Pastor vs. Thief

The below video is a news clip of a Pastor who took security into his own hands. I would not recommend this approach but the video is work watching!

$1,000 Reward in Church Burglary Case

(Cullman, AL) "WIAT- Is nothing sacred? That's the sentiment in Cullman County where burglars hit eight churches in one night. Sheriff Tyler Roden says they're stealing and doing damage in the process."

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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.

Are you prepared for a National Disaster?

"The rain and flooding left at least 11 dead Sunday in Tennessee, closing interstates, displacing thousands from their homes, prompting evacuations of hotels and nursing homes, and turning streets and parking lots into raging rivers."

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Good friends of mine live in the middle of this disaster in Tennessee. My thoughts and prayers go out to them, their friends and their family. Are you and your church prepared for a event like this? Go to FEMA's "Are you Ready" site for more information.

This is only 1.5 miles from our dear friends home!

Car Bomb in Times Square

This article is not directly related to Church Security; however, it should serve as a good reminder that we as a nation are still faced with real threats everyday. It is by God's grace this this Vehicle Born Improvised Explosive Device (VBIED) did not explode. We all need to stay vigilant in our efforts on Safety and Security.

"A crude car bomb of propane, gasoline and fireworks was discovered in a smoking Nissan Pathfinder in the heart of Times Square on Saturday evening, prompting the evacuation of thousands of tourists and theatergoers on a warm and busy night. Although the device had apparently started to detonate, there was no explosion, and early on Sunday the authorities were still seeking a suspect and motive."

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Brendan McDermid/Reuters

Don't Miss This Event!

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Are your Utilities Protected?

"Gaston, SC (WLTX) - Churchgoers focus on the future after a man is arrested for stealing both of the church's air conditioner units.

'it's just a shame that a church that offers so much to a community gets taken advantage of'.

Tony Lester with the Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in Gaston is building a six foot security fence to protect their new air-conditioner units"

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It is a very good idea to protect the mechanical area's of your church. The mechanical/engineering room inside your church should always be locked. Most buildings have a mechanical area on the outside of the building as well. A fence is a very smart way to keep unwanted visitors away from this expensive equipment. Whether it is a villain looking to steal the copper out of the air conditioning unit or simply kids being unwise and mischievous, you want to limit access to areas that could ultimately cause the church large sums of money to fix if damaged. 

This is a good example of providing security and visual aesthetics at the same time.

Should a Shooting in a Church be a Hate Crime?

"The gang members who opened fire at a funeral service in East Oakland on Tuesday should be prosecuted under state and federal hate crime statutes.

Firing a weapon into or inside a house of worship packed with mourners is about as direct an assault on an individual's religious beliefs as you can get. Thankfully, no was hit by the half dozen rounds fired."

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