February 7, 2025
Dear Church Family,
One of things I love about pastoring is getting to converse and pray for a variety of people. This comes with experiences that are rewarding and challenging. This past Wednesday evening, I left a great teaching time, led by Carrie Andrus, to talk with a man who walked into our church seeking a pastor. Not far into this conversation, I determined that the challenges facing this individual posed a threat to the most vulnerable within our congregation who were still presently on the property. As a shepherd within God’s church, it is a tricky line to walk when you are forced to choose between guiding the lost and protecting the flock. In this case, due to his behavior and nature of his words, I erred on the latter. With a heavy heart I continued to talk to the man until a couple of officers could arrive on scene. From there I prayed with him before the officers safely escorted him on to additional help and resources.
After personally grieving over how this situation did not go better, I began to think about all the ways it could have gone worse. The church should be a refuge for people from all walks of life. But any true refuge must be safe. Therefore, I have advised our staff to help us accomplish the following items.
· SMBC will contract a police officer to be onsite for Wednesday evening activities. We do this already for Sunday and the cost has been worth it when various safety and health concerns have come about in our history.
· The entrance doors into the main lobby from the north and south sides of the building will continue to be the best place for everyone to access the building for mid-week and Sunday gatherings.
· Additional entrances will only be accessible to enter with a greeter present. When a greeter is not present at their assigned door due to their need to attend Bible study or worship, the door will be locked. Signage will be posted about how to access the church should someone arrive at a time when the door is to be locked.
An additional concern I have upon implementing these changes is causing some within our congregation to walk further outside on days with significant heat or storms. Therefore, Erin Ripley and I will be working to launch a parking lot team that can be on mission to engage and assist others from a golf cart. This will help us add another level of security while fulfilling our mission. Other security measures will be taken in the days ahead. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
Dear Church Family,
One of things I love about pastoring is getting to converse and pray for a variety of people. This comes with experiences that are rewarding and challenging. This past Wednesday evening, I left a great teaching time, led by Carrie Andrus, to talk with a man who walked into our church seeking a pastor. Not far into this conversation, I determined that the challenges facing this individual posed a threat to the most vulnerable within our congregation who were still presently on the property. As a shepherd within God’s church, it is a tricky line to walk when you are forced to choose between guiding the lost and protecting the flock. In this case, due to his behavior and nature of his words, I erred on the latter. With a heavy heart I continued to talk to the man until a couple of officers could arrive on scene. From there I prayed with him before the officers safely escorted him on to additional help and resources.
After personally grieving over how this situation did not go better, I began to think about all the ways it could have gone worse. The church should be a refuge for people from all walks of life. But any true refuge must be safe. Therefore, I have advised our staff to help us accomplish the following items.
· SMBC will contract a police officer to be onsite for Wednesday evening activities. We do this already for Sunday and the cost has been worth it when various safety and health concerns have come about in our history.
· The entrance doors into the main lobby from the north and south sides of the building will continue to be the best place for everyone to access the building for mid-week and Sunday gatherings.
· Additional entrances will only be accessible to enter with a greeter present. When a greeter is not present at their assigned door due to their need to attend Bible study or worship, the door will be locked. Signage will be posted about how to access the church should someone arrive at a time when the door is to be locked.
An additional concern I have upon implementing these changes is causing some within our congregation to walk further outside on days with significant heat or storms. Therefore, Erin Ripley and I will be working to launch a parking lot team that can be on mission to engage and assist others from a golf cart. This will help us add another level of security while fulfilling our mission. Other security measures will be taken in the days ahead. If you have any questions or concerns, please let me know.
