I’m sure that the “security” guy meant well and was trying to help the pastor. But the problem was, he wasn’t really a security guy—just a volunteer from the congregation who had been asked to serve. It was obvious from the moment I saw him that he had no training at all.
Pastors, Executive Pastors, and other church leaders – we live in perilous times. It’s not just an issue of me getting access to the pastor or a good seat; it’s an issue of safety and security for everyone in the building.
We live in a world with a lot of mental health problems, angry ex-church members, cancel culture, and, if you’ll forgive the term, outright crazy people.
I know you’ve hesitated time and time again to use professionals because you don’t want your church to look like airport security to a visitor. But those times have gone.
The truth is that highly trained security professionals can be invisible to the congregation if that makes you more comfortable.
The bottom line? Budget for trained church security. Either reputable agencies or a full-time internal security team. They know how to give the right people access and the wrong people the door.
The safety of your congregation, visitors, staff, and guest speakers is more than worth the cost.
This article on church security originally appeared here, and is used by the author’s kind permission.
