Leadership

  

We are at the beginning of a new training year. The churches we work with will be making decisions that will impact the success or failure of that training and the effectiveness of their planned security program. For over a decade now, the OCSA has been working with churches to improve the safety of their flocks. There are two key factors that usually predict the success or failure of a church security team. The first is executive leadership. The second is the choice of a volunteer security team leader.

In every church we have worked with the ultimate success or failure of the church security team begins and ends with the attitude of senior church leadership, the pastors and elders. If the pastors and elders would prefer no security or a program without teeth, that is what the program will evolve into regardless of what else is said. As the pressures of time commitments, other church priorities and motivation take their toll, the team will eventually reflect almost precisely the attitude of senior church leadership.

The fact that their security team development effort has failed and often produced a program totally incapable of protecting the flock will never even be considered because the program has evolved into something leadership is comfortable with. And if leadership is comfortable most of the flock will be as well. The fact that this comfort is based upon deceptive factors like normalcy bias, overestimation of civilian skills and just plain complacency will never be seriously considered.

The key concept that churches and their leaders must assimilate is that in every security situation be it a simple bio hazard, a medical emergency, a scuffle in the youth department, a toxic domestic, a person with mental issues or even an active shooter, THE STANDARD THE CHURCH AND THEIR LEADERSHIP IS “COMFORTABLE WITH” IS MEANINGLESS. THE ONLY STANDARD THAT MATTERS IS WHETHER OR NOT YOUR SECURITY PEOPLE PERFORMED PROFESSIONALLY. THE STANDARD IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS FOR SWORN POLICE OFFICERS AND LICENSED SECURITY PROFESSIONALS. If the matter ever gets to court, as these things sometimes do, the court will apply exactly the same standards of negligence in training, preparation and performance.

Choosing a volunteer church security team leader is a task most pastors and staff are not equipped to handle. Having never performed the duties themselves they have no idea what is required and will apply typical church standards. This often leads to problems.

In a perfect world you would have a veteran military or law enforcement senior sergeant that knows how to lead and has martial skills. Unfortunately, even if you are lucky enough to have this person, they often simply will not deal with civilians in this area because they know what is required and how difficult it is to get serving military and sworn police officers to train adequately much less civilians.

Beware of people who want the job as security team leader. It is one thing to have a solid, dependable man of the church who steps up and says he wants to help. It is quite another for the church to announce the position and then have to sort through the church politicians and egos who see the position as an other popularity contest to be won.

Avoid the man who is already singing in the choir, teaching a Sunday School class and serving on other committees. Aside from serving as a deacon or in some churches an elder, church security is pretty well a full time church duty.

Look for the man who already sits on the aisle so that he can respond quickly if needed. Look for the man who does not bow his head and close his eyes during prayer but instead scans the room. Look for the man who quietly gets up a time or two during services and scans the crowd from the back of the room.

If you already have some sort of team, look for the man who always has time or makes time for training. Look for the man who knows his church’s and individual team member’s weak points and works diligently to strengthen them.

Look for a servant leader who always arrives early to check the facility and leaves late to make sure that most of the flock are safely on their way. Look for the man who always takes up the slack when other people don’t show up or perform as required. Look for the man who quietly does whatever needs to be done when no one else does it.

Your church security team is created first in the mind of senior church leadership and then in the mind of your volunteer team leader. Whatever they decide is adequate is what your team will become. Whether nor not what they decide is adequate actually is by real world performance standards is almost always another question altogether. If you settle for a program that is “comfortable” you will achieve complacency. If you strive to be “average” or “good enough” you will achieve mediocrity. If you strive for excellence you may achieve competence.

HOW TO DRESS FOR OCSA TRAINING

 

The first training session of the 2026 Oklahoma Church Security Association training year will be held Saturday, February 28th at 0900 AM at Christ Gospel Church, 1203 West Archer, Tulsa. Several training sessions this year will also be held at Covenant Baptist Church in Broken Arrow.

Every year, new students ask how they should dress for OCSA training. That depends on the nature of the training and the host church.

While Christ Gospel Tulsa has a diverse membership and staff, it is a predominantly black, inner city, traditional, Pentecostal church. Some of you may not be aware of the customs and traditions of the black or Pentecostal church.

Covenant Baptist is an Anglo/Latino conservative, suburban, Puritan, Reformed Baptist Church. CBC shares many of the same expectations as Christ Gospel.

In the black culture, the church is highly respected and often the center of community activities. The pastor is not only a highly respected spiritual leader but often also a community leader. As a sign of respect, always address the pastor as “pastor” or “reverend” in public even if you know their first names and use them in private conversation.

In black culture, you dress for church. Even if it is only for a weekend event. While Sunday mornings means literally “Sunday Best,” everything else still requires attire that shows some degree of respect. There are two principles behind this. The first is the concept that you are coming to holy ground. That deserves respect in everything including your attire. The second concept is self respect. In the black culture (and white southern culture for that matter) failure to meet appropriate dress and grooming standards for an occasion is a sign not only of disrespect but also poor personal values.

Women should dress modestly at all times. I Timothy specifically commands women to dress modestly. At CGT, for female members that usually means a dress or skirt and top that covers the knees and upper arms. Pants are OK for female visitors who are not members of CGT. Just no revealing tights or leggings please. There are two concepts behind this. Aside from the direct scriptural command is the pragmatic realization that male sexual sin, especially “lust in the heart,” usually begins through visual stimulation. The church wants men to concentrate on the message and worship not the show being put on by the little cutie a couple of pews ahead.

Men and boys over twelve or so should cover their legs and there should be no male tank tops or “wife beater” shirts.

Men should remove their hats in the church building. I Corinthians teaches that a man shouldn’t cover his head in church and that a man who prays or prophesies with his head covered dishonors his head. In black, southern and cowboy culture failure to remove your hat indoors, especially in a church, is a cultural sign of disrespect. A familiar old southern admonition common to black, white southern and cowboymothers expresses this concept well, “Take that hat off in my house. Where’s your raisin’?” In the southern idiom “raisin(g)’” means upbringing and manners. The implication is that the hat wearing culprit is not only showing disrespect and bad manners but also shaming his parents.

If the session involves scenario training you should wear a version of what you wear on duty at your church that you don’t mind getting manhandled. At the instructor’s discretion you may be asked to either clear your weapon or leave it in your vehicle. If you are not comfortable leaving the weapon in your vehicle one of the instructors will secure your weapon in the building.

If the training is being held at a firing range, tactical clothing is acceptable or whatever you are comfortable in for that season. However, ladies should wear high necked tops or a top that will button at the neck. Hot brass down the front of your shirt can create an embarrassing situation for a lady.

At the risk of being politically incorrect I would conclude with the following. These folks are our brothers and sisters in the Lord. You will find that we have a lot more in common in the Lord than anything else that divides us. Just relax, use good manners, respect their house and be grateful for their hospitality.

If you have questions or for further information about OCSA training respond to this email or telephone Bill Kumpe at 918-381-9792.

YOUTH VIOLENCE

 

This week, a troubled transgender teenager in Canada somehow managed to obtain weapons despite Canada’s draconian gun laws. He shot HIS mother and stepbrother before traveling to a school and shooting several more people. HE was wearing a dress at the time of the shooting. LINK This is becoming a common pattern. Sexually confused teenagers turning to violence.

In Oklahoma City, a teenaged suspect has been identified in the Sunday Morning arson attack against Windwood Freewill Baptist Church.  The teen, who is suspected in other terrorist type attacks, is thought to be a member of an extremist anarchist group responsible for other terrorist activities in the OKC area including school disruptions.  While the suspect has been identified AS YET NO ARREST HAS BEEN MADE and the case has been referred to the Oklahoma Attorney General's office for legal analysis.  LINK 

This week in Tulsa, students at suburban Jenks and Union High Schools walked out of classes AGAIN to protest immigration law enforcement. NO PUNITIVE ACTION WAS TAKEN BY SCHOOL AUTHORITIES SOME OF WHOM ARE SUSPECTED OF AIDING AND ABETTING THE STUDENTS.  LINK  Similar walkouts occurred last week.

America, Oklahoma CIty, Tulsa and yes probably your small town has a problem with their youth.

A few years ago during the Christmas season, my wife and I were visiting a large area church affiliated with one of America’s allegedly most conservative denominations. The senior pastor was not preaching that week but rather the youth pastor. As his Christmas sermon the youth pastor proceeded to nearly canonize the father of homosexual icon and “martyr” Matthew Shepherd who was in fact a drug dealing homosexual prostitute with a taste for rough sex that managed to get himself killed during one of his dealings or assignations. The choice of subject matter as part of a Christmas program was baffling. As my wife and I walked out in the middle of the sermon, I wondered, “What in the world is going on in the “Youth Building” out back in their separate “Youth Services?”

Two questions are presented here, one spiritual and one practical.

The spiritual question involves the failure of the American church to convert its own children much less the world. According to the Barna Group approximately two thirds of young people depart from the church as young adults while only ten percent or so choose a life of discipleship. LINK The current system isn’t working.

A lifetime ago, I departed far from the faith but returned while serving in the military. I credit my return to the faith to the rigor of the church I grew up in. While we did have a Sunday School that ended around fifth grade. But, all children and young adults were expected to attend the rest of the services, sit quietly and respectfully and participate just like the adults. From the time I was old enough to be out of nursery, I heard hundreds upon hundreds of hours of bible teaching and preaching. I still remember some of it and certainly remember the underlying principles. We sang the traditional hymns of the faith along with our parents not jangle pop anthems indistinguishable from insipid pop music or hard rock glossed over with a whitewash of semi intelligible Christian buzz words. Later in life, in times of doubt and trouble the Word presented in those sermons and the lyrics of those solid old hymns would come back to remind me where to seek help and comfort. While it has long been fashionable to criticize evangelical fundamentalism, it did keep families together for worship and by default ingrain the traditional faith into the minds of its adherents of all ages from toddlers up. If a fundamentalist young person departed from the faith it wasn’t from lack of hearing the Word. Despite the faults and failings of many fundamentalists the Word itself will never return void.

The practical question is more immediate. Most church security teams can barely cover their main service if they even manage that. If you have children and young people spread out all over the building or in some cases all over the campus in different buildings you need security coverage for all of those individual groups. Very few churches have that kind of depth in their security team. And, if an emergency occurs, that already over committed team is likely going to be facing the dual tasks of handling the emergency and keeping frantic parents from rushing into harm’s way to get to their children.

I would like to pose a few questions:

If you are a parent:

To put it bluntly, if you are a parent of children attending public school in South Tulsa, particularly Jenks and Union, do you know whether or not your children participated in the recent walkout protests? Would you know if they had? Have you asked?

Have you explained the civic duties of a Christian set out in Romans 13? Have you explained the cultural, moral and economic horrors of Marxism? Do you understand them yourself?

Have you explained that American citizenship is a privilege to be earned not an accident of birth or a simple bureaucratic exercise?  Have you explained that in the past, each generation fought and died to secure the freedoms and benefits that come with American citizenship? 

Have you explained that those “fun demonstrations” sometimes turn violent and will inevitably turn violent when the leaders decide it will be politically advantageous? Have you explained what happens when law enforcement or the military is required to use force to suppress a riot?  Have you explained the permanent and irreversible consequences of placing a policeman or federal officer in apparent fear of his life?

If you are a parent of a child participating in a separate youth program in your church have you talked with the youth pastor? Have you inquired to determine whether or not they are a person you would trust with the spiritual education of your child?

Have you observed a “youth service” at your church to determine whether or not it supports your values and understanding of the faith? Have you taken responsibility for the spiritual nurture of your family or are you “delegating it” to someone else?

If your children are not solidly grounded in the faith they will not have the intellectual and moral tools to refute fashionable modern radicalism.

If you are staff or a security team leader:

Do you have sufficient depth in your security team to protect all of the separate activities going on at the same time?

If your church separates families into different age and interest groups do you have a plan to SAFELY reunite parents and children in an emergency?

Do you have a policy and training to handle parents trying to get to their children in an emergency when doing so would place them, the children or security workers in more danger?

Do you have a plan and policy to address violence originating FROM youth activities? We are now seeing regular reports of violence stemming from youth activities and church community events involving youth.

Have you made provisions to deal with troubled or radicalized youth that may present a danger to others or themselves? Are your staff and security team staying aware of possible problems in this area?

This list is far from exhaustive. As final words of advice I would urge church leaders to carefully consider the impact upon the family of every church activity and plan those activities in ways that (a) bring families together at church instead of dispersing them, (b) support the family structure by allowing (and encouraging) parents to take responsibility for the spiritual condition of their children and (c) take into account the security resources available at your church. I would also urge church leaders to think the unthinkable and take a hard look at both their youth and their youth activities and then do what is necessary to prevent trouble or tragedy there.

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The Oklahoma Church Security Association provides professional security training and consultation to churches at no charge.  For further information answer this email or call Bill Kumpe at 918-381-9792.

PHYSICAL FITNESS FOR SECURITY VOLUNTEERS

A few months ago, I resigned from my (temporary) advisory and leadership position on my home church's security team.  I did this for a number of reasons.  One of the reasons was my physical fitness.

I had to face the fact that I simply could not quickly and dependably rise and respond to a threat.  Despite the fact that I had repeatedly told my fellow team members this, it was obvious that some still believed that because I was present, trained and armed I could still be depended upon in an emergency.  I knew in my heart that while I would do the best I could it would probably not be good enough if the situation required rapid movement and/or physical confrontation. I might even add to the danger.  My best role these days is to organize, teach and mentor.

What follows is shamelessly plagiarized from Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training.  I urge those of you with the net skills to go direct to the source but for those of you who have a hard time navigating here are the highlights:

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Physical Readiness Standards for Church Security Teams

Church security is not a ceremonial role. It exists because, on a bad day, someone may need to move quickly, stand their ground, assist another person, or respond to a threat before police arrive. That reality requires an honest conversation about physical readiness.

This is a difficult topic for many churches because a large number of safety team members are older men and women. Many helped start these teams. Many have served faithfully for years. That service should be respected. At the same time, faithfulness does not remove physical limits, and ignoring those limits can place both the congregation and the team member at risk.

This article is not about age. It is about whether someone can physically perform the role they are assigned when it counts.

What This Conversation Is Not About

These are not military standards. They are not SWAT standards. They are not law enforcement fitness tests. No one is being asked to sprint, climb walls, or wrestle attackers.

The question is straightforward. Can a team member perform the basic physical tasks that church security regularly requires without becoming the emergency themselves?

Church security already involves standing for extended periods, walking the property, using stairs, assisting people who fall or become ill, and responding with purpose when situations develop. Those demands do not disappear with tenure.

Why Physical Standards Exist

Every church already operates with standards, whether they are written down or not. When those standards are informal, decisions become personal and emotional instead of objective.

Without clear benchmarks, leaders are left to decide who can still serve in certain roles based on relationships rather than capability. That places leaders in a difficult position and often leads to avoiding the issue entirely. Over time, uneven capability across the team increases risk during real incidents.

A baseline physical standard removes guesswork. It provides clarity for leaders, fairness for team members, and protection for the congregation.

Functional Readiness, Not Fitness Culture

The focus here is functional readiness.

Can someone stand post for an hour without needing to sit down?
Can they walk the building without stopping?
Can they climb stairs without becoming winded or unstable?
Can they lift a modest amount of weight and move it safely?
Can they kneel, return to standing, see clearly, hear instructions, and respond with intent?

These are not athletic goals. They are the minimum physical requirements to safely perform security duties in a church environment.

Most men and women, including many well into their seventies, can meet these standards if they are still appropriate for the role. This framework is not designed to push older team members out. It exists to identify when someone should transition roles before a crisis forces that decision.

Armed and Unarmed Roles Are Not the Same

Passing a basic physical evaluation does not automatically qualify someone to be armed.

Carrying a firearm in a crowded church requires balance, mobility, coordination, and the ability to move deliberately under stress. Armed roles should include additional movement and equipment requirements beyond those expected of unarmed positions.

This creates natural role separation. Some team members may continue to serve effectively in observation, access control, radio communications, medical response, or support functions even if they are no longer suited for armed response. That is not a demotion. It is responsible team management.

Knowing When It Is Time to Change Roles

There comes a point for everyone when reaction time slows, balance declines, or endurance fades. Recognizing that reality is not weakness. It is wisdom.

Remaining in a role that can no longer be performed safely does not serve the church. It increases pressure on teammates and can turn a manageable incident into a larger problem.

Clear physical standards allow these transitions to occur with dignity. They replace awkward conversations with objective criteria and provide a clear path for continued service in appropriate roles.

Why This Also Matters for Younger Men and Women

Many churches struggle to recruit younger men and women into security roles. One reason is that the role can appear undefined or symbolic.

Clear physical and training standards communicate responsibility and purpose. Younger people respond to defined expectations. When expectations are clear, commitment follows.

The goal is not replacing older team members. It is pairing physical capacity with experience. Older members bring judgment, patience, and perspective. Younger members bring strength, speed, and endurance. Standards allow that partnership to develop naturally.

A Biblical Perspective on Readiness

Readiness in Scripture is practical and tied to responsibility.

Proverbs 24:10 (ESV) states, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” The verse assumes adversity will come and that strength, including physical strength, will be tested.

Nehemiah 4:9 says, “And we prayed to our God and set a guard as a protection against them day and night.” Prayer and physical preparation were practiced together. One did not replace the other.

Luke 14:28 records Jesus saying, “For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?” Readiness requires honest assessment before action, not after failure.

Church security should reflect both courage and discernment. Physical readiness standards support that balance.

 

Mob Attacks Against Churches

I am one of the dwindling number of people who remember the 1960’s. I was in uniform. I remember the violence on the streets, the attacks against uniformed service people in airports and public places, the hypocrisy of the so called peace movement turning America into a war zone. I was in California during some of it. The America I grew up in disappeared in the flames of Watts and the pot smoke of San Francisco. So, it pains me deeply to see the same thing happening again. And I wonder just how much resilience is left before the entire American system simply stops working in the face of mindless mobs of morally stupid children who have no idea what they are unleashing.

This week, anti immigration walkouts occurred at Tulsa Hale High School, Edison Prep and Jenks High School. The next day there were bomb threats at multiple Tulsa schools. Near Austin, a MAGA hat wearing man was beaten up by a group of high school students. The girl who started the incident bragged to media that she had beaten up an “old racist white man.” Following the same pattern used during the recent BLM riots the victim was arrested as the “primary aggressor” and no charges have been filed against the mob. The moral cowardice of local prosecutors and senior police officials, even in Texas, is mind boggling.

Around the country, some hotels, restaurants and retailers are refusing to serve federal agents. Some Democratic politicians are publicly stating that it is acceptable to attack and even shoot federal agents AND THEN TRYING TO PROSECUTE THEM WHEN THEY DEFEND THEMSELVES. Think about that for a moment. Around the nation, prosecutors are now regularly charging police officers who defend themselves on the street. What will they do to a church security worker that has to use deadly force?”

The church has a tendency to turn its head away from these things in the culture and try to hide behind the safety of their institutions. That worked in the 1960’s and the silent pulpits of the American church greatly helped give us the decline of the American church as a morally stabilizing force in the culture resulting in the moral and spiritual quagmire that America is today. But this time, the church is not off limits. Long gone are the generations that at least respected the institution of the church even if they didn’t believe or attend. The following is a quote from Albert Mohler, a leading conservative voice among Southern Baptists:

“This past Lord’s Day, a Christian church was invaded by leftist protesters. Cities Church, a young evangelical congregation in St. Paul, Minn., was gathered for worship, just as the church gathers every Sunday, committed to biblical worship and the power of the gospel …As the congregation was worshiping, activists invaded the church building, interrupting worship, and shouting their political messages ... As the protesters shouted down the service, it became clear that the congregation was targeted because one of its elder/pastors is the acting field director for ICE in the region. Christians need to recognize that this latest activist tactic is unprecedented in modern American history.

“Just think seriously about what happened, and imagine it happening in your church. But, you say, we don’t have an acting field director of ICE in our congregation. There is no current culture war in the streets of our community. We are safe. If you think that, you are wrong—sadly wrong and dangerously wrong. What happened in the Twin Cities may not be happening in your community, but there is no reason to believe it will not happen, right where you live and right where you worship. A critical boundary has been crossed.

“…. the great danger for American evangelicals is that we will minimize among ourselves the reality of what happened. A signal has been sent. The left is now willing and some comments indicate even eager to invade and intimidate Christian congregations that violate their progressive agenda. In an increasingly secular America, with cultural tensions running high, a church service is no longer off limits to political disturbance or demonstration.”

A few churches are now scrambling for band aid fixes to their security program, if they even have one, to try to cope with a society that is quickly turning violent against them. This is not a problem that lends itself well to band aid fixes and simple tactics. As we teach in our situational awareness classes, verbal de-escalation does not work with mobs because you are not dealing with an individual but rather a multi-headed hydra with a collective mind bent upon violence. It also doesn’t work well with mentally ill or irrational people because there is no solid basis for dialogue. Both of these principles apply to the current situation.

To understand that last statement, it is necessary to look back over seventy five years to words written in prison cell by a German pastor awaiting execution by the Nazis in the final days of WWII. In his famous “Letters From Prison” Pastor Dietrich Bonhoeffer described the moral stupidity that allowed an advanced Christian nation to become the epitome of evil in one generation:

“Stupidity is a more dangerous enemy of the good than malice. One may protest against evil;

it can be exposed and, if need be, prevented by use of force. Evil always carries within itself the germ of its own subversion in that it leaves behind in human beings at least a sense of unease. Against (moral) stupidity we are defenseless. Neither protests nor the use of force accomplish anything here; reasons fall on deaf ears; facts that contradict one’s prejudgment simply need not be believed — in such moments the stupid person even becomes critical — and when facts are irrefutable they are just pushed aside as inconsequential, as incidental. In all this the (morally) stupid person, in contrast to the malicious one, is utterly self-satisfied and, being easily irritated, becomes dangerous by going on the attack. For that reason, greater caution is called for than with a malicious one. Never again will we try to persuade the stupid person with reasons, for it is senseless and dangerous.

“…. Upon closer observation, it becomes apparent that every strong upsurge of power in the public sphere, be it of a political or of a religious nature, (the Obama/Biden years, radical Islam, pro-illegal immigration) infects a large part of humankind with stupidity. It would even seem that this is virtually a sociological-psychological law. The power of the one needs the stupidity of the other. The process at work here is not that particular human capacities, for instance, the intellect, suddenly atrophy or fail. Instead, it seems that under the overwhelming impact of rising power, humans are deprived of their inner independence, and, more or less consciously, give up establishing an autonomous position toward the emerging circumstances.

“The fact that the (morally) stupid person is often stubborn must not blind us to the fact that he is not independent. In conversation with him, one virtually feels that one is dealing not at all with a person, but with slogans, catchwords and the like, that have taken possession of him. He is under a spell, blinded, misused, and abused in his very being. Having thus become a mindless tool, the stupid person will also be capable of any evil and at the same time incapable of seeing that it is evil. This is where the danger of diabolical misuse lurks, for it is this that can once and for all destroy human beings.

‘Yet at this very point it becomes quite clear that only an act of liberation, not instruction, can

overcome stupidity. Here we must come to terms with the fact that in most cases a genuine internal liberation becomes possible only when external liberation has preceded it. (In the micro tactical sense this means breaking up the mob, something no church security team is capable of doing. ed. ) Until then we must abandon all attempts to convince the stupid person. This state of affairs explains why in such circumstances our attempts to know what ‘the people’ really think are in vain and why, under these circumstances, this question is so irrelevant for the person who is thinking and acting responsibly. The word of the Bible that the fear of God is the beginning of wisdom declares that the internal liberation of human beings to live the responsible life before God is the only genuine way to overcome (moral) stupidity” Bonhoeffer Theory of Stupidity

So, when forming your church security team’s policy toward church invaders/prosecutors keep these facts in mind:

• The police will be slow in responding and their response will be highly politically nuanced. You are going to have to handle this situation yourself for several minutes or longer.

• The invaders/protesters are seeking a confrontation. Well meaning attempts at dialogue and persuasion will only give them the opportunity they need for that verbal (or physical) confrontation.

• The invaders/protesters are looking for a reason to physically escalate the situation. Do not give it to them unless absolutely necessary to protect members of your flock.

• Be aware that some of the invaders/protesters may be professionally trained agitators who know how to use disposable weapons like sand or gravel in a sock or frozen water bottles that will inflict serious physical injury but can be disposed of quickly leaving no physical evidence to support your claim of self defense.

• If you are compelled to use force in self defense, it is almost certain that you will be arrested and charged and invaders/protesters will not. This has happened time and again in previous events in the past few years. There is no political downside to arresting the victims since law abiding Christians don’t burn neighborhoods and cars, violently target public officials or take vicious long term political revenge through people and means you would never expect.

• If possible, the moment you see a group of invaders/protesters assembling: (a) dismiss services and evacuate the building through exits away from the group (b) make sure that people who can’t get to their cars are offered rides to a safe place (c) if the preceding two are not possible disperse your congregation on foot into the surrounding neighborhood away from the protest and wait for police to clear the scene so that they can get to their cars and (d) if (c) is necessary instruct your deacons and other trustworthy men to assist the elderly, the physically challenged and people with small children in the evacuation and dispersion.

• DO NOT SHOW A WEAPON. WEAPONS SHOULD REMAIN HOLSTERED AND OUT OF SIGHT UNLESS AND UNTIL A DEADLY FORCE INCIDENT CREATED BY THE INVADER/PROTESTER IS PRESENTED.

• If the above is not possible go into strong lockdown, get children with their parents and assemble them all in the most secure areas of your facility. The rioters will not respect your boundaries. They will try to break down doors, come through windows and seek access through any possible means. So, your lockdown plans need to include hardening entrances and possible access points.

There are predictable phases of genocide. The final phase is tribalism. In this phase, the population is so divided that they no longer see each other as neighbors and fellow human beings but rather as political symbols that either support or oppose their tribe. Those who do not slavishly support the tribe’s beliefs and actions become the enemy. The enemy is not human and deserves to be destroyed. The US has reached this phase.

In closing, remember the preceding statements by Albert Mohler: A critical boundary has been crossed … a church service is no longer off limits to political disturbance or demonstration.”

Revised Threat Profile 02-01-26

 

The church threat profile has changed radically in the past few weeks. Aside from the substantial risks already present, three new situations must also be included in security planning for your church and congregation.

The first is vehicle ramming attacks against both buildings and individuals. These events are showing up in threat reports every week now. Churches must take immediate steps to harden the approaches to their entrances and pay careful attention to suspicious vehicles in their parking lots. Security teams should use safety protocols when approaching suspicious vehicles since vehicular attacks upon individuals, especially law enforcement and other authority figures, have increased exponentially.

The second is politically motivated disruption of church services. This threat has been incubating since the BLM an ANTIFA violence a few years ago and has now matured into an acceptable political tactic for left wing agitators who are sometimes protected and even encouraged by public officials of opposing political factions. Churches must take immediate steps to lock down their entrances if possible, evacuate their congregation away from the rioters if possible and if necessary protect key figures like pastors and public officials from the mob.

The third is violence directed toward law enforcement officers and public officials. Most churches offer better access to law enforcement officers and public officials than their workplaces which are usually guarded. Rioters wishing to embarrass or even harm these public servants may choose to attack them while attending church. Churches must offer these officials and their families every accommodation they ask for and prepare their safety teams to both protect and evacuate them and their families.

Churches in smaller communities and rural areas may assume that this is big city problem that they can ignore. There is a problem with this assumption. This kind of violence nationally tends to breed copy cat action by lone wolf or small group actors in other places including smaller communities and rural areas. A devastating attack can be carried out by a single highly motivated individual. Every community has its share of these people and now that violence has become an accepted part of the political process it must be expected that they will choose to emulate their big city leaders.

The Oklahoma Church Security Association provides free church security training and consultation at no charge. For further information contact answer this email or contact Bill Kumpe at 918-381-9792.