🧠 BLUF
Churches are prime soft targets: open doors, predictable schedules, and dense crowds with little or no security.
Terrorists, ideological extremists, and unstable lone actors all know this — but most churches still operate like it’s 1950, not 2025.
You don’t need a SEAL team; you need a simple plan: eyes up, exits known, roles defined, and a small safety team with radios, trauma kits, and clear rules for armed defenders.
Preparedness doesn’t kill worship — it protects it. A church with a plan is no longer an easy target.
Keep reading below...
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📡 CONTEXT
From Sri Lanka to Sutherland Springs to scattered “one-off” incidents the media forgets by Monday, churches have proven to be high-impact, low-cost targets. In the U.S., most Sunday gatherings still feature unlocked side doors, no dedicated safety team, and zero trauma gear — even as hostile ideology and mental health crises spike. This ThreatWire is a national brief for American churches: how to watch for trouble, what to do when it starts, and how to stand up a small safety team that integrates concealed carriers without turning the sanctuary into a circus.
⚠️ THREAT PROFILE
What makes churches attractive targets — and what that means for you:
Soft target by design
Open doors, “all are welcome,” predictable service times, and large groups seated, heads bowed, lights dimmed.Attackers & motives
Jihadists, ideologically driven extremists, personal vendettas, domestic abusers, deranged lone actors — the motive changes, the tactics rhyme: guns, blades, arson, vehicles, and occasionally explosives.Most common windows of attack
Pre-service (parking lot), right after service begins (doors closing, people focused forward), or dismissal (crowds bottlenecking at exits).Biggest vulnerabilities
Unlocked side doors, no one watching the parking lot, no radio comms, no plan for children’s areas, and no one trained in trauma care when seconds matter.What changes outcomes
A few switched-on people with clear roles, radios, a working 911 plan, and basic medical gear can cut casualties dramatically.
STAND WITH THE MISSION…
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🧍♂️ FOR PARISHIONERS — EYES OF THE FLOCK
Your job isn’t to be paranoid — it’s to be present and aware.
Scan on arrival
Notice loitering near doors, people filming entrances, repeated drive-bys, or vehicles parked oddly close to the building.Clock the odd stuff
Bulky clothing in warm weather, large bags brought into the sanctuary, someone pacing the halls, asking odd questions about security or schedules.Know your exits
From wherever you sit, identify two ways out: primary aisle + alternate route. Sit with kids and elders in mind.If an attack starts
Get Off the X: move away from the sound of gunfire or the threat vector. Get low, move to solid cover, or barricade in a room with a locking door.Help, but don’t get stuck
Guide children, elderly, and disabled out if you can — but don’t freeze over one decision point. Escape first, render aid only if the area is safe enough to stay.If you carry concealed and your church allows it
Stay discreet. You’re not there to posture. Your weapon is a last resort to stop imminent death or serious injury — not to chase suspects or “hold the perimeter.”
🧑💼 FOR CHURCH STAFF — ORDER IN THE CHAOS
Pastors and staff don’t have to be tacticians — they have to be organized.
Control the doors
Once service starts, lock unused exterior doors. Keep one or two monitored entrances only, with trained greeters who know what “off” looks like.Write a one-page Emergency Action Plan
Cover four basics:Active attacker
Medical emergency
Fire
Severe weather
Assign clear roles
Who calls 911?
Who speaks from the platform or mic?
Who is responsible for children’s areas and nursery?
Who meets and guides arriving police?
Practice light, practice often
Do a simple 15-minute tabletop after service: “If something happens right now, who does what?” Repeat quarterly.Know your local cops
Invite local law enforcement for a walk-through, share your floor plan, ask for recommendations, and get them familiar with your building before something goes wrong.
👮♂️ FOR SECURITY / SAFETY TEAMS — SHEEPDOGS ON DUTY
You don’t need body armor and plate carriers. You need roles, radios, and reps.
Build around core positions
Team Lead (command / radio)
Perimeter (parking and outside)
Entry (doors / lobby)
Interior (sanctuary / stage)
Medical (trauma kit, AED, 911 interface)
Gear that matters
Radios with earpieces, clearly marked trauma kits and IFAKs, flashlights, spare phone batteries, and printed floor plans.Concealed carry integration
Only vetted, background-checked, and trained individuals.
Written policy on caliber, holsters, and where they sit/stand.
Quarterly training on use-of-force law, shoot / don’t-shoot, and trauma care.
Simple SOPs over tacticool fantasies
Define:How to challenge suspicious behavior (two-person contact).
How to lock down children’s areas.
How to handle an angry spouse, custody dispute, or mentally unstable visitor without overreaction.
🛡️ SELF-DEFENSE (LAST RESORT IN THE PEW)
Use of force is the last tool, not the first. Laws vary by state — your entire team must know your jurisdiction’s rules (duty to retreat vs. stand-your-ground, defense of others, brandishing).
Imminent lethal threat only
Use deadly force only when you reasonably believe you or others face imminent death or serious bodily injury. Property or hurt feelings don’t qualify.Avoid, break contact, escape
Distance and cover are your best defense. Move people away from the threat whenever possible.De-escalate early
Calm voice, non-threatening posture, space to back out. Many incidents can be defused before they become a fight.Proportionality
Use only the level of force needed to stop the threat. Cease immediately once the attacker is disarmed, immobilized, or flees.If you carry legally
Maintain strict trigger and muzzle discipline.
Never fire warning shots.
Don’t chase suspects off church property — that’s how you get killed or arrested.
911 first, statements later
Call 911 as soon as it’s safe: location, number of injured, description of attacker(s).
When police arrive, holster or set down weapons if safe, hands visible, follow commands.
Ask for medical attention if needed and request legal counsel before detailed statements.
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🛰️ WHAT TO WATCH — OPERATIONAL INDICATORS
Individuals repeatedly visiting the property during off-hours, filming cameras and entrances.
Unattended bags or boxes left near doors, lobbies, or the stage.
Social posts threatening the church over sermons, political stands, or public witness.
Domestic disputes, restraining orders, or known mental-health crises connected to church attendees.
Vehicles parking close to entrances, idling, or circling the lot during services.
👮♂️ FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT & FIRST RESPONDERS — PUBLIC-SAFE REMINDERS
Know your churches
Build relationships with local pastors and safety leads. Walk the property, mark entry points, and make sure dispatch has current site maps.Train joint response
Run simple tabletop exercises with church safety teams: active attacker, medical surge, and family reunification. Clarify roles and communications.Encourage realistic readiness
When churches ask, steer them toward practical steps: doors, radios, trauma gear, policy — not cosplay.Post-incident care
Be prepared for spiritual and psychological fallout after an incident. Work with chaplains and community orgs to stabilize the flock.
INFORMATION IS SURVIVAL…
Free subscribers get the headlines. Guardians get the intel – private Signal channels, emergency alerts, and direct access to our team. When things go bad, which one do you want your family and friends to be?
🧠 SDN ANALYSIS — JON WHEATON
The church is more than four walls and a steeple — it’s a symbol of the Kingdom in a world that hates the King. That’s why attackers love it: high impact, low resistance, and maximum shock value. You can’t change the hatred, but you can change the odds. A few radios, some tourniquets, locked side doors, and a handful of trained sheepdogs willing to step toward the sound of danger — that’s the difference between a massacre and a miracle.
Faith doesn’t mean pretending evil isn’t real. Faith means seeing evil clearly, preparing wisely, and standing your ground anyway.
GodSpeed
Jon Wheaton
