VI – Self-Defense – Page 29

Pastors Network: Churches Have Biblical Duty to Protect

The American Pastors Network (APN) says churches have a biblical and moral responsibility to protect their congregations from attacks.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Church Shooting Analysis Reports ]

“Unfortunately, church security is now a pressing matter in our nation,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “No longer can we fully count on the peaceful and serene sanctuary of the church. It’s clear that those with evil intentions, whether against the church itself or those inside, have sought to steal and kill and destroy, as we witnessed at West Freeway Church of Christ in a Fort Worth, Texas, suburb. We live in a culture where our churches must seriously think about how to keep people safe. Just as a shepherd carries a staff to guard his sheep, so must every pastor employ ways to protect his flock.”

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

APN offers 10 biblical recommendations for churches to consider when devising policies concerning church security:

Church Shooting Analysis Reports

A killer murdered two people during the morning service at West Freeway Church of Christ in Fort Worth, Texas December 29, 2019. He was about to kill a third person and probably more congregants when he was fatally shot in the skilled self-defense maneuver by Jack Wilson, a volunteer member of the church security team who undoubtedly saved many lives. The murderer’s six-second terror spree and the armed civilian’s rescue were video recorded. Here is a collection of links to resources examining the event to arrive at lessons learned for future self-defense and church security planning:

The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law

Attorney Andrew Branca has distilled the laws in all 50 states that concern themselves with self-defense. He says, “There are at most 5 elements to any self-defense case (and often not even that many). That’s true in every one of the 50 states, and all US territories.” Be sure you adhere to them.

The 5 Elements of Self-Defense Law are:

Innocence
Imminence (ability, opportunity, jeopardy)
Proportionality
Avoidance
Reasonableness (subjective and objective)