Articles with interviews

Interview with Keith Graves of Christian Warrior Training

If you’d like to be interviewed to share best practices of your own church security/safety team, contact SemperVerus by emailing staytrue@semperverus.com.

SemperVerus interviewed Keith Graves, founder and trainer of Christian Warrior Training, which empowers churches with the knowledge and tools they need to create a safe and secure environment for their members.

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

Why have you focused your tactical attention on providing your professional expertise for church security teams?
Churches are often seen as safe havens, but they are not immune to violence or threats. As a retired police sergeant and a believer, I’ve witnessed the rise in targeted attacks on places of worship. I focus on church security because it aligns with the biblical call to protect the flock (Acts 20:28). A well-trained security team ensures that worshippers can gather safely and focus on their relationship with Christ, knowing that someone is standing guard.

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Interview with Matt Witte, Church Safety Consultant

If you’d like to be interviewed to share best practices of your own church security/safety team, contact SemperVerus by emailing staytrue@semperverus.com.

SemperVerus interviewed Matt Witte, Church Safety Consultant at Blue Arrow Consultants, LLC, which believes that individuals, church security teams, and businesses utilizing threat assessment knowledge to make a location more secure—and to prepare people for what dangers may occur—can lessen the need for force, reduce the chance of physical harm, and minimize liability.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Tactical Training for Individuals and Church Security Teams to Thwart Active Violence Incidents (Part 1) ]

Why is it important for a church to organize a safety/security team?
It’s important for the church to have a safety/security team because even back in the days when the disciples were with Jesus they had the mindset of protection among themselves. They may not have dealt with the same threats that we do today, but none-the-less it’s our duty as church members to protect our flock.

Along with that, no matter the size of your church, it’s crucial to have some kind of medical response team ready to jump in when the need arises. The devil is always at work to disrupt or destroy where people gather to worship Jesus. We need to be ready for whatever he plans to use against us.

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A Treasure Trove of Gun Information: The Defensive Use of Firearms Website

The website you ABSOLUTELY MUST bookmark if you are at all interested in learning as much as you can about self-defense and firearm insight is spwenger’s Defensive Use of Firearms.

It’s founded and maintained by Stephen P. Wenger, whose extensive credentials include hundreds of hours of law enforcement, self-defense, lethal force, armorer, public safety, and threat management training and teaching. He created the site in response to his frustration with seeing erroneous defensive tactics being taught by firearms instructors.

Along with the website, Mr. Wenger publishes the DUF Digest, a comprehensive examination of the practicalities and realities of the use of firearms for defensive purposes in a free, daily email digest of firearm-related news (subscribe at this list server site). He is also the author of the book, Defensive Use of Firearms (also see book information on Snub Gun Study Group), which he offers as a free PDF download.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Directory: Informative Free Email Newsletters From a Variety of Sources ]

The website’s valuable information is organized in the following categories:

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Church Security at Temporary Rental Property: An Interview with Steven Jansen

If you’d like to be interviewed to share best practices of your own church security/safety team, contact SemperVerus by emailing staytrue@semperverus.com.

A church plant is defined as the process of starting a new, local gathering of Christian believers for corporate worship and group edification. Often church plants are sponsored by established churches as a way of reaching people outside of their immediate areas. Church plants usually begin holding weekly services in some type of rental location with the objective of eventually constructing and owning their own facility. The practices of church security in rented space can vary from those in owned property. SemperVerus interviewed Steven Jansen, the leader of a church safety team at a church plant in Michigan.

Why does your church believe it’s important to have a security/safety team?
Our church safety team exists to ensure a safe and secure environment in which our congregation and guests have an opportunity to worship our Lord.

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

What training do you see as being important for team members?
The Active Violence Incidents training Del Kostanko of Blue Arrow Consultants recently did for us (and has in some form for the last three years) is one of the most important training we do. I believe in his training so much that I would say anyone who has a CPL (Concealed Pistol License) should take his class! * Anyone who has a CPL on our team is also required to go to a group shoot with all of us each year.

Another training that we do is CPR/AED training. We have a meeting every year to go over what we’re supposed to be doing, how to do what we’re supposed to be doing, and go over any changes and improvements we can make.

We have multiple medical first responders who have their own required training outside of church for their state emergency medical license and we have a couple guys involved in CPL classes who have separate training for that as well.

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