tactical pockets. In a security or emergency situation extra flaps are available out of the vest pocket and collar that identify SECURITY.
Undercover (non-uniformed) local, state and federal law enforcement agents have the same concern – other responding law enforcement to their scenes also may not recognize them as the “good side”. The most dangerous time for “blue on blue” shootings is after the assailant has been engaged or disabled and multiple responders are arriving on scene. A great resource (tool) is the DSM (don’t shoot me) pull-out banner available at www.DSMsafety.com.

CHILD CHECK-IN AND CHECK-OUT

Check-In -
Register child in system
Print 2 tags/stickers and affix to Child and Parent
Check child into room

Check-Out -
Match parent tag with child tag upon Exit.

Pretty Simple, Right? Not so fast. What if you have to evacuate in the middle of the service? How will you reconcile all of the children to their parents? Did you make a list/log of the children as they entered the room that you could take with you outside in an evacuation? (Check-In step 3)

Here’s a pretty cool addition to a sticker system I saw implemented at one of our church clients; Instead of printing just TWO stickers; print THREE. Use the third sticker to stick on a classroom Log Book. Initial beside each sticker as the child is matched with the parent at the classroom door for checkout. If there is an emergency, take the log book/sheets with you. This is a list of children in the room and a way to check them out after the evacuation.

RISK & VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS
Risk & Vulnerability Assessments are critical as a first step in developing any security program. Law enforcement and insurance agencies both perform them without charge. It is good to modify one (after the first one done by others) to repeat annually to record progress and make certain nothing has slipped.

Click for Full Article

10 Questions Parents Need to Ask About School Security

10 Questions

By: Carl Chinn

Sometimes I see an article written by others that is just too good to keep to myself. Such as it was when I read the following written by my friend, Eric Smith. Currently, Eric is the Director of Security of a healthcare system. He is the sitting President of the International Association of Healthcare Security and Safety (IAHSS), Colorado Chapter. Previously, Eric was a police officer where he served as a firearm and emergency driving instructor, as well as a field training officer.

The following was posted on his website (which is a good one to add to your favorites bar): www.businesskarate.com


10 Questions Parents Need to Ask About School Security

Summer is winding down. That means school has started, or is about to, depending on where in the country you are. Amidst the rush to get supplies, school clothes and back to a more hectic pace of life, parents should ask some basic questions about their kids’ school security. Schools are normally safe havens for our children, but are very vulnerable to becoming a target. They are generally ‘soft’ targets with little in the way of security staff and attract a lot of attention when things go wrong.

As a concerned parent, take a few moments to ask some basic questions about the school’s security program and verify that everything reasonable is being done to keep children safe in school. Just by taking an interest and following up with the school will send the message that safety is important and helps ensure that the best steps will be taken.


1. Who’s in charge?

The first item is to find out who is responsible for security. Is it listed as a duty in their job description? It is a good bet that if no one is responsible for security, then security is just an afterthought at the school.

2. Access control –

How many doors are left unlocked during the school day and who locks them up afterwards? Are all the open doors in a location where they can be supervised by staff? How are visitors identified?

3. Background screening –

All employees working around kids should be screened during the hiring phase. Does the screening process look for criminal convictions around the country or just locally? What is the policy on individuals with criminal histories – at what point are they considered non-hirable? Is there any screening on long-term employees after they have been hired, such as an annual criminal record check?

4. Crime tracking –

Is there a record of criminal events or suspicious activity that occurs on the property? How about periodic tracking of data to see if crime is increasing or decreasing around campus?

5. Security risk assessment –

Every year, a security risk assessment should be completed to identify high risks and that information should in turn be the focus of efforts to fix the gaps. Does the assessment include a review of policies and procedures, crime reports, local crime, as well as building security including lighting and landscape?

6. Security drills –

When was the last security drill? Were areas for improvement identified and what steps were taken to make those improvements? Along the same lines, what kind of security awareness training has been provided to faculty? Has staff been trained to identify suspicious behavior?

7. Video surveillance –

Video surveillance can be a great tool for evidence gathering after an incident, as well as a chance to detect and deter suspicious problems. Does staff know how to use the existing video surveillance system to search for events, as well as download images or video for law enforcement? Is the software updated routinely and how often are the cameras cleaned or serviced?

8. Threat assessment team –

Does the school have a team to assess any risky events or threats? A mix of staff and local law enforcement should be part of the team to evaluate threats or violent behavior and develop an action plan on how to respond.

9. Tracking of custody issues –

This applies to parents with sole or shared custody following a separation. How does the school track and enforce who is allowed to pick up kids from class? What steps are taken to prevent parental kidnapping? Are copies of restraining orders kept on file along with any court-issued custody papers?

10.Special events –

How is security maintained when off campus? Field trips or even on-campus events may require additional security measures. What steps are considered and how is protection maintained?

As a parent, one of the best things that you can do to help keep your children safe at school is to ask these questions and show an interest, and let administration know that security is an important consideration.

Think About it:

• While Eric was writing about schools, his thoughts are applicable to any organization that has a regular population of children.

• Churches sometimes fear they will offend parents by taking measures such as locking certain doors, or having a posted guard in the area of their children. While there are some dissidents to any measure, most parents (and certainly us Grandparents) appreciate active, intentional measures to protect those children. While you are concerned about offending them, the parents should be looking at your church with questions such as Eric listed as they consider attending there.

• If your church can answer all these questions positively, you are confirming your care of children.

Church Security Conference - Wyoming, MI

UPCOMING CHURCH SECURITY CONFERENCE

FEATURING SPEAKERS 

Chuck Chadwick and Carl Chinn

  

TOPICS includes:

Three Strands of Church Security by Chuck Chadwick

• The Threat
• Strand One - Team Players
• Strand Two - Systems and Tools
• Strand Three - Policies and Procedures

Carl Chinn will speak on the subject of ministry environment security and emergency response and his eye witness recount of New Life church shooting and Focus on the Family hostage incident.

Click here for more information...

WHEN: March 9, 2013

WHERE: Grand Rapids First

LOCATION: 2100 44th Street Southwest

Wyoming, MI 49519

COST: $50 until February 27th and $75 at the door

REGISTRATION: Link - COMING SOON!

SCHEDULE: 

• 8:00 - 9:00 a.m. Breakfast (Included)
• 9:00 - 12:00 p.m. Session One
• 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. Lunch (Included)
• 1:00 - 5:00 p.m. Session Two

ACCOMMODATIONS: Click here...

CONTACT: Sally or Kim (616) 531-2100 for questions.

Why? - "Think About It Series"

Why?

By: Carl Chinn

(Excerpt from the book, Evil Invades Sanctuary)

Before 9/11/01 airline crews were instructed simply to cooperate with the demands of hijackers. The model of hijackers capitalizing on that quiet compliance to use the plane as a suicide bomb had never happened. It is not a bad mark against the crews and passengers of the first three planes that day that they didn’t take action. They complied as most would have, given the models to go by. It is really quite remarkable that the passengers and crew of flight 93 so quickly created the new model.

Now airline protocol (as well as passenger response) is different, and because of that difference Richard Reid now shares prison with the likes of Ted Kaczynski instead of sharing history with Mohamed Atta. Flight attendants and passengers took 6’ 4” Reid down hard with creative weapons of seatbelt extensions, headphones and brute force as he tried to bring down American Airlines flight 63 over the Atlantic shortly after 9/11 with a deadly bomb hidden in his shoe.

Just as law enforcement agencies, schools and airlines learn and adapt from incidents, churches should do the same. Threats are endless and unpredictable, as are their triggers (reasons for the attacks). The triggersoffered for heinous examples following are not spiritual theories. That angle can be written by someone else. These are simply the reasons discovered in the investigations.

On April 27th, 2003 Daniel Bondeson laced arsenic into the coffee in the Gustaf Adolph Lutheran Church in New Sweden, Maine. Walter Reid Morrill died, and 15 others were hospitalized as a result of the poisoning. It was discovered to have been retaliation over petty church politics, personal grudges, and being offended by nasty tasting coffee at a previous church event.

On April 25th, 2008 an argument over damaged mailboxes erupted in the parking lot of the Pinedale Baptist Church in Ashville, Alabama leaving one man shot and killed.

In Wheaton, Minnesota on September 3, 2009 Claude Hankins and David Collins got into a fight in the sanctuary of Thy Kingdom Come World Ministry over a washer and dryer. Collins swung a baseball bat at Hankins hitting Hankins’s 14 month old daughter instead, killing her.

At a party on March 11th, 2011 at the Bethlehem United Methodist Church Community Center in Edin, North Carolina, Eric Blackstock and Akeen Laquan Clark got into an argument over the best place to live in the area. Clark produced a handgun and shot Blackstock in the chest.


Think About it:

• How can you determine when someone walks through the door of your facility where their mind is at? How do you know who or what may have set them off? It may not have anything to do with your place as the source of the retaliation. Often an offense simply came from an obscure church member or stranger. Ministry leadership was often not aware of, nor did they have any control or influence over the situation until it exploded under their roof or in their parking lot.

• In many deadly force incidents at churches and ministries there was at least some level of observation of the brewing storm. For various reasons it wasn’t taken seriously until it was too late and became an investigation. In Louisville, KY this week a shooting erupted inside the Springdale Community Church. A neighborhood housing association was meeting in the church (as a bible study and athletic program were occurring in other areas of the church and grounds). 73-year-old David Merritt was killed and 69-year-old Marvin Fisher remains in critical condition after 55-year-old Dr. Mahmoud Hindi became enraged over a long-standing dispute over a driveway, fence, satellite dish and no-trespassing sign on his property and started shooting.

• Many crimes (violent and non-violent) occur when we least expect them. But since the beginning of times when people interacted with others, there have been conflicts. When those conflicts are observed, we should pay attention. Of 581 incidents studied at faith-based organizations, 15.05% were due to a conflict between two or more people that erupted into deadly force actions.