Articles with church security

Emergency Communication Plans for Churches

When (not if) your church experiences an emergency or critical incident—such as a destructive tornado, a grave medical episode, or an active killer crisis—clear, rapid, and frequent communication with your congregation, public safety agencies, and local news media is necessary to maintain order, prevent further injury, and provide strong leadership.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

This article on Religious Product News, written by Protect His House, will help you create and implement an emergency communication plan tailored to your church’s needs.

Its main points are:

Nigeria Is Deadliest Country for Christians: GCR Red List

The organization Global Christian Relief (GCR) has published its new annual report, titled Red List, spotlighting the 25 worst countries for Christian persecution across five categories of concern, including killings, building attacks, arrests, displacements, and abductions & assaults.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

Africa remains the deadliest region for Christians, with Nigeria consistently being the most dangerous country for followers of Jesus in murders, abductions, and assaults. From November 2022 to November 2024, nearly 10,000 Christians were killed, primarily by Islamic extremist groups such as Boko Haram, Armed Fulani Herdsmen, and the Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP). Similar patterns emerge in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Mozambique, and Ethiopia, where numerous armed militant groups target Christians. Russia ranks 5th in killings, most of those occurring in a Muslim-majority area, and 4th in arrests, with the government targeting evangelical Christians.

Video: The Role of Armed Citizens in Active Violence Incidents

The complex topic of armed citizens in active violence incidents is discussed in the video below by a panel of law enforcement and emergency response experts on the vodcast YouTube Channel of the National Center for Integrated Emergency Response (NCIER).

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Concealed Carry Daily Prayer ]

The video discussion includes:
      Potential benefits and risks of armed citizen intervention
      The critical importance of proper training and ongoing skill maintenance
      Legal and ethical considerations for carrying and using firearms
      Proper interaction with law enforcement in post-incident scenarios

The Swiss Guard: Early Church Security Team

While some people assume the concept of a church security/safety team is a modern idea to defend against criminals and terrorists, it actually extends back at least half-a-millennium, to the days of Christopher Columbus, the Holy Roman Empire, and the Middle Ages.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, A Prayer for Church Security Team Members ]

Under Pope Julius II, the Swiss Guard was founded January 22, 1506 to be the protector of the church and defender of the papacy.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Chart: The Spectrum of Potential Threat Personas in Self-Defense and Church Security ]

Today’s Swiss Guard is equipped with modern small arms and members in plain clothes now accompany the pope on his travels abroad for his protection.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Inspiring Military Mottos ]

Its motto is “Fiercely and Faithfully.”