Update: Alabama Kidnapping - Hostage - School Bus Shooting

From: The New York Times
MIDLAND CITY, Ala. — A tense standoff in rural Alabama involving a man with a history of violent behavior and a 5-year-old boy he abducted from a school bus is unlikely to end quickly, law enforcement officials said Thursday. The two remained holed up in the man’s underground bunker...

The boy is reportedly doing well, said an Alabama state senator, Harri Anne Smith, in a television interview early Thursday. She and a state representative, Steve Clouse, have met with the boy’s mother, who wanted to ensure that medication he is said to take was delivered to the bunker, along with coloring books and food.

Click for Article

Church Security After Sandy Hook

From: Associated Baptist Press - The Baptist Standard

The Sandy Hook school massacre terrified parents nationwide and sparked a debate on gun control and school security. But it’s also led to some soul searching on church staffs worried about how to best protect worshipers and school children in their buildings.

Click for Article

FOX News: POLICE STANDOFF: Gunman Shoots School Bus Driver, Snatches Child

From: Fox News
The Alabama man police say shot and killed a school bus driver Tuesday in an attempt to kidnap a 6-year-old boy has been hunkered down for hours with the child in an underground bunker on his remote property, The Dothan Eagle, a local newspaper, reported.

The paper reported that neighbors in Midland City, which is in south Alabama, identified the suspect as Jimmy Lee Dykes, 67. Police have not officially released the suspect's identity.

Click for Article:
POLICE STANDOFF: Gunman Shoots School Bus Driver, Snatches Child.

Arkansas Senate Passes Church Guns Rights Bill -

From: USA Today

The Church Protection Act

The Arkansas Senate has passed a bill lifting a ban on carrying concealed weapon in church.

The proposal, which goes to the Arkansas House for consideration, would allow churches to decide which, if any, worshippers with concealed carry permits can bring their firearms inside.

The measure passed 28-4 on Monday, KATV reported.

Click for Article

Police call for Increase in Church Security - St. Louis Mayor Comments

From: KMOV 

Police call for local churches to increase security after latest robbery!

A robbery at an East St. Louis church is just the latest in a string of crimes at churches, places thought would be sacred ground and off limits to criminals.

Since a man with mental problemsshot the pastor of Maryville Baptist church four years ago, crime at churches across the nation has shot up 527 percent, according to a Missouri company that provides security advice and training to churches...

“It’s just totally, totally unacceptable to have someone there for a worship experience being robbed,” said East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks.

Click for Article and Video

Billy Graham's Grandson Comments on Sovereign Grace Ministries Sex Abuse Case

From: Christianity Today

In response to a civil lawsuit alleging that it covered up numerous cases of child sexual abuse, Sovereign Grace Ministries (SGM) has pledged to "carefully review" each accusation.

However, the lawsuit—which claims the association of Reformed church plants discouraged victims' parents from reporting abuse to authorities and had victims forgive their abusers in person—has also prompted the denomination to cite its First Amendment right to religious freedom...

Highlights from Article:

"SGM believes that allowing courts to second-guess pastoral guidance would represent a blow to the First Amendment that would hinder, not help, families seeking spiritual direction among other resources in dealing with the trauma related to any sin including child sexual abuse," Tommy Hill, SGM's Director of Administration
----

Boz Tchividjian, founder and executive director of Godly Response to Abuse in the Christian Environment (GRACE), which has investigated sex abuse allegations previously for New Tribes Mission and currently for Bob Jones University, readily acknowledges that he does not know all the facts. But the former Florida child abuse prosecutor takes issue with the SGM statement.

"Quite frankly, any time an institution—a Christian institution—responds or defends its behavior as it relates to sexual abuse allegations with quoting laws and hiding behind constitutions, it causes me concern," said Tchividjian, a law professor and grandson of Billy Graham. "I think an authentic, gospel-centered response to sexual abuse disclosures within an institution is to be transparent and to be vulnerable.

"God did his most powerful work when his son was transparent and vulnerable," Tchividjian added, referring to Jesus' crucifixion.

---
In Maryland, where the lawsuit was filed and SGM was based until relocating to Kentucky last year, state law does not require the reporting of child abuse if such notification would disclose a communication protected by the clergy-penitent privilege.

However, Tchividjian said the focus of the law "is on perpetrators who may 'confess' and not victims or their family members who may disclose the abuse to their pastor."

Click for Full Article

Suicide and the Local Church - What Are You Doing to Prepare? - Suicide Prevention

From: Upper Michigan's Source

HARVEY -- Saint Louis the King Catholic Church in Harvey hosted a suicide prevention workshop Sunday.

The workshop highlighted the "Question, Persuade, Refer" program.

The Q-P-R program teaches how best to approach someone who might be suicidal, how best to keep them from committing suicide, and how to reach out to a professional with them

Click for Article

Security at Church: I thought this article illustrate a great idea for churches across America. What are we doing at our places of worship to prepare in advance for situations resulting in suicide?

Looking back over the last five years I am aware of 5-10 people in my immediate circle that have committed suicide. Several of these suicides have involved individuals and family members from my local church. The last suicide involved my childhood neighbor. He recently finished a tour of duty in the Middle East. He was a young kid in his twenties. I am not sure what happened or what he was specifically dealing with to feel that he had to claim his own life...But he did… A few years back a child of another lifelong family friend decided to kill himself. This case involved a history and battle with substance abuse.

Every time one of these tragedies occurred I recall countless people making statements of surprise, confusion and disbelief that this could happen. According to the most recent data from the CDC (2009) suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. Over 38,000 people committed suicide during the year of report. Looking at these numbers we need to realize that suicide is a reality and that it can affect those around us! We need to learn the sings and symptoms of someone who may be contemplating suicide. We need to ask the right questions. Persuade those around us that suicide is not the best options and then refer them to PROFESSIONAL help!

I want to highlight that last statement that I just made… I fully agree with the involvement of clergy in the personal affairs of their congregants. With that being said, medical conditions need the help of trained medical professional. Counseling and psychiatric support should be made available and be given by trained professionals. There are professional all around the country that share your religious beliefs and can tailor their medical treatment to meet your concerns. You should not discount the help of a professional in this situation. Clergy may have all of the right intentions; however, the majority of them DO NOT have the proper medical training to deal with these situations on their own.

Burglars Steal TVs - San Antonio Church

From: HSAT News

SAN ANTONIO - Burglars smashed out a window and busted into a building to steal flat screen TV's from a northside church.

The thieves scored three flat screens from the children's ministry area of the Friendship Church in the 14000 block of San Pedro.

Church leaders had just shown up for Sunday services when they discovered the break-in

Click for Article