A recent survey of pastors in the United States has revealed that over half of Protestant churches rely on armed congregants as part of their security plan.
The survey, conducted by Lifeway Research, found that approximately 81% of churches have at least one security measure to prevent potential attacks, with 54% of pastors stating that they have armed members in their congregation. The survey involved 1,000 pastors from September 6 to September 30, with one pastor per interview. According to Lifeway, the sampling margin of error does not exceed plus or minus 3.2% at the 95% confidence level.
The most popular security option cited by pastors was having "an intentional plan for an active shooter situation," with 57% of pastors claiming such a plan. The second most-cited option was armed church members. Other popular security measures included radio communications among security personnel and a no-firearms policy in church facilities, at 26% and 21%, respectively.
The survey also found that 17% of pastors had not implemented seven potential security measures noted by the study, and 2% were unsure. Notably, 12% of pastors in primarily Black churches said they have uniformed police present during their church services, compared to only 4% of White pastors. Additionally, 34% of Black congregations maintained a no-firearms policy, while 21% of White churches did.
Scott McConnell, the executive director of Lifeway Research, emphasized the importance of having a security plan at churches. "Churches are not immune to violence, disputes, domestic disagreements, vandalism and burglary," McConnell said. "While loving one another is a core Christian teaching, churchgoers still sin, and non-churchgoers are invited and welcomed. So real security risks exist whether a congregation wants to acknowledge them or not."
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