church security – Page 3

Enroll in the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification Program

Church security teams usually consist of every-day volunteers: men and women who are passionate about doing all they can to protect their congregation from natural and man-made threats, but who are not professionally trained in law enforcement, military defense, or medical emergency skills.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

SemperVerus highly recommends the Sheepdog Church Security Academy Safety Member Certification program as an excellent online training curriculum that prepares volunteers to handle the full spectrum of threats churches face today—emergency response, disruptive persons, violent intruders, and abuse. Students gain practical skills rooted in legal clarity, real-world tactics, and biblical values.

Church Security Demands a Higher Standard Than Mere Every Day Carry

Volunteering during worship services and church events as an armed security team member is not the same as being a cursory, every day, concealed firearm carrier for your own self-defense. It requires a higher level of commitment. If you’re going to carry a weapon to protect congregants, you need to approach shooting as a professional skill.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

So says Keith Graves, retired police sergeant and founder/trainer of Christian Warrior Training, in his article, Holding Armed Church Security to a Higher Standard.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview with Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training ]

He writes, “The responsibility of protecting the flock requires more than occasional practice and casual familiarity with your gun. You need to train as if one day you may face the unthinkable—an armed threat during a service. The odds may be slim, but they are not zero.”

Church Greeters and Ushers: Eyes and Ears for Security

Church greeters and ushers are hospitality volunteers—whether standing outside of entrance doors or inside by tabletops, kiosks, and auditorium doors or walking people down worship service aisles—who provide a warm first impression for visitors and members, acting as welcoming ambassadors for the church by offering a smile, a sincere greeting, and assistance. Their roles include directing guests, answering questions about ministries or services, providing directions to restrooms and classrooms, and ensuring everyone feels comfortable and connected to the church community. Effective greeters are friendly, informed about the church’s activities, and can quickly assess visitors’ needs to make them feel valued and at ease.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Interview With Lori Morrison, Private Investigator ]

Retired licensed private investigator and member of her church’s safety team, Lori Morrison, says greeters should also act as eyes and ears for overall security during church events. In her Worship Facility article, “Training Our First Line of Defense: 4 Critical Issues for Church Greeters and Parking Attendants,” she writes, “With proper training, our greeters and parking attendants can become watchful sentinels who protect while they welcome.”

FBI: Reported Crime Statistics in America for 2024

A violent crime occurred in the United States, on average, every 25.9 seconds in 2024, according to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program of over 14 million criminal offenses reported by more than 16,000 participating law enforcement agencies and analyzed by the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer.

[ Bookmark the SemperVerus CHURCH SECURITY INTELLIGENCE CLIPBOARD ]

On average, a murder occurred every 31.1 minutes and a rape occurred every 4.1 minutes. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault; property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

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

Just under 73% of the persons arrested in the nation during 2024 were males. They accounted for 78.7% of persons arrested for violent crime and 65.6% of persons arrested for property crime.

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

In 2024, 65.5% of all persons arrested were White, 30.5% were Black or African American, and the remaining 4.1% were of other races.