Churches should be places of refuge—where people gather in faith, community, and peace. Yet, in recent years, houses of worship across America have increasingly become targets of violence. According to the Violence Prevention Project, 2023 recorded the most incidents of violence at houses of worship on record, with more than 400 attacks targeting churches in both 2023 and 2024.
The good news? Most church security vulnerabilities are preventable. The vast majority of incidents exploit the same basic failures—unlocked doors, lack of communication systems, and untrained volunteers. These aren't expensive problems to solve; they're awareness problems.
This article examines the ten most common security mistakes churches make, why they're dangerous, and practical solutions you can implement this week.
1. Leaving Exterior Doors Unlocked and Unmonitored
What it is: Many churches leave side doors, back entrances, and even main doors unlocked before services, assuming that "this would never happen here." Volunteers may be present at these doors but without clear security responsibilities.
Why it's dangerous: The 2017 Sutherland Springs shooting (26 killed at First Baptist Church in Texas) and the 2024 Lakewood Church shooting in Houston both involved shooters entering through unlocked doors. In the Sutherland Springs case, the shooter fired into the church from the parking lot before entering through an unlocked front door. He had also been seen in the parking lot prior to the attack—something that went unchallenged. At the 2025 Lexington, Kentucky shooting, the attacker entered through a back door. In too many incidents, the initial point of entry was an unsecured door that anyone could walk through.
How to fix it:
- Designate a single point of entry during services and lock all others
- Assign trained greeters or security volunteers to monitor entrances
- Install door alarms or sensors on secondary doors that trigger alerts when opened
- Keep exterior doors closed and locked when not actively welcoming visitors
- Cost-effective fix: Simple door alarm systems start at $30-$50 per door
2. No Emergency Communication System
What it is: The congregation relies on shouting or cell phones to alert others during an emergency. There's no standardized way to communicate danger quickly across a large campus.
Why it's dangerous: In the Uvalde school shooting, one of the most devastating failures was communication. Law enforcement received conflicting information, command was never established, and accurate information didn't reach responders for over an hour. While that's a law enforcement failure, the same chaos happens in churches without communication plans. During an emergency, people freeze, phones are left in bags, and precious minutes are lost.
How to fix it:
- Provide two-way radios to all security team members and key staff
- Install a panic button system (app-based or physical) that instantly notifies the entire security team
- Establish simple code words or signals (e.g., "We need Pastor John in the lobby") that everyone understands
- Consider mass notification systems like Omnilert or PushPulse that can send alerts to all congregation members' phones
- Budget option: Two-way radios cost $20-$50 each; many churches already have them for other uses
3. No Controlled Access to the Building
What it is: Anyone can walk into any part of the church at any time. There's no distinction between public areas, children's ministries, and staff-only zones.
Why it's dangerous: Uncontrolled access means a threat actor can move freely through the building. Children's areas, staff offices, and storage rooms become vulnerable. In the 2015 Charleston church shooting, Dylann Roof sat in the church for an hour before opening fire—he was welcomed in like any other visitor without any access control or monitoring.
How to fix it:
- Implement a visitor check-in system, especially for children's areas
- Use electronic access control (keycards, PIN codes, or smartphone-based systems) for staff-only areas
- Install cameras at entry points to monitor who enters
- Create a "secure zone" for children's ministry that requires check-in/authorization
- Low-cost starting point: Manual visitor logs and ID checks cost nothing; electronic systems can start around $500
4. Security Team Members Untrained and Without Clear Protocols
What it is: Well-meaning volunteers are asked to "watch the door" without training, clear authority, or defined procedures. They may not know what to do if someone acting aggressively approaches.
Why it's dangerous: A security team without training provides a false sense of security. These volunteers may freeze in an emergency, fail to recognize warning signs, or not know how to coordinate with law enforcement. In Uvalde, officers had received active shooter training but failed to act due to poor leadership and unclear decision-making protocols.
How to fix it:
- Partner with local law enforcement or professional security consultants for annual training
- Establish clear, written protocols: When do we lock down? When do we evacuate? Who makes that call?
- Consider having at least some trained, armed volunteers (where legally permitted) who can respond immediately
- Conduct tabletop exercises and drills quarterly
- Resources: Organizations like the National Church Security Council and Advanced Law Enforcement Training provide affordable workshops
5. Neglecting Parking Lot Security
What it is: The parking lot is treated as a "neutral zone" with no monitoring, lighting, or attention. Security focuses entirely on the building interior.
Why it's dangerous: Violent incidents don't only happen inside buildings. The Sutherland Springs shooter was first observed in the parking lot. In the 2024 Lakewood Church shooting, the attacker shot a security guard in the parking lot before entering. Your parking area is an extension of your security perimeter—and it's often the first point of contact.
How to fix it:
- Ensure adequate lighting in all parking areas, especially near entrances
- Consider camera coverage of the parking lot
- Have a volunteer stationed in or near the parking lot during high-traffic times
- Establish a "parking lot check" procedure before services begin
- Budget option: Solar-powered motion lights start at $30-$50; battery-powered security cameras start at $50
6. No Active Shooter Response Plan
What it is: The church has no specific plan for responding to an active shooter or other violent threat. Staff and volunteers have never discussed or practiced what to do.
Why it's dangerous: During an active shooter event, people have seconds to make life-or-death decisions. Without pre-established plans, individuals freeze, make poor decisions, or contradict each other. A plan doesn't guarantee survival, but it dramatically increases the odds.
How to fix it:
- Adopt Run-Hide-Fight or a similar framework as your base response protocol
- Identify lockdown-capable rooms in advance—rooms with locks, limited windows, and no interior sight lines from corridors
- Practice evacuation routes and assembly points
- Establish a "church reunification plan" for getting families back together after an incident
- Free resource: DHS Run-Hide-Fight materials are freely available online
7. Failing to Coordinate with Local Law Enforcement
What it is: The church has no relationship with local police, fire, or EMS. First responders don't know the church's layout, access points, or who to contact.
Why it's dangerous: When seconds count, law enforcement needs to know your building immediately. Without pre-planning, responders waste critical minutes looking for entry points, trying to identify who is in charge, and figuring out your layout. There's also the reality that law enforcement's first awareness of your church shouldn't be an emergency call.
How to fix it:
- Invite local law enforcement for an annual facility walkthrough
- Provide maps and access codes to local dispatch
- Attend community policing events and introduce your church security leadership
- Consider establishing a formal "church security" liaison with your local police department
- Free: Most police departments are eager to build these relationships; it costs nothing to reach out
8. Inadequate Security for Children's and Youth Areas
What it is: Children's ministry areas have minimal security oversight. Anyone can walk into the nursery. Check-in systems are inconsistently used. Volunteers aren't trained on security protocols.
Why it's dangerous: Children and youth are among the most vulnerable members of your congregation. Unauthorized access to children's areas—whether by an individual with malicious intent or simply a well-meaning parent wandering in during service—creates significant risks. Incidents involving children draw intense scrutiny and can devastate a church community.
How to fix it:
- Implement two-person access rules for children's ministry areas
- Use a check-in/check-out system that requires authorization for any child pickup
- Install cameras at children's ministry entrances (with appropriate privacy considerations)
- Conduct background checks on all volunteers who work with children
- Low-cost option: Physical badge systems with printed stickers start under $100
9. No Ongoing Security Review Process
What it is: Security is addressed once (or after an incident) and then forgotten. There's no regular schedule for reviewing procedures, updating plans, or assessing new vulnerabilities.
Why it's dangerous: Security is not a one-time project—it's an ongoing process. Your building changes, your congregation changes, and the threat landscape changes. A security plan that's two years old without review may have significant gaps.
How to fix it:
- Schedule an annual security review (minimum)
- Conduct quarterly security briefings with your team
- After every incident or near-miss at any church, review your own procedures
- Document all security decisions and the reasoning behind them
- Free: Annual reviews can be conducted internally using DHS security assessment guides
10. Assuming "We're Too Small" or "That Won't Happen Here"
What it is: Leadership has concluded that security measures aren't necessary for their congregation because they're too small, too rural, too close-knit, or simply because they've never had an incident.
Why it's dangerous: The Violence Prevention Project's data is clear: violence in houses of worship is not concentrated among large, high-profile churches. Many of the most tragic incidents have occurred in small, rural congregations. Size doesn't determine risk—openness does. Churches, by their nature, are open to the public. That's a beautiful thing—and a security challenge.
How to fix it:
- Review the threat landscape honestly and regularly
- Talk to other pastors in your area about their security experiences
- Consider that your small size may actually be an advantage—people know each other, making anomalies easier to notice
- Start with free or low-cost measures: locked doors, greeter protocols, communication plans
- Mindset shift: Security is an expression of stewardship, not a sign of distrust
Where to Start
If you've read through this list and felt overwhelmed, take a breath. You don't need to implement everything at once. Start with the free or low-cost items:
- Lock your secondary doors and assign someone to monitor your primary entrance
- Get a set of two-way radios for your key staff and volunteer leaders
- Establish a clear chain of command for security decisions
- Contact your local police non-emergency line and ask about a facility walkthrough
- Download and review the DHS Houses of Worship Security Self-Assessment Guide (free)
From there, you can layer in more sophisticated measures as budget allows. The goal isn't to turn your church into a fortress—it's to be faithful stewards of the people God's placed in your care.
Psalm 127:1 reminds us that the watchman's vigilance matters. Be that faithful watchman for your congregation.