​The other day, Wendy received an email from an attendee of one of our training courses. The header of the email issued a dire warning to church security teams. “Congress to Outlaw Church Security Teams.” Usually, I look at titles like this as clickbait. In this divided country I can pull up all sorts of occurrences where main-stream media and the government speak of not being a friend of Christianity, and this one seemed a little farfetched. If you would have said “New York Senate wants to band weapons in church” I would have just said, “that’s so New York.” But to see that congress was getting into the church security business didn’t really add up, so I went and looked at the bill this video was talking about.
 
The bill is S.3589 - Preventing Private Paramilitary Activity Act of 2024. When did church safety teams become a Private Paramilitary organization? I have been all over this country teaching churches how to set up “safety teams” and not one time have I heard anyone call themselves a private paramilitary group for the church. I know that is not what we teach and there has never been a wink-wink, nod-nod from some of the safety team members that would lead me to believe they were anything of the sort. Who was this organization that produced a nine-and one-half minute video calling church safety teams, paramilitary units. I went to their website and wasn’t surprised. Their description starts with “If you love guns and you love Jesus, you're in the right place.”  
 
So, I went out and read the bill. First, I don’t think it will pass congress and most states already have a bill like this. Florida has one, “Paramilitary training; teaching or participation prohibited, Florida State Code 790.29.” Just as FSC 790.29 and S.3589 state they don’t want people running around out here forming paramilitary groups that train with the idea of causing civil disobedience. While reading S.3589, I could not find any reference to churches, religious organizations, or anything to the effect of a church security team. So now I have to go out and watch the nine-and one-half minute video where this company has now put the fear of God (no pun intended) into members of the church that if this bill is passed and you have a security team the government is going to come and knock on their doors.
 
So two minutes into the video I realized this was nothing more than clickbait and also a person that was wanting to create havoc between the church and our government. There is nothing in this bill that has to do with churches and their church security teams. First the creator of this video states that the “Paramilitary Act” “that wants to establish a federal prohibition on paramilitary groups. It targets activities that intimidate state and local officials, interfere with government proceeding, impersonate law enforcement, and violate individuals’ constitutional rights.” How is this connected to church security teams? Then the creator weakly uses one of the definitions of the bill “(9) PRIVATE PARAMILITARY ORGANIZATION. —The term ‘private paramilitary organization’ means any group of 3 or more persons associating under a command structure for the purpose of functioning in public or training to function in public as a combat, combat support, law enforcement, or security services unit.” and he claims the last part “security services unit.”, is the definition of a church security team.

Let’s break this down. Church security, unless paid, is mostly all voluntary. Church security teams may have volunteers that are law enforcement, but it still does make the rest of the team police officers. In most states a security guard has to have a license from his or her state that says such, but usually when they volunteer at a church that license might not mean anything at all as far as their jurisdiction or powers.  I tell all volunteer church security teams (and we call them safety teams), you are not the police, you are not military, and you are not a security guard, so going back to the video, all this speaker is doing is trying to create disorder. Another thing that concerns me, when talking to church leadership and their anxiety of safety teams because of liability issues, let your pastor read this bill and explain to him the safety team is now a paramilitary group. He may pull the plug on your safety team.

As a church safety team member, we are ambassadors for Christ. Our number one obligation is to “Go and make disciples.” Matthew 28:18-20, not be a paramilitary group. We as church safety team members need to be the watchmen on the walls that know everyone in our congregation and when someone new comes in, be a part of the first connection to find out if the person entering your church has come to worship, is hurting and needs help or could be that wolf in sheep’s clothing. From there you take the appropriate action. The video sent to me is full of liability issues and if you implemented one of them. I feel you would get sued. He gives the example that if someone is doing something illegal at your church you have the right to apprehend them till the police get there. Might want to check with your state laws, that might not be allowed.

To finish my rant, what is starting to scare me is the amount of “church security experts” popping up all over the internet and YouTube. Please be careful who you listen to. If the presenter is more concerned on your shooting techniques than the Gospel or expanding the Kingdom of God, I pray you move away from that “expert.” There are some good trainers out there but the last thing you should be focusing on is active shooter. Can it happen, yes. We just saw it in Houston. Do we need to do training on it, yes. But if that is your main training and not on how to spot danger, witness to the hurting, de-escalate those that are angry, I feel you do not have a safety team but a paramilitary unit.

I am not going to name this organization that put out this video on “Congress to Outlaw Church Security Teams,” because you can go out and do your own research and find them. This is not to bash this organization because we have a saying at Trinity Security Allies, “we have no competition, we have God.” Wendy, Jessica, and I have learned to lean on the Lord to make sure we were doing the right thing by taking on this ministry. After going on nine years I would say we are doing God’s work because He has blessed us in this journey. You have heard me before, 1 Peter 5:2-4 is my walk “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them, not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”

Do not create chaos but be examples to the flock and watch your team grow.
​
Be safe and be blessed.

As we head into the “Snowbird” season, we as church safety team members need to understand that our assignments are going to grow in the upcoming season. For those of you that do not live in Florida, “Snowbirds” are not our migratory feathered friends but temporary residents who spend their summers in the northern part of America and their winters in Florida. Recently while talking to a church safety team member from another church, he told me that the membership of his church almost doubles when the “Snowbirds” come home. Does that mean our duties change? No. But it does mean there is more of a chance that something can happen on any given Sunday. Medical emergencies, new faces on your campus and an opportunity for more wolves to visit.

I have no proof that church issues increase when “Snowbirds” come home, and I am not insinuating that “Snowbirds” are the cause of any increase. Yet I do know a recent Family Research Council’s (FRC) study showed there has been a rise in crimes against the churches in 2023. In their findings they pointed out that acts of hostility against churches has increased three times the amount in 2023 than in the same time in 2022. Vandalisms, arsons, gun-related incidents, and bomb threats have increased with vandalism being at the top. The report points out that most vandalism appeared to have been committed by youth or persons struggling with mental illness yet some of these attacks against the churches show signs of being motivated by hate against the church itself.

If that is not enough, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency reported in September, 2023 that “At least 49 synagogues have been evacuated due to bomb threats in the last 2 months.” Understand that this is not around the world, this is in the United States. The Anti-Defamation League expects these threats to continue because of High Holidays beginning soon.

In addition, the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, produced a study “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation.” They reported that loneliness is a public health threat as severe as smoking and obesity. It went on to state, “Belonging – A fundamental human need—the feeling of deep connection with social groups, physical places, and individual and collective experiences.” Responding to the epidemic of loneliness and isolation, psychiatrist Daniel Amen is concerned that social media is so addicting, and loneliness and isolation is only going to get worse. Yet, Doctor Amen had a great answer to this problem. He told CBN news “So, it’s back to church,” he said. “Go back to church. Get involved. Get involved with groups. We have to go back. And really, no better place to solve it than the church.” Amen, Doctor Amen.

We in Florida look forward to when the “Snowbirds” come south. It is a time of reunion with all our friends who go back and forth. It is a time to catch up, worship and break bread together. Kind of sounds like when we all go to be with the Father in Heaven. Yet during this time of fellowship, we know that possible threats are still out there and we as Safety Team Members must always be alert to those that come to our churches. During this time we should be looking to invite those that are looking for answers to unanswered questions and those in search of a winter home church. This is where Safety Team members should shine. Sharing the Gospel to those that will listen and keeping the wolves at the gates.

​Be safe and be blessed.

​In Gavin de Becker’s book “The Gift of Fear,” he talks about protective/restraining orders. Here in Florida we call it an “injunction for protection.” He also calls it a factor in the most predictable crime, spousal homicide. Without going into much detail, de Becker talks about the mental aspect the receiver of the injunction (subject) goes through which could put the person getting the injunction (complainant) in grave danger, possibly even more danger than when they were living in the abusive relationship. This is not to say that we are against an abused spouse getting an injunction, it is just saying that when a member of your church produces an injunction against someone in your church, you need to pay special attention to the situation.

We at Generations Christian Church recently had a situation where the subject showed up on property. Trying to take the Christian attitude and reason with the subject, they were advised of the injunction and if they didn’t leave the church, we would contact local law enforcement. While leaving the property the subject located the complainant and proceeded to physically attack the complainant. Fortunately, the complainant was not seriously injured but the subject did get to the complainant before Safety Team Members were able to intervene. 

If you or your church ever has a subject on your property that has an outstanding injunction against them, the first thing you should do is contact and inform local law enforcement of the situation. Get them on the way to your location. Tell the subject that local law enforcement is on their way. While communicating with the subject, find the complainant and advise them of the situation and keep them away from the subject. Do not let the subject anywhere near the complainant for fear of an altercation. If at all possible video the incident for both parties’ protection. Even though we want to do the Christian thing and witness to the subject, this is not the time or place. Keep both parties apart from each other and let local law enforcement handle the situation. We were lucky, the subject only physically assaulted the complainant in our incident, the subject could have easily produced a weapon and done serious injury to the complainant. Just as de Becker called spousal homicide from injunctions as one of the most predictable crimes, we must always be on high alert during these situations, and not let what happened to us happen to you while on your watch. Be safe and be blessed.