OPINION:
Charlie Kirk, an outspoken Christian, was gunned down last week on a college campus in Utah just for exercising his right to speak his mind.
Students were participating in Mass at the Church of the Annunciation in Minnesota last month when a deranged gunman opened fire. Two children tragically perished, and 21 other people were injured.
A lesser-known story is the routine day in November 2022 at Hispanics United of Buffalo in New York. No one inside knew that a gunman armed with an AR-15 was about to open fire. As chaos erupted, unarmed security guard Reynaldo Beckford didn’t run. “When I turned, I saw in the corner of my eye … the person and the rifle,” he recalled. Instinctively, he leaped at the attacker and cried out, “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.”
Mr. Beckford wrestled for the weapon, giving another guard and two civilians time to subdue the shooter before anyone was hurt.
“The first thing that flashed through my mind was my baby who just turned 3 years old,” he later said.
Hailed as a hero, Mr. Beckford humbly insisted, “That’s the business I’m in: to save and protect.” He added, “Nobody lost their life, nobody got hurt. And to God be the glory.”
Is this an inspirational story of bravery? Absolutely. It is also a clarion call to every church and ministry in America: We must act now to protect our flocks.
It is indisputable that Christians and houses of worship are in the crosshairs these days. As good stewards called to serve the Lord, we must prepare accordingly. Toward that end, I encourage every faith leader in America to work with their leadership teams to undertake two critical steps to protect their staff, community and congregation.
The first and foremost is prayer. If you and your team haven’t already begun praying weekly for God’s hand of protection over your church and your ministry, please do so immediately. We know the “effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). We must pray for the Lord to send us watchmen on the walls to spot enemies long before they can inflict their evil.
Let’s urge every believer and leader in every church and ministry in the United States to pray for the Father to send angels to guard his flock and protect those in his image everywhere.
Toward that end, I am also urging every U.S. faith leader to undertake a detailed vulnerability assessment of their premises.
Those trained to serve in security roles, especially former military personnel and private security experts trained by state and federal governments, can often spot security vulnerabilities you might otherwise never see. Identifying blind spots not covered by surveillance cameras, enhancing access control to help you see anyone stepping into your building after hours, and advanced training for your on-site security personnel are only a few benefits of hiring such people.
Conducting an independent assessment to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of your security setup will give you the peace of mind you need to confidently assure your community that you are doing everything possible to keep them safe.
I realize, of course, that conducting a detailed security analysis doesn’t come cheap. In that regard, here is some encouraging news: Many churches are unaware that the Federal Emergency Management Agency offers grants of up to $200,000 to help churches and other nonprofits boost the security of their facilities. That amount is on a per-address basis. If you have multiple locations, each one is independently eligible.
A total of $110 million has already been allocated for this purpose. All you have to do to qualify is send in a compelling application. Although no grant application is guaranteed to be awarded, supportive resources and proven steps are available to help increase your chances of success.
I understand that navigating the byzantine byways of the FEMA grant application process is no picnic for those new to the process. That’s why CityServe and Ministry Boost are teaming up to provide a free, live webinar Thursday at 1 p.m. EDT to guide you through the process. We’ll coach you on how to become grant-ready, how and where to apply, and the common pitfalls in the application process you’ll want to avoid. We’ll also coach every church and ministry leader on the call to help you obtain the resources you need to keep your congregation safe.
If you or anyone you know has additional advice for helping churches improve their security or acquire the funding necessary for these critical updates, please speak up and inform your pastors and lay leaders at your church and other churches in your neighborhood.
If each of us takes a moment to determine how we can help, we will fulfill our mandate to look out for our brothers and sisters and will help save lives from senseless acts of violence. Together, let’s do whatever it takes to ensure that no weapon formed against us shall prosper.
• Wendell Vinson is the co-founder of CityServe International, a church empowerment network that provides essentials and disaster relief to communities in need throughout the United States and around the world.
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