For churches there is a fine line between security and maintaining a comfortable atmosphere for the congregation.
Even as fears grow over churches being soft targets.
“We have a responsibility to our congregation to make it safe as possible,” said Rev. Paul Jakes Jr. of New Tabernacle of Faith Baptist Church.
After the deadly shooting at a small baptist church in Texas–Jakes, whose church is on the West Side of Chicago, says he’s putting together a security ministry and hoping to offer self defense classes to his congregation.
“You can’t stop a bullet,” he said. “But you certainly can call upon goodness and mercy to follow you, to help you.”
At Apostolic Faith Church in Bronzeville Bishop Horace Smith says parishioners who work in law enforcement carry firearms during service.
“Does that makes us feel better? It makes me feel better as a pastor but I hope it never comes to that,” he said, adding that the church is under 24-hour video surveillance.
Security expert Paul Timm says he is now working with churches to make them safer.
“Five years ago if you wanted to talk to churches about security, they weren’t even listening,” Timm, the vice president of Facility Engineering Associates, said. “Facilities are going to be redesigned so there are vestibules and barriers between where people can enter and where you can actually access people.”
Cardinal Blase Cupich was adamant Monday that Chicago’s Catholic churches aren’t beefing up security.
“I don’t want to make our churches places in which people feel as though they should be fearful for coming in,” Cupich said.
He called on legislators to take action.
“The time for expressing sorrow and leaving it at that is over,” he said. “It’s time now to act.”
