Keeping Church Safe
Church safety is becoming a more pressing issue in the United States as more congregations are finding themselves the victims of crime. Sadly, churches are no longer viewed as sacred places of worship by predators and criminals. Instead, felons see them as soft targets. Recently, I attended a conference on church safety offered by the Jones County Sheriff’s department. The conference room was filled to capacity with pastors, deacons, and church members representing congregations from throughout south Mississippi. As the officers spoke about church safety I was reminded of the words of Jesus in Matthew 10:16 where He said, “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore, be wise as serpents and harmless as doves” (NKJV). As Christians we want to believe that everyone who enters the doors of our churches are there to worship Christ. However, that is not always the case. Sometimes people attend church with ulterior motives and evil intentions. We live in a fallen world where people are not always what they appear to be in public Therefore, we need to be discerning and not naive when it comes to the issue of church safety and security. In 1984 during the pinnacle of the cold war, Ronald Reagan met with Russian historian and author Suzanne Massie. During one of their meetings, Massie taught the President a Russian proverb, which translated into the English language meaning “trust, but verify.” Those words resonated within the heart of Reagan and it became a common phrase throughout his presidency. As Christians, we want to trust others and be welcoming to everyone who enters the doors of our churches. Nevertheless, we need to balance trust with discernment. For example, in our congregation anyone working with children or youth are required to complete a criminal background check. Although we trust our staff and volunteers we prefer to err on the side of caution and screen our workers. Church safety is an important issue and I appreciate the work of the Jones County Sheriff’s department. However, our law enforcement officers cannot do the work alone. Church safety requires due diligence on all of our parts. When it comes to keeping church safe we need to take seriously the words of Jesus, “be wise as serpents and harmless as doves.” Dr. Ken Regan
*For more information on ways to keep your church safe contact your local law enforcement office.
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