Churchgoers are now arming themselves and signing up for ‘warrior training’ before heading into weekly services, as violent attacks in houses of worship surge nationwide.
Sheepdog Church Security, founded by Kris Moloney in 2014, is one company that trains volunteer safety and security teams to protect houses of worship while keeping ‘faith at the center.’
When he first founded the company Moloney didn’t have much competition, but 10 years later, church attacks are at an all time high and the protection industry is booming.
Maloney, who has a background in the military and law enforcement, initially ran a safety team at his own church in Minnesota. Since then, he’s trained over 6,000 people in houses of worship nationwide.
‘You want it to be open and welcoming and so forth, and yet provide (the) safety and security needed,’ he told the Idaho Statesman. ‘So those of us who do carry firearms, we do so on a concealed basis. We have the protection we need, and yet we’re not ostentatious about it.’
The number of parishioners signing up for Moloney’s training has surged as religious institutions increasing come under the threat of violent attack across America.
‘If you just Google ‘church security… ‘there’ll be 100,000 hits,’ he said.
The program offers a manual on safety drills for churches and helps build out what many call ‘safety ministries’ – a combination of armed and unarmed volunteers ready to respond to emergencies, be it it a medical case requiring CPR or a shooter in the building.
The ‘practical drill and scenario training’ manual consists of hands-on approach in managing emergency situation from de-escalating disruptive situations to managing bomb threats and active shooter incidents.
It also includes theoretical understanding and practical application, providing a holistic approach to safety training.
His website and email list combine Christian and security imagery, featuring Bible quotes alongside advice on defending against violent intruders.
His advertisements include images of a handgun atop a Holy Bible, as he is billed as a ‘Protector of the People and Guardian of the Church.’
Churches nationwide are also implementing security training among pastors and congregants.
In Tennessee, one church held active shooter training for church pastors, and in Houston spiritual leaders started getting security training after the Lakewood Church shooting. Leaders at Clays Mill Baptist Church in Kentucky have also organized a security conference.
Idaho, in particular, has seen a significant increase in these teams, with residents reacting to threats against churches nationwide.
There is no standardization for volunteer security teams, leading each service to vary in makeup.
But consultants like Moloney offer advice on best practices, often drawing on law enforcement procedures adapted to the unique needs of churches.
Steve Boyle, coordinator of the safety team at Canyon Springs Christian Church, praised Moloney’s training for focusing on the specific security needs of churches, which often rely on volunteers.
Keith Graves, a former police officer, now leads his church’s security team and runs Christian Warrior Training, a website aimed at empowering churches with security knowledge.
Graves has seen the number of security teams increase exponentially following threats like Hamas’s attack on Israel and increased violence from individuals with mental illness.
‘Everybody’s nervous about the direction of what’s going on in the world, (and) you have the same thing in the church,’ he told the Statesman.
Moloney categorizes crimes against religious institutions into two categories, he told the outlet: random crimes and targeted attacks.
He attributed the latter to a changing attitude towards churches and noted a significant decline in public respect for religious authority over the years.
‘When I was a teenager, the churches were essentially unlocked 24/7,’ he said. ‘Even as a kid who was not exactly a very good kid, it never occurred to me to go into a church and do something stupid.’
‘Public leaders and politicians used to never say a thing against the church. Now, it’s very common,’ he added. ‘I think as time has gone by, the general respect for religious authority has diminished greatly.’ So attacking a church ‘is no longer off-limits … is what it comes down to.’
A Family Research Council study found acts of hostility against churches more than doubled between 2022 and 2023, while violent attacks on houses of worship nearly tripled from 2018 to 2019.
FEMA, which offers security grants to nonprofits, saw a steep rise in Idaho organizations applying for funds this year, including several Christian organizations for the first time.
Jewish communities, already familiar with a history of security threats and attacks, have seen heightened vigilance since the 2018 Pittsburgh synagogue shooting, that killed 11 people.
Moloney acknowledges that some congregations might resist the idea of security teams, fearing an over-militarized presence.
He said some religious congregants believe Christians should be pacifists and don’t believe in using weapons to protect themselves. Others on the left have anti-gun sentiments.
One example is Rev. Stephen Cady and his congregation at Asbury First United Methodist Church in Rochester, New York, a place where many faith leaders are claiming their jobs now require them to draw up plans for responding to a mass shooter on their premises.
But Cady has reached the diametrically opposite conclusion, the AP reported.
While Asbury’s security committee has worked with local police and updated the church’s emergency plans in order to secure the premises, they have made the choice against arming guards or congregants.
In Rochester, 351 people were injured in shootings last year – with 63 who died not too far from Asbury.
But Cady told the AP, ‘to carry guns into the church itself risks damaging the spirit of empathy and reflection the congregation exists to foster.’
‘Can you serve God and guns? I don’t think you can,’ he says. ‘I think you have to make a choice.’
A pastor’s wife, Karen Anderson Hardaway, also said Sundays should be reserved for giving praise and the decision to carry a concealed weapon is intended to keep it that way. But she still said she understands how others vehemently disagree.
In response to whether the right to ‘worship in peace’ can be insulated from violence with or without a gun in a country thats sees more than 130 people killed in gun violence in an average day, she said: ‘There is no right answer.’
To address this, Moloney advised starting with non-controversial measures like medical and fire safety to build trust before addressing more serious threats like violent shooters.
In Idaho, where guns are a common presence in churches, formalized security teams provide a chance to professionalize and train volunteers effectively.
Graves highlighted the importance of preparedness, quoting the Gospel of Luke: ‘Jesus said, ‘sell your cloak and buy a sword.’
He emphasized that while faith is crucial, using available tools to protect oneself is equally important.
‘One of the things I like mentioning is OK, yes, God is going to protect us, but you still look both ways before you cross the street,’ he said.
This comes after multiple violent attacks in churches across the country.
In May, a church service in Pennsylvania nearly took a fatal turn when a man pulled a gun on a pastor in the middle of his sermon.
Bernard Polite, 26, of Braddock, Pennsylvania, was charged after he entered the church and attempted to shoot pastor Glenn Germany as he delivered his weekly address at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church.
In February, a woman in a trench coat shot up the Houston megachurch of celebrity pastor Joel Osteen – before being killed by two off-duty cops.
The suspect entered the building with a five-year-old boy shortly before 2pm and the child was shot and critically injured.
Police Chief Troy Finner said it was not clear whether the young child was struck by the officers – a 28-year-old Houston police officer and a 38-year-old agent with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission – who returned fire. Finner added a 57-year-old man was shot and wounded.
In 2019, a gunman murdered two worshipers during a Texas church service before being shot dead by an ex-FBI agent.
