VI – Self-Defense

Armed Congregants & Considerations for Synagogue Security

Weapons At Worship (PDF) is the 45-page white paper published by Secure Community Network (SCN) to provide a comprehensive framework for understanding the risks associated with armed congregant programs and to illuminate the numerous factors at play for communities considering this option.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

SCN’s mission is to ensure the safety, security, and resiliency of the Jewish community in North America.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Benefit From the Church Emergency Response Network ]

The white paper is the result of SCN convening a panel of law enforcement and security professionals to assist organizations in making informed decisions about permitting congregants to carry firearms as part of the security strategy. While its focus is on Jewish institutions, its principles can be broadly applied to help communities create safer, more secure environments.

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The Gun That Preserved the Union in the American Civil War

The total years between the end of the American Revolutionary War in 1783 (the civil war when British colonialists fought British soldiers, also known as American Patriots fighting American Loyalists to the Crown) to the beginning of the American Civil War in 1861 (when American Northerners fought American Southerners) were 78; a time of merely 3 generations.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Celebrating 250 Years: Learn About the American Revolution ]

Within that span, the gun, Brown Bess—popularly used in the 18th-century conflict (1775–1783)—evolved into the Springfield Model 1861, used in the 19th-century hostility (1861–1865).

[ Read the SemperVerus article, The Heavy, Long Gun That Won the American Revolutionary War ]

The primary difference between the Brown Bess and the Springfield Model 1861 is the transition from a smoothbore, flintlock musket with limited accuracy to a rifled, percussion-cap musket with significantly increased range and precision.

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Always Carry. Always Alert.

Responsibly and lawfully concealed carrying a firearm all the time, every day, for enhanced protection provides the ability to effectively and instantly defend against deadly threats.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, 12 Reasons to Responsibly Carry a Defensive Gun Every Day ]

The crucial matter, whether in personal self-defense or as a volunteer on a church security team, is to be constantly training and constantly ready. Just as the Israelites were in the Bible’s Old Testament, armed and ever watchful for enemy attacks while they rebuilt Jerusalem’s city walls:

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Active Killer Advice Compendium

A valuable online reference resource is the Active Killer Advice Compendium on the Active Response Training website.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools ]

The website’s owner, retired police officer Greg Ellifritz, says, “People want to know what tactics and strategies will help them prevail should they be present during an active killer attack in a public place. I’ve been writing about the topic for almost two decades. Other folks have been studying the problem for even longer than that. I’ve written 400 articles about active killer attacks. I’ve linked to over 1000 more articles on the same topic written by other authors. This is a compilation of the best of all that writing.”

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