Protestors at Church: Handle With Care
No matter the intent of your heart, the goal is to defuse and not engage. Heartfelt dialogue can happen in less provocative environments.
By Vaughn Baker
President, Strategos International
After a draft of a Supreme Court opinion on abortion was leaked this week, some activists are urging people to storm churches on Mother’s Day in protest.
Protesters are not generally known for calm and reasoned discourse. Quite the opposite.
They may announce their arrival ahead of time or simply show up at your doorstep. Either way, their presence is troubling and can cause anxiety.
How should churches respond? Often, our instincts are often not the best guide.
First of all, understand it’s legal for protesters to picket on public property such as sidewalks. Unless they’re disturbing the peace or trespassing, they’re on solid legal ground.
Protesters want attention and hate indifference. So ignore them. A toe-to-toe “stand for truth” can devolve into a shouting match or fistfight – and that’s what some of these groups want.
Even the tender-hearted woman who seeks to “kill them with kindness” will likely regret bringing donuts to people set on conflict. If there’s a confrontation or – worse – an altercation, then you’ve made the news.
“Be as wise as serpents and as innocent as doves.” — Matthew 10:16
Certainly you should be watchful and aware when protesters show up. Alerting law enforcement is also a prudent step, simply to be on the safe side.
For a protester, a bad day is quiet day. And that’s exactly the kind of day you want to give them.
Vaughn Baker is the president of Strategos International and the author of The Church Security Handbook. He is a leading expert on security for churches and businesses.
