The choir was singing while we were in the middle of serving the Lord’s Supper one Sunday morning. The ushers were halfway down the middle aisle when the sanctuary’s rear doors flew open and a young man stepped in the aisle and began yelling.
“You are prophets of doom,” he shouted.
“This is a place of lies,” he exclaimed.
I was sitting in a corner of the room. Another associate pastor was in the other corner. Immediately, our eyes met and we rose, simultaneously moving toward the man.
The congregation was shocked. Some didn’t know what to think. Others thought it was a staged event.
It was not.
The other pastor and I were able to get the man’s arms and escort him out of the sanctuary.
By that time, a few others headed our way to provide assistance, and someone had already called the police.
When I watched the video of the disruption at Cities Church in Minneapolis Jan. 18, I was reminded of this event that happened almost 20 years ago.
For the past decade or so, churches have been vigilant to raise up security teams and train them for active shooter situations.
This incident serves as a reminder for churches that they need to expect the unexpected. Dealing with a service disruption should be on that list.
What are some practical ways church leaders can care for their congregation if they face a disruption?
Creating a Communication Plan
If a person, or group of people, begin disrupting the service, churches should utilize communication pieces at ready disposal.
First, instructions could be shared through the church’s PA system. This would require careful thought as to who will speak, what they will say and how they will have quick access to a microphone.
Perhaps a well thought-out script could be written and prepared so it is readily available, and the people running the sound board could be ready to read the script.
Second, most churches have screens. A slide could be prepared that would be posted on the screen advising the congregation on next steps.
This slide could be easily accessible on a computer desktop or in the weekly service slides so that it is ready at a moment’s notice.
