A few years ago, our church experienced a somewhat traumatic episode when our Sunday morning worship service was suddenly interrupted by an irate intruder. Thankfully, the individual was not armed, and no one was harmed, but the incident was upsetting to everyone present. The positive outcome is that it alerted me to our need for a safety team of trained church members who could go into action whenever the peace and security of our congregation is threatened.
At the time of this incident, Jeff and Cindy Sellers were members of our congregation and were present in the service. Knowing Jeff’s background in law enforcement, I asked him to organize a safety team, recommended appropriate policies and procedures, and then serve as Coordinator of the team. Jeff more than satisfied my expectations. He thoroughly researched available information, consulted various experts in the field, and then put together a comprehensive policy and procedures manual for approval by our church council. Jeff also recruited and vetted several church members for the team and then provided training for them in multiple sessions and settings.
Now, years later, our church safety team still functions every Sunday. Stationed at various places around our campus, and in radio contact with each other, the team members are prepared to activate our safety plan on a moment’s notice. Given the increasing incidence of violence perpetrated in houses of worship, the watchful, caring presence of our safety team brings comfort to all of us in leadership who are aware of their role.
We owe a great debt of gratitude to Jeff Sellers for his excellent contribution to our church’s safety. I was pleased to learn that Jeff has formed a company called “The Nehemiah Concept” as a means of helping other churches as he helped ours. I wholeheartedly recommend him as a safety consultant for your church.
Sincerely,
Dr. Terry Roberts, Lead Pastor / Trinity Church, Columbia, South Carolina