Distressed by protest? Don’t be caught off guard by disruptive activists. Learn how to be peaceable and proactive.
It’s a beautiful Sunday morning as the pastor pulls into church to begin preparations for the day’s worship services. Unusually, people are already assembled there at an early hour. But they’re not parishioners – they’re sign-waving protestors. The minister is confronted with a decision:
Call the police.
Confront the protestors.
Do nothing and see what happens as members begin arriving for the day’s events.
Each option carries risks. What should he do?
And what about the TV news truck that just arrived? Does he talk to reporters? And if so, what should he say?
While protests at churches and nonprofits are nothing new, recent political tensions have heightened concerns. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs decision, activists called on sympathizers to disrupt Catholic masses on Mother’s Day. Disruptions followed in parishes including those in Chicago, Los Angeles and New York. In related activity, numerous instances of vandalism and destruction occurred at churches and pregnancy resource centers, including one firebombing.
Abortion is far from the only issue igniting tensions. Churches have been disrupted over:
Support for the state of Israel
Support of gay causes
Opposition to gay causes
Advocacy of gun rights
Numerous other issues
Most of these protests, in theory, are not violent. They are annoying, cause anxiety and can lead to outrage, but seldom is anyone physically harmed.
However, your church’s response, or lack of one, could influence whether conflict is escalated. Acting out of impulse or “winging it” are unlikely to yield positive results. It’s far better to know the law, know protestors’ rights and have a game plan in mind before a protest occurs. Join us in this webinar to get informed, get a plan and turn a potential negative into a positive.
OUR EXPERT
VAUGHN BAKER
Vaughn is president of Strategos International, a Independence, Mo.,-based firm providing security training, consulting and executive protection services. Baker has 20 years of experience in law enforcement including patrol, investigation, SWAT and special operations. He has trained thousands of church, school, health care, government, law enforcement and military personnel in security practices. Baker is also the author of The Church Security Handbook.