Church leaders to learn about reducing risk of crime and its outcomes in their congregations

Pfeiffer University/Charlotte and Myers Park United Methodist Church Host
Plan, Prepare, Protect: Strengthening Safety in Ministry

Pfeiffer University will host a three-day seminar April 17-19 at its Charlotte, N.C., campus and Myers Park United Methodist Church for church and ministry leaders that provides education and resources for addressing and strengthening safety and managing risk in congregations and other ministry settings.  Plan, Prepare, Protect: Strengthening Safety in Ministry will prepare clergy as well as church business administrators, finance leaders and trustees to inform their congregations about security priorities, mitigate security risks and evaluate safety plans.

Conference leaders include Joy Melton, author of the Safe Sanctuaries book series; Bob Hayes, managing director, and Mark Lex, faculty member emeritus of the Security Executive Council, a leading research and advisory services firm for risk mitigation; and members of the Pfeiffer University faculty whose expertise includes stewardship and risk-management  preparedness.

“We must do everything we can to reduce the likelihood of crime in churches as well as the associated injuries and other outcomes that can be devastating for individuals and congregations,” said Joy Melton, who is an attorney, United Methodist deacon and 1977 graduate of Pfeiffer University. “Proactive preparation, which is an affordable key to reducing and managing risk, goes a long way toward protecting churches and their members.”

Violent and other crime in churches such as attacks, abductions, suspicious deaths, suicides and deadly force is well documented by ministry security experts. The National Archive of Criminal Justice reports that the most frequent triggers of crimes in houses of worship of all denominations are robbery, domestic violence spilling over to the church and personal conflict involving non-related church members.

Plan, Prepare Protect, Strengthening Safety in Ministry begins on Wed., April 17 with a networking reception at Pfeiffer’s Charlotte campus, 4701 Park Road. A day-long workshop on Thurs., April 18 takes place at Myers Park United Methodist Church, 1501 Queens Road. The seminar concludes on Fri., April 19 with a working group development session at Pfeiffer. For more information, visit www.pfeiffer.edu/riskmanagement; or contact Rev. Sherri Barnes, associate director, university and church relations, Pfeiffer University, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

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