Unfortunately, houses of worship and religious-based schools have increasingly become targets of violence. Are you and your organization prepared to deal with this evil?
by Paul G Markel
“If something bad happens, we’ll call 9-1-1. That’s why we have the police.”
So says the naïve person who bases their view of the world either upon what they have been spoon fed by the media or watched on television. No one who has ever lived through a violent attack has ever thought, “It’s cool, I’ll just wait for the police to eventually show up.”
For longer than I can remember, as a Small Arms & Tactics instructor, I have been trying to help people understand that only those present when an attack begins will have any hope of altering the outcome and saving innocent lives.
The Police
It is not all that complex; we have witnessed politically motivated and mental-illness-driven attacks in the United States, Europe, and in many other places around the world. Depending on the situation, the police or the military always show up at some point — maybe five minutes, ten minutes, or a half-hour later. Government officials might be able to surround and storm the building and eventually kill or capture the bad guys, but what good does that do to the innocent people inside the scene?
Another reality is that regardless of the information coming into the 9-1-1 dispatch, much of it will be conflicting. The officers who do arrive on scene will have to figure out what is actually going on. Who is/are the bad guy(s)? Where are they? Even if police are called and arrive in three minutes, which is fast, there will still be a time gap between when they arrive, enter the scene, and deal with the problem.
What is happening during the time gap? When the killer starts their attack, you do not have minutes to respond and figure out what to do. You have seconds.
On July 27, 2025, in Traverse City, Michigan, a maniac pulled out a knife in a Walmart. The attack started at 4:43 p.m. and the first deputy arrived outside in the parking lot at 4:46 p.m. That is a fast response; however, in just a few minutes, the attacker was able to stab 11 victims with a common Buck knife. Two bystanders, both former US Marines, one with a pistol, stopped the attacker and held him for police.
In November of 2024, a man with a knife went on a stabbing spree in the Bondi Junction shopping center in Australia. The attacker stabbed 16 people in under five minutes and was eventually shot by a police officer who responded. Six of the victims bled to death.
The Ambulance
What is rarely ever discussed, but is a sad reality, is that medical first responders will not, by policy, enter a violent crime scene until given permission by law enforcement. Medical first responders will literally park a block or two away while waiting for the “all clear” to enter the scene. How long will that take? No one knows. It could be five minutes. It could be 45 minutes. How long does it take for a person with a compromised artery to bleed to death? Depending on the artery and whether it is completely compromised, the answer could be 90 seconds to a few minutes.
How does this translate to reality? Reality dictates that most victims of rampage attacks do not die immediately; they lay on the floor/ground and bleed to death waiting for someone to come and help them.
During the Westgate Mall terrorist attack in Nairobi, Kenya, many of the 62 victims did not die outright, but laid on the floor bleeding while waiting for the police and the army to decide what to do. One victim described hiding with his injured wife and holding her hand as the life left her eyes and she bled to death.
Legion of Michael and Knights of St. Nicholas
More than five years ago, I wrote a manual for setting up church security entitled, “Legion of Michael: Defending the Flock” and we created a Home Study/Distance Learning program of the same name offered through SOTGU.com. Exactly two years ago as I type these words, I released the book “Knights of St. Nicholas: Protector of Children”, a guide to defending Christian Schools.
The principles laid out in both books/programs are similar. One of the primary differences is that in the church scenario, you have very few dedicated employees and the security team will be composed of volunteers. In the school scenario, while participation is on a volunteer basis, you have a large number of staff members who would be eligible.
“Moreover, legitimate defence (sic) can be not only a right but a grave duty for someone responsible for another’s life.” – Pope John Paul II
So, where to begin?
Step 1: Acknowledge that Evil is Real
While it might seem redundant, we begin by accepting that evil exists on Earth and that nothing we can do will change that fact. No policy statement, or law, or plastic sign is going to stop the minions of Satan from carrying out their evil deeds.
Many years ago, when I was a young US Marine going through training, one of our sergeants said to us, “Right now, somewhere in this world, someone is training to kill you. There is nothing that you can do to change that. What you can do is to train harder than that SOB so that one day when you meet you will destroy him.”
The wisdom of that admonition applies to every person living in the United States as a free citizen. There are evil men and women out there who are willing to kill you, your spouse, your children, and there is nothing you can do to alter that fact; however, what you do have control over is how prepared you are to respond to that crisis if and when it materializes. You can have the proper mindset, you can learn the correct tactics and appropriate skills, and you can carry the gear if you are a free man or woman.
In the 21st century, there is a definite cultural divide; we have those who revel in victimhood. I would go so far as to say that they embrace it, and they expect that the state will provide for their safety and security. Then we have those who accept the mantra, “No one is coming to save you. Expect to self-rescue.” The good news is that you can make the decision regarding which camp you want to inhabit.
Step 2: Organize
One of the biggest mistakes that good people make regarding church security is to say, “Well, I carry my gun concealed in church and I’m sure some other people do, too, so we have security.” No, you are just congregants sitting in pews with guns on your bodies. There is far more to security than just having a gun on your person.
This is why we created the structure of the Legion of Michael and Knights of St. Nicholas programs. Security is far more than just some people carrying guns sometimes. Genuine security is a purposeful undertaking that is organized and structured. People must know their role and understand their responsibilities.
While I don’t have the room in an article to go over all the details, I will say this — those persons who volunteer to make up a church or Christian school security team require leadership, instruction, regular training, and must be held to a standard. You cannot be a shepherd, or a sheep dog (pick your analogy) if you have your head down, grazing with the flock.
You can use the structure that we have laid out and even attend our training, or you can choose to make it up as you go along. I would suggest the former, but you are adults.
Step 3: Training
Another misstep that gun people make is to get tangled up in their ego regarding training. If you have a guy who tells you, “I’ve been shooting all my life, I don’t need your training,” that is a perfect indicator to pass on that person as a team member. Anyone who cannot park their ego to participate in training is not a team player and team players are what you need. You need people who are selfless, not selfish.
We organize to create the bond of a team. One of the best methods to bond men together is for them to undergo the same training and meet the same standards. In both aforementioned books, there are suggested standards for firearms qualification and training. It is not necessary for your volunteer team to meet Special Forces Operational Detachment Delta firearms standards, but you absolutely need to be able to trust them to handle a firearm in a safe and effective manner.
While marksmanship with a firearm is essential, that is the first step, not the last. Your team members must be competent to make split-second, life or death decisions and to do so when innocent people are around. If you must draw a gun as a member of a church or a school security team, there will be innocent people all around you. There is no “180 Rule” in the real world. The whole world is “down range” during a gunfight.
In addition to firearms training, every person on the team must go through traumatic medical training. CPR / Heimlich is nice, but that is NOT traumatic medical training. If you don’t know where to begin in that regard or what that involves, we would suggest Beyond the Boo Boo: Traumatic Medical Training for Citizens. The purpose of this training is not to teach your people to all become paramedics; it is to give them the skills needed to stop-gap a life-threatening injury until the professionals have time to arrive. Remember, they will not be there until the police give them permission.
There may be some folks who are willing to volunteer and help, but they cannot bring themselves to carry a gun. That’s fine. Put those folks through a solid 2-day traumatic medical training class and designate them as Medical First Responders.
Whether medical or firearms related, all your training needs to be based upon reality and realistic scenarios. We start with the basics and build from there. We don’t teach the basics and stop. Also, training needs to be ongoing and a regularly scheduled event. We don’t train once and think we are good; we train frequently. Again, this keeps your people’s skills sharp, and it builds camaraderie in the team.
Step 4: Assignments
As a person who has provided professional security all his adult life, I can tell you that one of the most important aspects of an overall security plan is the site assessment or risk assessment. This is not something that just comes naturally to the average person. You will likely need a trained and experienced person to do this. It is, though, this assessment that will give you an understanding as to where security personnel need to be placed and what assignments you will give them.
One of the most obvious but often overlooked assignments is outside of the building.
Which is a better plan of action — to confront the killer inside of the church where the innocent flock is, or to confront the killer outside of the building before they can get in? While the answer seems obvious, we often find the security team putting more emphasis on people in the building than watching the outside. Both are important.
How many personnel are in the main entrance? How many, if any, are patrolling the perimeter? Do you have surveillance cameras? Remember, cameras do NOT provide security, they only passively capture what they see.
Much More
Yes, there is much more to consider. Does your team have portable radios? Do you need them? Some folks have small churches and don’t feel the need. Some parishes or church grounds are large and spread out and radios would be a good idea or a must-have.
Every team must have designated leadership. If everyone is equally “in charge” that means that no one is actually in charge. Someone needs to keep a schedule and give out assignments. Who is going to cover when someone is sick or on vacation and cannot be there? The Team Leader needs to have an Assistant Team Leader because he cannot do everything himself all the time.
Does your church have an Automated Electronic Defibrillator (AED) in the narthex? Have you thought about putting a Bleeding Control Station, stocked with traumatic medical gear, next to the AED? Have you considered putting on a “Stop the Bleeding” type training seminar for all the parishioners?
Whether we are discussing church security or the security of a Christian school, these endeavors are proactive, positive efforts that you can and should be doing right now.
There is evil in this world. You cannot change that fact. Nonetheless, you can change how you are prepared to deal with that evil when it arrives to do harm.
