It was several months after my husband, Harry, became a pas tor and we were clearing the table after our evening meal when I heard a rustling sound. When I didn't hear anything more, I decided I had imagined it and continued loading the dishwasher. Suddenly, I heard the parsonage door open and the sound of quick footsteps crossing the living room floor, heading for the kitchen.
Startled, Harry hurried to the kitchen entrance. Then I heard him say angrily, "Jerome, don't ever walk in on us like that again." He steered the intruder outside. When he returned to the house he said, "I told Jerome I would tell the police what he had done, and that he must never enter our house again without our inviting him. We'll keep all doors locked from now on, even in the day time. I'm telling the kids if Jerome ever walks in again to run out of the house and call the police."
Jerome was an ex-convict who had recently stopped at the church for help. As sorry as we felt for him, his barging unannounced into our home ended further contact. Though I often wondered what he wanted, I never found out, for we never heard from him again.
My initial belief that people involved with churches can be trusted was a naive one. Our experiences and those of other pastors have shown us that ministers and their families need to exercise more caution than most people.
Why is this? In some communities the high visibility of parsonages makes the family subject to numerous requests for assistance. Most people mean no harm, but occasionally criminal types do stop in, and they can be dangerous.
Assessing the security of your church building
Careless habits of church leaders and workers can make the church appealing to criminals and put the pastor and his family in danger. To find out the potential for problems in your situation, go through your buildings and count the places where you find loose, uncounted money. Sometimes Sabbath school workers leave offerings in unlocked storage cabinets. Check the children's class rooms for birthday offering banks, the church kitchen for donation containers, and the literature racks for payment boxes.
Has your church treasurer ever left the offering unattended in the building? If your church has fund-raising events, is the money always removed from the premises immediately? I am reminded of an article I once read about a thief who made a living stealing these kinds of funds from church buildings.
There are other items to consider be sides funds. Does your church have audio equipment? How about musical instruments? Do you have a film or slide projector or video equipment? If you have such equipment, how is it stored and where? These items, if carelessly left out in an unlocked building, are an invitation to robbers. A locked storage cabinet in a locked building is the best security.
Do you keep your buildings locked when they are not in use? Are your windows and doors in good repair, or would it be easy to break in through them? Does your local police department know your staff members and their usual hours? Do you let them know you would appreciate it if they checked anything unusual as they patrol around your church?
Checking the security of your church property is part of your ministry to your congregation. Doing so sets an example of responsible stewardship. If you find that your church needs to tighten its security, call your key leaders together and give them a tour of the facilities, pointing out what you have found.
Have your neighbors and members keep watch
You can add to the security of your church and parsonage by requesting that members and neighbors report anything unusual to the police. Doing so isn't being too fussy. Once a convicted felon--who was carrying a loaded gun at the time of his arrest--moved into our church basement. Afterward several members reported that they had seen lights on in the church late in the evenings, and others said they had smelled cigarette smoke, even though we didn't allow smoking. Someone else had noticed unusual items (candy wrappers, a milk carton, apple cores, etc.) in a class room trash can. They had ignored clues that should have been investigated. Now my husband encourages anyone seeing anything unusual to report it. Occasion ally something innocent gets reported, but safe is better than sorry.
Instruct your leaders not to give tours of the church unless they know the request is legitimate. Thieves entered a friend's church pretending they were utility inspectors and returned later, guided by a sketch of the premises made during their "inspection." Regular businesses needing to enter your property make appointments in advance and always provide their employees with identification.
Visit your local law enforcement agency and invite the officers to come by the church to meet your staff. Becoming acquainted with the authorities when nothing has happened adds an extra measure of good will for the church as well as another pair of watchful eyes. And should anything happen, you won't have the stress of having to report the crime to a stranger.
Personal safety
Are you unknowingly putting yourself or your staff in jeopardy? Does anyone ever work in the church building alone or at odd hours? Most pastors do occasion ally. At times like this you need some extra protection. The thief mentioned earlier hit only churches with unlocked doors, and worked during hours when the buildings were unattended. A pastor, secretary, or any other person working alone in the building when a criminal enters is in obvious danger. In cities, you will need to provide extra protection. For example, you may want to install a partition with a sliding-glass window between the secretary's desk and the entrance area--and on the door, a lock that can be controlled from the desk. Some churches even have alarms installed at the desk.
What about those times when someone you don't know asks to meet you privately at the church? Be careful! My friend George told me, "One time a man stopped at the parsonage, asking to see me privately. When we went next door to my church office he pulled a knife on me, demanding money. Now my wife always telephones a few minutes after I meet anyone in the church alone, and she has instructions to call the police if I don't answer, or if I answer no when she asks if I am OK. Our church is on a busy highway, and the police suggested this strategy after the robbery."
George's telephone signaling routine is a good practice. If a spouse isn't available, have a trusted church member know when you schedule appointments with unknown people. When someone shows up unannounced and finds you alone, excuse yourself and telephone someone and have them call you back in a few minutes. This isn't violating any one's trust, since you don't reveal your visitor's identity or purpose.
Family safety
By taking the following steps, you can protect your family without being overly suspicious or becoming hardened toward those in need. Your care for your family reflects on your ministry, for they are your most precious charges from the Lord.
When you leave town and your family stays behind in the parsonage, arrange for pastoral assistance. Once when my husband was away assisting at youth camp, the telephone rang at midnight. A male caller insisted on talking to the pastor immediately.
Hesitant to reveal Harry's absence, I said, "The pastor will call you back in a few minutes or else he will come to you. Please give me a number he can call, or tell me exactly where you are." After wards, I telephoned the local police, explained the situation, and offered to reimburse them for whatever expenses were necessary if they would take care of the matter and see if the man had a legitimate need. This avoided putting me in danger, and the man's need was met. Had the caller's intentions not been good, the appearance of a police officer would have discouraged him. If your police won't function in this capacity, you might trade on-call time with another local pastor.
If your home is easily identifiable as a parsonage or is next door to the church, install a peephole and an intercom. Also install strong locks on the doors and windows. Instruct your family to use these devices, and to keep the door closed if they sense anything amiss about a caller. Have them avoid telling a stranger when you are not home. It is better to tell the caller that you are busy and ask the per son to make an appointment.
Install an answering machine for your home and church. They prevent trouble makers from knowing your schedule and when the buildings are empty. Harry and I have a machine in our parsonage; when he is gone and the telephone rings at an odd hour, I can listen in on the caller's message. In this way I can screen callers and answer those I know.
Be careful what you put on your answering machine. Do not specify why it is in use; simply state that no one is available to take the call at the moment but that someone will call back. Answering machines annoy some church members, but if you explain why you need them, most members will accept them.
Avoid listing your personal telephone as a parsonage number if you can. Local people in need know your name, and a stranger with a real need can still contact you with a little effort. Having to inquire to find you will deter undesirable callers.
Instruct your members and the local police to avoid giving your home location or telephone number to strangers. Instead, have them get a number you can call or a public place where you can meet the person. When you go, take someone with you. This will discourage those few with evil intentions.
Almost every pastor who has been in the ministry a while has been taken by a moocher. Even with the best of precautions, this will occasionally happen, but you can avoid it most of the time. First of all, never give funds. Those with real need will appreciate receiving the item they need, be it food, gas, or medicines. People who want only money are suspect.
Always check out the story of those who ask for assistance. When we pastored a church near an interstate exit, we frequently got requests for help from travelers. Most were honest, and the church had funds for that purpose. But to deter freeloaders, the church and pastor mutually agreed to ask for references and permission to check out the stories of those who wanted assistance. This policy worked; what help we gave was needed. Those in genuine need generally won't object to your investigation of their stories.
Pastors cannot shut off their compassion for the needy, nor can they protect themselves from every danger. Being continually afraid or suspicious doesn't glorify the Lord, but taking wise security precautions is good stewardship. Pastors can be compassionate professionals and still protect church property, their staff, their families, and themselves.
