Dr. E.C. Fulcher, Jr.

I was reading online and came across some negative comments pertaining to churches having security. It didn’t specify if the security was armed or unarmed, so to me, it seemed that they were just questioning and kind of attacking churches that have security and I thought to myself, why is that a problem? I mean, we go to the mall and there is security there right? We go to ballgames, concerts, clubs and there is security there as well. The security is there to prevent and protect the individuals using their services so they can enjoy a care-free experience. I mean face it, there are a lot of evil people in the world. So, I began to wonder why are people ok with security at public places like the ones I mentioned prior and so many more places, but security at a church is taboo.

So let’s look at this rationally. People tend to do their best to protect the things they love and that’s ok right? For example, you lock your house and car doors, put alarm systems in, by guard dogs, and yes some even arm themselves to protect themselves and their loved ones. Everyone agrees that those actions are ok because you are protecting yourself and your loved ones. So then, if a group of people loves their church, why can’t they take the same measures to protect the church they love and the people they worship with?

Let’s take a look at Jesus and his Disciples. They followed Jesus everywhere he went and took care of everything that needed to be done, but some don’t realize that they also acted as security. If you read Mark 5:30-31 “30And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? 31And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?” The fact that they were surrounding Jesus and someone touched him, he looked to them to find out who had touched him and the disciples replied that there were so many people they couldn’t see or keep everyone back. That sounds like they were trying to provide security for Jesus. So is it ok that Jesus had security? He had security and was still crucified.

Churches have always been under attack for one thing or another. As we get more modern, we have more modern ways to provide protection. Let’s be real, God doesn’t love everybody and not everybody loves God enough to leave his worshipers alone.  Let’s look at some examples of reasons churches need to be protected and have security.

June 2015: Charleston, South Carolina: Dylann Roof, 21, shot and killed nine black church members during a Bible study group inside the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina. Police contend the attack was a hate crime. A jury sentenced him to death in January 2017, and he’s now on death row in Terre Haute, Indiana.

August 2015: Waynesville, North Carolina: Wade Allen Baker, of Clyde, North Carolina, died after an exchange of gunfire with police, who had responded to a 911 call claiming that people had been shot at the Maple Grove Baptist Church in Waynesville, North Carolina.

September 2015: East Selma, Alabama: A man was charged with three counts of attempted murder after shooting his girlfriend, their baby, and a clergyman inside the Oasis Tabernacle Church in East Selma, Alabama.

October 2015: Detroit, Michigan: A Detroit pastor shot and killed a man during Sunday services when the man went after the pastor with a brick. The pastor whipped out his Glock handgun and fired several shots, killing the man.

February 2016: Dayton, Ohio: A gunman opened fire at St. Peter’s Missionary Baptist Church in Dayton, Ohio, killing the pastor. More than 20 people were reported to be inside the church at the time of the shooting,

April 2017: North Wales, Pennsylvania: Authorities say a dispute between two members at Keystone Fellowship Church in a Philadelphia suburb during a Sunday worship service ended with one person shooting and killing the other. Authorities didn’t say what the disturbance was about.

May 2017: Kansas City, Missouri: A church greeter was shot while welcoming parishioners at a church in south Kansas City. The suspect entered the House of Refuge Family Worship Church through a rear door and fired multiple shots. Greeter Montell Bruce was struck in the head, but his injury was not life-threatening.

June 2017: Oakland, California: Police arrested a man who they allege fired eight bullets into a religious statue outside St. Felicitas Catholic Church in Oakland, California. They investigated the shooting as a hate crime. No one was injured, but a police spokesman said that officers struggled with the male subject when he was taken into custody. The name of the person arrested was not immediately released. He was described as a white male in his mid-30s.

September 2017: Nashville, Tennessee: One woman was killed and seven other people were hurt after a suspect identified as a Sudanese immigrant opened fire at a Tennessee church.  The FBI confirmed it launched a civil rights investigation into the shooting.

November 2017: Fresno, California: A man waiting at a church parking lot shot and killed his estranged wife and her boyfriend after they emerged from Mass at St. Alphonsus Church. The husband, Manuel Garcia, 64, then drove to the family home 11 blocks away and, as SWAT officers massed outside, took his own life.

November 2017: Sutherland Springs, Texas: 26 people were killed and 20 others wounded in a shooting at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs. Devin Patrick Kelley fired at least 450 rounds inside the church. A nearby resident shot and wounded Kelley before the killer drove away and ultimately ended his own life.

October 2018: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: A man opened fire in the Tree of Life synagogue in an anti-Semitic attack, killing 11 people and injuring six others.

April 2019: Poway, California: One person was killed, and at least three were wounded by a shooter at the Chabad of Poway synagogue.

I could go on and on, and this is just from America alone and only covers some of the shootings up to the middle of 2019.  It doesn’t even touch the tip of the iceberg for the invasion of churches around the world. There is a church in Abingdon, that set up its security detail many years ago, and was criticized and ridiculed. Now, many local churches have come to that church to ask how to go about initiating church security.

It is a sad commentary that churches, once the epitome of sanctuary, are no longer considered a safe haven.  Many churches have enemies from disgruntled parishioners who have left the flock to one member’s dislike for another to someone from another religion who considers another church an anathema. 

There are several churches in the Harford County area that have security. Mountain Christian Church has armed security and Harford County and the State Police have been known to sit in on their services. Trinity Lutheran Church has armed security as well, and they also have Harford County and the State Police sit in on their services.

It is sad to say that even the church I attend has enemies.  Over the years, our church has received bomb threats and our Pastor has even received death threats.  All threats have been turned over to the police and/or FBI and have been thoroughly investigated.  Recently one member who left the church made some spurious accusations which were investigated by the police and found to be completely groundless.  But still, the accusations were made and people believed the lies because the police report exonerating the church is buried in the last paragraph which few people have the time or inclination to read to.

No one goes to church expecting violence. But in this day and age, you cannot rule it out. It is better to be prepared and to let those who might be thinking about that violence be forewarned that their actions will have immediate consequences not just to the churchgoers, but to the perpetrators themselves. Bullies very rarely pick on someone they KNOW will hit back. 

Hopefully, this will help you to take a step back and think about it rationally and not from a place of fear or rumors, or personal emotions. The number of church attacks is facts and I bet each person that was saved because of the church security is very grateful.

Written and Edited by Eric B. Ruark and Tanya Tillman