Houses of worship are meant to be places of shelter, reflection and peace, where strangers are welcome. But the recent string of high-profile mass shootings is a reminder violence can happen anywhere, prompting some faith leaders to ramp up security.
Historically, sanctuaries have been vulnerable to violent attacks — from bombings at Black churches during the Civil Rights era, to more recent shootings at congregations of many faiths. In the U.S., FBI hate crime statistics show that incidents in churches, synagogues, temples and mosques increased almost 35 percent between 2014 and 2018.
Religious leaders who once preferred to leave security in the hands of the divine are taking precautions that seemed unthinkable years prior. And More congregants are carrying concealed handguns to services.
The federal government has steadily increased the amount of funding it sets aside to help the faith community with security costs, but not all faith leaders are aware they can apply for it.
Past attacks on houses of worship and other public spaces have prompted faith leaders to evaluate — sometimes for the first time — if there is more that can be done to keep their flocks safe.
Sadly, there are many examples of the need. Many pastors say they are attempting to achieve a balance between welcoming strangers and still having a feeling of safety.