Cape churches put security measures in place

Church on Sunday may seem like one of the safest places on Earth, but recent events may inspire the opposite feeling.

On March 7, a pastor in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, was shot several times in a church parking lot. He underwent surgery and is in recovery.

A week before, a pastor was shot and killed inside a the church office in Dayton, Ohio, as a service was underway.

The security team at La Croix United Methodist Church was formed in part to a response to a similar instance about seven years earlier, when a pastor was shot in Illinois. La Croix facilities manager Wayne Shockley said the church has not had any threats of violence, even something like a demonstration from young men in Michigan who dressed in head wraps and stormed into a church to get a reaction.

"We're aware that it's mainly a precautionary measure," La Croix executive pastor Bruce Baxter said. "We recognize that evil is present in the world, and we want to be organized and prudent."

What the 30-member security team deals with regularly are medical emergencies. About 24 members of the team have first-responder or CPR training. The church has a medical team, and the security team helps to form a wall around the ailing person, often when church is letting out at the end of a service.

"We've had people fall right in the lobby," Shockley said.

Shockley said the security team, which includes several members of local law enforcement, has been trained to spot out-of-place behavior in attempt to thwart potential threats. They also have practiced active-shooter scenarios. La Croix averages about 2,300 people walking through its church doors each weekend, Baxter said.

"We keep a sheep-dog mentality," Shockley said.

Lynwood Baptist Church has had a volunteer security team for several years, administrator Brad Rogers said. The security team consists of 20 volunteer church members, and they perform in a similar capacity to La Croix's team. One difference is the emphasis to protect children in Sunday school.

"We believe safety is paramount for all we do," Rogers said. "We feel it helps provide a positive worship environment."

Cape First Assembly of God can have about 1,500 people inside its main church on Silver Springs Road at a time, although executive pastor Blake Tiemann noted number is not an average. As with La Croix's security team, Tiemann said the church has not had any type of security incident. The all-volunteer team at Cape First also deals with medical emergencies.

"We have a number of medical professionals available," Tiemann said.

There are security-team members who know CPR and are members of law enforcement.

"We feel a responsibility to do whatever we can to ensure church is a safe place," Tiemann said.

bkleine@semissourian.com

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Pertinent address: 3102 Lexington Ave, Cape Girardeau, Mo.

254 S. Silver Springs Road, Cape Girardeau, Mo.