Who can forget the heartbreaking events of June 17, 2015, at the historic Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina? At the conclusion of a Wednesday night Bible study, as participants bowed their heads in prayer, a man pulled out a gun and began firing. By the time it was over, nine innocent lives had been lost. The shooter—a white male—was driven by deep racial hatred.
Just days after that tragedy, I received a call from TIME magazine. The reporter had discovered our ministry online and learned that we were working to help churches create safer environments for their congregations.
“Mr. Meeks,” he asked, “Do you have any safety tips for churches?”
I didn’t hesitate. “Yes sir, I sure do. In fact, I’ve got the most important safety tip ever given to any church.”
He chuckled. “And what would that be?”
I raised my voice and said, “WAKE UP!”
I explained what I meant: “Sir, I could present a plan that would significantly reduce the likelihood of violence at a church. But if the leaders are asleep while I’m sharing it, they won’t hear a word. And that’s the state of too many churches today when it comes to the threat of violence—they’re asleep.”
On June 22, 1980, First Baptist Church of Daingerfield, Texas, was celebrating its new pastor’s first official Sunday. A special luncheon was planned after the service. But the congregation would never make it to that meal.
As the offertory hymn was sung, a man entered the sanctuary armed with two rifles, two handguns, and a bayonet. He wore an army helmet, two flak jackets, and carried a pouch with 400 rounds of ammunition. With no warning, he shouted, “This is war!”—and began firing. Fifteen worshipers were shot. Five died.
The trauma shattered the lives of many—including an 11-year-old boy named Russell May. Russell witnessed friends being shot. He saw a 7-year-old girl killed. The emotional scars ran deep. Five years later, Russell left the church and rarely returned. In January 2014—more than three decades after that Sunday morning—Russell took his own life.
Pastors and church leaders: Russell’s story could become the story of someone in your congregation—unless you take safety seriously. Jesus paid a high price to redeem your flock. Don’t fail them.
Jesus also warned us clearly: “Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to local councils and flog you in their synagogues.”— Matthew 10:17
Let me paraphrase: “Be on your guard—because men will attack you even in a house of worship.” We are not just warned—we are commanded to take action: Be on your guard.
My friend Frank Pomeroy was the pastor of First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas. On Sunday, November 5, 2017, a gunman entered that small country church and opened fire during worship. He shot 48 people. Twenty-six died. It was the deadliest church shooting in Texas history.
Frank wasn’t there that day. He was in Oklahoma City for a training seminar. The night before the shooting, someone asked him if he followed statistics on church violence. Frank brushed it off: “We’re just a small country church. No one would ever think to come here and do something of that nature…”
The next morning, Frank received a text from a church member: “There’s been a shooting.” Frank thought it was a joke—until he learned the horrible truth. Among the victims was his 14-year-old daughter. In the following 10 days, Frank would preach 26 funerals.
Friends, let me be clear: If your church experiences a violent tragedy—a shooting, a sex crime, anything of that nature—your entire mission and vision will be temporarily derailed. You will spend months, even years, simply trying to heal and hold your congregation together. Ministry momentum will be lost. Pain and fallout will be profound.
These attacks are not going to stop.
Pastor, please don’t be the one who tells us that “faith alone” is enough to guarantee God’s protection.
That kind of thinking only shows one of two things: either you haven’t been paying attention to the headlines, or you haven’t truly studied what Scripture says about faith and responsibility.
If you’re truly trusting God, then you should be trusting His Word—and His Word is clear: “The prudent foresee danger and take precautions…” (Proverbs 22:3). And James tells us that “faith without works is dead” (and you might be too if you don’t form a plan to stop these killers).
Faith is not an excuse for inaction. It is not a license to ignore reality. True faith listens to God’s warnings—and acts on them.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to love.
The Apostle Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 13 that “love always protects.”
That’s all I’m asking of you—to love your flock enough to take their safety seriously. To care enough that, when they come together to worship, they can do so in an environment where someone has thought ahead…someone has prepared.
Because love doesn’t just pray. Love protects.
I beg you. I plead with you. WAKE UP.
Jimmy Meeks served as a police officer for 35 years. He has been a minister for 53 years. Since 2009, he has conducted over 500 safety conferences for churches across the United States. Learn more about his conferences at www.bulletproofworship.com.
