CHOOSING CHURCH SECURITY TEAM LEADERS

As you can imagine, choosing the right people for the job of protecting the flock is critical. Contrary to popular belief, most people think that someone with a law enforcement or military background are ideal for a leadership position on a church security team.

Truth is, that these people are not necessarily the right ones for church security team leadership. Not all law enforcement personnel are experts in security. Just because they carry a gun and a badge, does not make them qualified to lead your security team. Likewise, military personnel are not always the right ones for church security.

While we mean no disrespect to either those who have that type of experience, not everyone is security minded. And, not all people are natural born leaders. Actually, law enforcement and military personnel can cause issues on your security team if they are not in charge. Right now, you might be asking yourself, “Why is that”? While they have experience in their respective fields or conflict theaters, they do not necessarily have experience in “civilian” security. Don’t get us wrong, they may very well have some things to contribute, but that does not make them church security team leadership material. They might be great at tactics. So, make them your security team training director. If they are your only, or best choice for leadership at the time, then do what you must. However, if someone comes along that is better suited for the church security team leadership position, then that’s where they need to be. Military personnel are better than Law Enforcement because they are used to “securing” buildings, etc. Of course, this does not mean that all Military personnel are good at securing and that all Law Enforcement are not. All that we are saying is that do not assume that they are good at security.

The approach to the fight is what matters most. Unfortunately, most officers and military personnel have fought their fight from a different manner in which the fight needs to be approached for your church. The job of protecting the flock at your church is not as easy as one might tend to believe. It is not as simple as putting people in place with guns and having them know how to shoot.

Another thing to take into consideration is that most law enforcement officers cannot shoot all that well. This is common knowledge for those who teach firearms. And yet people believe that because they have carried a gun for “x” amount of years, that they are now experts on shooting. Why would you put someone in charge of your security team simply because they have carried a badge for a number of years but cannot shoot well? We never said that all officers can’t shoot. We’re just saying don’t make the assumption that they can. It is important to understand that we have instructors who have been in Law Enforcement, so we are not being disrespectful. They will tell you that most officers can’t shoot. Other than basic training at the Police Academy, most officers have not had much, if any, advanced training. The majority of law enforcement officers are not tactically inclined, and this is opposite of what most people tend to think.

Something else to take into consideration for those of you who have active law enforcement or military personnel, is that what are they going to do if something that needs to be done goes against their departments policy? Are they going to worry about their jobs, or what needs to be done although it might cost them their job?

Church security team leader Attributes

You need someone with leadership characteristics. That is someone who can take charge, is well organized, and can get people to follow them. Ideally, someone who truly understands the mindset of the task you are charged with. Choosing the right people to lead your security team, can mean the difference between your team being an asset, or a liability. Don’t be easily impressed by someone’s credentials. Rather, look for leadership qualities and the proper mindset. DO NOT settle for just anyone! If you need help in selecting the right person for the job. Do not hesitate to contact us and we will help you out!