church security – Page 5

A List of Active Killer Incidents at Houses of Worship and Religious Schools

Photo credit: David von Diemar, https://unsplash.com/@davidvondiemar Some people in leadership at churches still question why it’s necessary to have an armed and trained church security/safety team as part of their dedicated ministry efforts.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Active Killer Advice Compendium ]

The following list should be reason enough:

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• Church of Christ, Pryor Creek, Oklahoma, Dec. 22, 2025
An unprovoked woman armed with a dagger deliberately attacked the pastor, stabbing his hand, chin, and neck, requiring surgery and stitches. Two senior parishioners helped the pastor disarm and subdue the assailant until officers arrived.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Dept. of War Elevating Chaplaincy Corps Back to Spiritual Significance ]

• Archer Park, Bondi Beach, Sydney, Australia, Dec. 14, 2025
Two terrorists—a 50-year-old man and his 24-year-old son—positioned themselves on a small footbridge and opened fire for more than 11 minutes on a Jewish community gathered for the evening annual beach festival, Chanukah by the Sea, attended by many children and families. At least 15 people were killed, and 42 others were injured. The 50-year-old died at the scene, and his son is in custody. A bystander is being hailed as a hero after wrestling the rifle away from one of the gunmen, but was then wounded twice by the other gunman. Several improvised explosive devices were discovered in a vehicle at the scene and disarmed. The event did not have a visible security team present.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Dept. of Justice Now Protecting the Second Amendment As a Civil Right ]

• Clarke County, Alabama, Oct. 27, 2025
The FBI and local law enforcement arrested a 33-year-old man with a suitcase full of ammunition and body armor, stopping a credible plan to attack multiple Jewish synagogues across Alabama and surrounding states.

Counterterrorism Guide: Situational Awareness to Hinder An Attack

The Joint Counterterrorism Assessment Team (JCAT) is a US interagency collaboration based at the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC), which is aligned under the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI).

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Working with intelligence analysts from NCTC, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), JCAT’s primary mission is to improve counterterrorism information sharing between federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial government agencies and the private sector. The latter is where that information is adaptable for personal self-defense and church security teams in being situationally aware to pre-indicators of criminal and terroristic attacks.

[ Read SemperVerus articles on the topic of SITUATIONAL AWARENESS ]

One resource is JCAT’s Counterterrorism Guide For Public Safety Personnel, offering content to assist self-defenders and church safety volunteers in:

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.”