How Safe is Your Sanctuary?

A pastor with the last name of Winters was shot and killed this week in Illinois. Aside from a last name, so far as I know, we have nothing else in common.

Fred Winters was a pastor in a Baptist church in a town 'down state', as we say in Illinois. Chances are, his theological approach was vastly different from mine, and yet, as I contemplate the beginning of my ministry in the upcoming months, it gives me pause to think about potential risks; not only to myself, but congregation members as well.

It's not that I anticipate getting shot any time soon, but that said, the world we live in can be a very violent world. We don't yet know why Terry Sedlacek allegedly shot Rev. Winters. It could have had nothing whatsoever to do with Winters' faith, preaching or anything about him personally. It's important to think about where we feel 'safe' and examine why that is. We want the church to be a 'safe' place, but what have we done to ensure that is the case? Before we react out of fear, and put metal detectors in the narthex or Kevlar under our robes, what are some things we can do to address the violence before it happens?

I hope that each of you who is a member of a faith community takes the time to ask these questions in your house of prayer or worship. Safety is something that all of us should think about - hopefully before disaster happens.