Every church in America needs armed security

By Dillon Burroughs, Op-ed contributor Tuesday, February 10, 2026

On a recent Sunday morning in Minnesota, worshipers gathered expecting what Christians have done for 2,000 years: to sing, to pray, to hear the Word of God, and to seek peace in the presence of their Creator and Savior. Instead, they encountered chaos.

A group of activists forced their way into a worship service at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, shouting slogans, interrupting prayer, and deliberately desecrating a sacred space. The message was unmistakable: Even churches are no longer off-limits.

For many believers, this moment seemed like a line had been crossed. For others, it confirmed what they have quietly feared for years: Our churches are now seen by some as soft targets. And pretending otherwise puts lives at risk.

This is not isolated. Churches have been under attack for years now, and Christians need an answer that is wise, firm, and biblical. The disturbing truth is this: Every church in America needs armed security.

Not because Christians are called to live in fear. Not because we worship violence. Not because we lack faith in God’s protection. But because God’s Word affirms both spiritual trust and practical responsibility.

We lock our doors at night even though we pray for God’s protection. We wear seatbelts even though we trust God with our lives. We install smoke detectors even though we believe God is sovereign. Preparation does not negate faith; it reflects wisdom.

Proverbs 22:3 tells us, “The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and pay the penalty.” Scripture does not praise recklessness disguised as faith. It praises discernment. The idea that churches should remain unprotected in an increasingly hostile culture is not biblical. It is naive.

Across the country and around the world, violence against houses of worship is rising. In Canada, for example, an anti-Christian terror campaign in 2021 saw dozens of churches attacked, vandalized, or set on fire in response to a hoax. These are not distant headlines. They are warnings.

In the United States, the threats are growing. Churches have been burned, vandalized, attacked, and invaded. Pastors have been assaulted in their pulpits. Congregants have been murdered in pews, as we saw in last fall’s Minneapolis Catholic school shooting that terrorized a community and left families grieving. These are not imagined scenarios. They are headlines.

Yet many churches still operate as if none of this could ever happen to them. That false sense of security is deadly.

Some object to armed security on theological grounds, arguing that Christians are called to turn the other cheek. But turning the other cheek speaks to personal vengeance, not the responsibility to protect innocent life.

Jesus rebuked Peter for using a sword to advance a political revolt, not for the mere possession of a weapon. In fact, in Luke 22:36, Jesus told His disciples, “If you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.” He acknowledged that dangerous times require readiness.

Scripture consistently affirms the moral duty to defend the innocent. Nehemiah armed workers rebuilding Jerusalem because enemies threatened their lives. They worked with one hand and held a weapon with the other. God did not condemn this. He blessed it.

Protecting families, children, and congregations from violent attack is not un-Christian. It is an expression of Christian love. Love does not mean passivity in the face of evil.

Church security is not about militarizing worship. It is about quietly and professionally placing trained, responsible individuals in positions to deter threats and respond if necessary. Most armed security teams never draw their weapons. Their presence alone prevents countless incidents from ever happening.

Criminals and agitators prefer soft targets. They seek places where resistance is unlikely. A church that communicates preparedness sends a clear message: This is not a place where violence will succeed.

Some fear that visible security sends the wrong message to visitors. But the most important message is the one sent to parents who entrust their children to church nurseries, to elderly members who cannot defend themselves, and to families who expect the church to be a place of refuge. Safety is not the enemy of hospitality; it’s the enabler of hospitality.

Others argue that God will protect His Church regardless of human action. God certainly can. But Scripture shows repeatedly that God works through people who take responsibility.

Noah built an ark. Joseph stored grain. Nehemiah built walls. Faith and action went hand in hand. Expecting divine intervention while refusing reasonable precautions is not faith, it’s presumption.

There is also a constitutional dimension to this issue. The First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion. That right is meaningless if Christians cannot gather without fear of being attacked or silenced by mobs. When churches are invaded and disrupted, it is not merely a disturbance; it is an assault on religious liberty.

Armed security does not replace law enforcement; it supplements it. Police cannot be everywhere at once. Response times, even under ideal conditions, can be several minutes. In a violent attack, several minutes is an eternity. An armed, trained individual already on site can stop a threat in seconds.

This is not theoretical. Numerous mass shootings in America have been stopped by armed citizens before police arrived. Lives were saved because someone was prepared.

Practical guidance from security professionals supports this. As Andrew Walker wrote in defense of church security teams, planning, training, and accountability are essential for protecting congregations without undermining Christian witness.

Churches often spend significant resources on sound systems, lighting, buildings, and programs. All of those things are secondary to the safety of the people inside those walls.

A church that cannot protect its flock is failing in one of its most basic responsibilities: Pastors are shepherds, and shepherds protect sheep from wolves.

Security teams should be composed of vetted, trained members who understand both defensive tactics and de-escalation. They should work discreetly, respectfully, and under clear policies. Many churches already have law enforcement officers, veterans, and responsible concealed carriers sitting in their pews every Sunday. Formalizing that protection is simply acknowledging reality.

The invasion at Cities Church should be a wake-up call. It was not an isolated outburst. It was a sign of a broader cultural shift in which hostility toward Christianity is becoming normalized. When activists feel emboldened to storm a church service, shout down prayer, and desecrate worship, we must recognize what time it is.

This is not about politics. It is about protecting sacred space. The early Church met in secret because hostile forces sought to destroy them. They took precautions while boldly proclaiming the Gospel. Today’s Church must reclaim that same combination of courage and wisdom.

Armed security does not mean we stop preaching grace. It does not mean we stop welcoming sinners. It does not mean we abandon love.

It means we take evil seriously, value human life, and refuse to leave our people defenseless.

The church should be the safest place in a community. A place where families can worship without fear. A place where children can learn about Jesus without becoming collateral damage in someone else’s political rage.

That safety will not happen by accident. It requires intentional preparation. Every church does not need a fortress, but every church does need a plan. In today’s world, that plan must include armed, trained protection because faith without wisdom is not faith at all.

If we truly love our neighbors, care about our congregations, and believe in defending the innocent, the conclusion is unavoidable: Every church needs armed security.

Originally published at the Standing for Freedom Center.