• A Prayer for Church Security Team Members
• Church Security Book Review: Defending the Flock
• The 5 Lines of Defense in Church Security, Beginning Outside
• Church Security: Radio Communications Best Practices
• Church Security Training: Decision Decks Help You Think Through a Crisis Before It Happens
• A Simple Chart for Situational Awareness
The US Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) has published, First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs: A Case Study on the Link Between Domestic Violence and Mass Attacks.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Criminals and Terrorists Overwhelmingly Select Gun-Free Zones For Mass Attacks in Public Spaces ]
The 40-page report examines the background and behavioral history of the gunman who killed 26 people, including his wife’s grandmother, and wounded an additional 22 others in the attack at the church in Texas on November 5, 2017.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Shooting Analysis Reports ]
The attacker had a long history of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual violence perpetrated against friends, family members, and others.
The Bible’s books of First & Second Samuel and First & Second Chronicles recount ancient Israel as heavily defended by tribal influence and force.
[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SPIRITUAL FITNESS ]
The country’s first king, Saul, rallied his fighting coalition to ward off the nation’s enemies. However, his reign began to end when he disobeyed God, and the young David became the LORD‘s anointed.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Security Review: House of Worship Firearms and Use of Force Policy ]
God selected the shepherd-poet to become a warrior of national renown, beginning with defending Israel by dispatching the Philistine Goliath with slingshot precision and beheading him. David describes his expertise with defensive weapons in 2 Samuel 22:35, which states, “He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze” and is repeated in Psalm 18:34. And he reiterates it in Psalm 144:1, “Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle.”
The US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has issued its 2025 Annual Report of countries it considers to be the most egregious violators of religious liberty.
[ Read the SemperVerus article, Terrorists Call for Attacks on Christians ]
The report’s recommendations begin with “the prompt appointment of an Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom, who leads initiatives through the US Department of State to highlight and address religious freedom concerns around the world.” President Trump has nominated former North Carolina Congressman Mark Walker for that position. If confirmed by the Senate, as expected, Walker will be the seventh person to serve in this role.