Securing The 21st Century Church

Online, December 9, 2010 (Newswire.com) - I heard Dr. Lance Wallnau speak recently about evil in the world. He said that the closer heaven gets to earth, the more evil is revealed and brought to the surface. It was a principle he called "being in proximity". Essentially, being in proximity or close to something will force it out. Hunters often use the principle of proximity to force their prey from hiding therefore exposing them to the hunter. If you have ever played chess, you have used the theory of proximity.

We know that one day Jesus is coming back for His bride. Whether that is tomorrow or 1000 years from now, only the Father knows. One thing is for certain, everyday that passes is another day closer to that reality. If the theory of proximity is correct, that means we will see more evil as we progress towards that wonderful day.

The culture we live in today necessitates the need for security. Some institutions are at more obvious risks than others of course, but the last decade has proven that the need for secure ministries is more prevalent than ever before. The church is a microcosm of the world we live in. There are dangerous people who walk among us that have no respect for authority or human life. Don't believe that just because you are doing the work of God in a building with a cross perched on top of it that everyone respects it like you or I do. Many people could care less, and in some cases our beliefs make us even more of a target.

When discussing security in the church you'll often hear people say, "God is our protector." That is true but how do you explain the 229 people murdered and 281 wounded in church shootings since 1999? At the time of this writing there were 69 shootings on church property in the United States in 2010 alone. Does God care more about you than them? Does your church have the market on supernatural protection that these churches do not? And shootings are just the tip of the iceberg. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report for 2008, there were 5239 burglaries, 1040 assaults, 218 aggravated assaults, 136 arsons, 114 child molestations, 101 robberies and 64 rapes committed on church grounds across the country. According to the FBI, there were a total of 24,445 crimes reported that year on ministry property.

The church as a whole is lagging behind on the issue of security. Crime is not a mega church issue nor is it an urban issue. It affects ministries of all shapes and sizes and in all locales. Criminals are non-discriminatory and typically view Christians as "soft" targets expecting little to no resistance. As our society and culture changes, we also must change. It's time we take a proactive approach to securing God's house by instituting preventative measures such as establishing volunteer security teams. Security is the new face of ministry for the 21st century church.