Episode Summary
Welcome to another episode of Securing the Sanctuary, the podcast dedicated to empowering and equipping church safety teams. In this episode, host Keith Graves, a 30-year police veteran with extensive SWAT experience, dives into a critical issue: the discrepancies in vetting processes between church worship teams and safety teams. Keith compares the rigorous selection process for worship team members with the often lax standards for safety team members, highlighting the potential dangers this poses to church security. He also discusses the case of George Walters, a church safety team member convicted of murder, to underline the importance of thorough vetting and continuous training.
Key Takeaways
Vetting Discrepancies: Worship teams undergo stringent auditions and continuous evaluations, while safety teams often accept members based on minimal criteria such as possessing a CCW or being former law enforcement.
Case Study - George Walters: The episode discusses the fatal incident involving George Walters, a church safety team member, to emphasize the need for thorough vetting and training.
Recommendations: Keith recommends implementing formal vetting processes, including interviews, background checks, and regular training for safety team members.
Training Comparison: Worship teams often practice several times a week, whereas safety teams might train only a few hours a month, highlighting the need for more frequent and rigorous training for safety teams.
Timestamps
[00:00:01] – Introduction to the podcast and host
[00:01:03] – Comparison between worship team and safety team vetting processes
[00:03:49] – Importance of continuous evaluation and training for worship teams
[00:06:08] – Case study: George Walters and the fatal shooting incident
[00:09:16] – Need for formal vetting processes in safety team selection
[00:12:20] – Decision-making scenarios for safety team interviews
[00:13:31] – Importance of background checks and regular training
[00:14:34] – Call to action: Reevaluate your safety team selection process
Notable Quotes
"It's harder to get on the team that plays music and sings to you than it is to get on the team with the people that carry guns and are there to stop an active shooter."
"We should have harsher, more stringent training and requirements for safety teams."
"My challenge to you is that you train more and rehearse more than the worship ministry."
Resources
Christian Warrior Training: Visit the website for free training and the latest church safety news.
YouTube Channel: Christian Warrior Training - Subscribe for ongoing training and news.
Call to Action
Subscribe: Join our YouTube channel to stay updated with the latest in church security.
Newsletter: Sign up for our newsletter for training tips and church crime news.
Engage: Leave a comment on our YouTube channel or podcast to share your thoughts on the discussed topics.
Thank you for listening to Securing the Sanctuary. Don't forget to like, rate, review, and subscribe to our podcast. Stay safe, and God bless.
I think another question should be "are you willing to lay down you life if necessary to keep the wolf from the sheep".
What would the four hours of training per month entail. Can you give a brief synopsis?
Something that came to my mind while watching your Lakewood debrief video was the Biblical reference to the hired hand in John 10. There, Jesus is describing himself as the “good shepherd”. He describes the hired hand as not willing to do what Richard Moch wrote in his comment. Another possible criteria for inclusion on a safety ministry team would be that the person is a committed member of that local body, and that they have already demonstrated that they have the qualities of an “under shepherd”.
I'm nitpicking here. I agree with your premise and conclusions, but I wish we could find another term for what you call the "worship team." Instrumental and/or vocal music (group or congregational) is certainly supportive of worship, but worship is a personal thing. May i suggest they be called the "music team" or the "enhancement team," or some other term of your choice.
We refer to ours as the worship leaders/Worship leading team. Agreed that we all worship. Their job is to practice and be ready to lead us into a heart of worship and to assist us with preparing our hearts to receive what God has to share with us that day.
We are a new Church the Saftey team was together before we all went thru a min background check. who do you guys use for backgrounds? and what is the cost?
Thanks
David
Check out protectmyministry.com
It does a great job. They will setup a plan for yoy. We've used them for about 2 years now.
We utilize background checks through our local sheriffs department. Unfortunately that does not cover statewide items. I would encourage you to examine what areas your security team will regularly work in. For people that work with our kids at camp, they are required to go through a state run Level 2 fingerprint based system. I considering we propose this for our kids teams and security team members that work around our kids as well.
Our Emergency Response Team (ERT) has an interview and background check system in place. What we do not do is train. There is always talk of doing dry runs and even live drills during the weekday youth groups to see how, not only the ERT members, but the small group leaders react to an active shooter scenario. But, of course, it's never more than talk. Leadership just won't make that commitment.
I would encourage you to see if you can hire a local sheriff deputy to run a shooting day for your team or find someone with rural property and use the drills that have been mentioned on this channel or others. Make it a fun/bonding day for your team but also utilize it to evaluate the marksmanship of your team. Target practice isn’t all you need but its a great start.
We just started a Safety Ministry at our church. I was accepted as a member of the team. I did not go through an interview, although I have been a member for almost 4 years and have served in other ministries so I was at least a known quantity to the church staff. After watching this I plan to talk to the Safety Ministry Leader about interviews. Being a godly man does not mean you are necessarily a good fit for the Safety team. Are you willing to risk your life and possibly take one is a good thing for all team members to consider. I did have to fill out a background check questionnaire which I assume they followed up on, but do not know for certain what they did with it. I also had to get a CCW license and pass a pistol skill test called AZPOST that includes 50 timed shots at distances of 25, 15, 7, and 3 yards with tactical and emergency reloads and one handed shots with both hands. All team members will have to pass this skill test yearly. We have also had scenario training with the local police department and are scheduled to do some real world scenario training with paintball type weapons later this year. That should be interesting (i.e. humbling) to see how we do with someone shooting back, even if it is non-lethal.
Good message. I'm new on this and don't know if Keith reads the messages and am wondering how I could connect with him directly off line? Possibly an answer to his prayer. Has to do with
https://youtu.be/5ILceEUBNQY?si=O1S_AMQRXWZ-i_vH
Thanks, Phil
I think the interview question/scenario to determine if someone would use deadly force is absolutely necessary. I was not asked that during my interview, but I would have answered appropriately. Thank you.
👍👏