Pastor Forming Armed Security Team for Church

[Willieboy]

The Pastor at my church sent me an email asking me to attend a meeting next Sunday to learn about a security team the church is forming. A Houston police sgt. will be addressing the group and talking about security issues in general and the churches weak points in particular. The pastor sent me the email because he knows I am one of four or five guys who carry at church.

I think this is a good idea because, while church services are in session, there are two groups of children in another part of the church. One group is made up of toddlers who are being entertained/supervised during the service and the other group is attending Sunday school.

Our church is kind of out in the sticks and I would have thought it would be relatively safe but, these days, I wonder if that can be taken for granted.

What do you guys think of the Pastor's idea. Armed men in God's house to protect the folks.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[steyrsdad]

love it

[rainmaker]

Excellent idea. I'd suggest you check out Christiansecuritynetwork-dot-org and churchsecurityalliance-dot-com. Both sites deal with church security and are a good place to start. Also, do a search for posts on this forum regards church security and etc - it's been a subject more than once here.

[Topspeed]

I think more churches should start being more security conscious.

[Janq]

In addition to having a police come talk to you about security measures it would be wise to have your town/city police _chief_ and/or the sherriff (not a deputy) or a state police lead (captain or better) come in and meet with you all as well.
I'd even go so far as to have you guys voluntarily provide said LEo reps background check info and what have you to them along with any certs & quals you might have AND even go so far to voluneteer to take a local/city/state police qualifier shoot.

Why?
Because guess who will be stepping on your neck if/when you do have an issue on site while as _civilians_ acting as security. Hell you might even get lucky and be deputized as while specifically in the act of working as security for what is a community center...Your church. Being deputized affords you certain legal and judicial protections. Think about that.

Next you should also have an attorney come in to meet with your group and the pastor as well as the churches board of directors and/or deacons if existent.

Why?
Because guess who will be on the hook for civil complaint if a bystander gets hit by an errant bullet from any of you. Or has a heart attack from fear alone.
What happens if one of you are injured while in the process of doing this volunteer job? Seriously injured or even handicapped for life thereafter such as wrench your back or bust a joint?

Next you should seek out an insurance man. A very very good one.
Those guys are dryer than sheetrock but hey lets face facts, the world is rife with pitfalls. Insurance is a necessity in these days and times, and has been for sometime now. Insurance very much can help to mitigate real potential losses.

Last item, your church on it's own dime should volunteer to send ALL of you guys including any potential stand ins to a good gun school tune-up course.
Gunsite, Sig Academy, S&W Academy, Ayoob, our own Rob Pincus who travels or Tom Perroni's group in VA...Someplace or some person (brought in local) that is 1) Very well respected in industry and by that can be referenced in court to a jury of your "peers" as being same, 2) Someone that offers a hard certificate based training program that is not a pay and you passed type deal and this latter item will likely be a sore point for folk but 3) It should also not be an NRA specific/instructed training course simply for market reasons alone nevermind that they do not provide 'security' training only personal protection basics and firearms handling training. Remember you will be judged by your peers and they will be looking at you as though you are 'trained' security _staff_ as akin to police. How many police do you know just pass an NRA course as related to use of arms and force and are on the streets? Would you yourself deem that to meet your own expected standards? I think not.

These are items you personally should be considering as BEFORE agreeing to expose yourself to very real personal, medical, financial, civil and even criminal risk.

It's nice that your clergy thought of you.
But now it's on you to think of you, first!, before taking any further steps.

- Janq

[Keltyke]

Several years ago, I was working late at night in the sanctuary, setting up the sound system for a musical the choir was presenting on Sunday. I heard the back door of the education building open and close (dummy me had forgotten to lock it). This was before I carried. Dummy x 2 me, I picked up a claw hammer and slowly advanced down the hall towards the sound of slow, cautious footsteps. As I rounded a corner, a Sheriff's Deputy and I met almost belly to belly - him with a drawn gun and me with a loaded claw hammer. You've never seen anyone drop a claw hammer so fast in your life. As I waited for my heart rate to come down off the ceiling, I identified myself and told him what was going on. We talked for a bit and he left.

This might be non sequiter for this thread, but it proves anything can happen anywhere, and our only protection is to be armed at all times.

[Grant48]

Be careful... Texas requires that armed security be licensed through the Texas DPS "Private Security Bureau". I'd have the church's legal counsel take a look at the proposed plan, before anything is put in place. I don't think that your pastor has given adequate consideration to the regulatory ramifications of such a program.

While carrying with a CHL is totally legal for individuals, once you band together as an organized security force, you may open a whole 'nother can of worms.

A bunch of folks with CHLs probably does not pass muster, legally, for an organized "armed security team". The "team" may become subject to state regulation, and armed individuals would likely need to become "commissioned security officers".

[retsupt99]

AmenAmenAmen

[jumpwing]

Janq is spot on. There's a time for emergency action where you gotta do what you gotta do. But this circumstance allows plenty of time for thoughtful preparation; and the wise seek the counsel of many.

[MinistrMalic]

You'd perhaps be surprised how many of the members here on DC are clergy...and all of us think that being ready for the BG is a good idea. :)

[varob]

It sounds like what you and your fellow church members are willing to do is quite noble, but, it may not be economically feasible. It may be worth looking into hiring an established licensed security firm for your congregations safety needs.

[BlueLion]

Well, more than likely the team won't consist of you. For insurance and other reasons. The church may be hiring off duty Leos or a security company. But, any way good luck with that.

[jsnole]

Youth pastor here...i carry everytime i am there.

[cl00bie]

What do you guys think of the Pastor's idea. Armed men in God's house to protect the folks.

Luke 22:36 - He said to them, "But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.

[DZcarry]

You mean you all didn't have an armed security team already?!

Every church I've ever attended (even when I was in CA) has had armed security (usually deacons) AND a uniformed officer patrolling the parking lot.