ESS Global Corp is the leader in Church Security Training nationwide. We have trained thousands of churches in over 50 countries, with congregations as small as 15 and large as thousands.
“Size doesn’t matter”, says Theo Billiris, CEO of ESS Global. “I cannot adequately express the importance of intentional security and safety by every ministry – regardless of size.”
Since no federal agency or law enforcement group keeps track of violence and killings at houses of worship, people recording cases on their own believe that there has been a disturbing uptick in recent years. Randy McAlister, a police sergeant in Minnesota doing church violence research at Concordia University, also thinks church violence is increasing and likens it to school shootings a decade ago. Church violence is on its way to becoming a persistent phenomenon.
ESS Global Corp offers faith based church security training nationwide, as well as globally.
Common Reasons for Church Violence
There are many reasons for violence in churches. Any of the common reasons for violent eruptions on church property demonstrate a need for church security training.
Robbery leads the list at 24% of all violent actions on church property. Anyone of any age knows that Sunday is Money Day.
“Domestic Spillover” is the second leading cause of violence. This is when domestic relations violence finds its way into a ministry. One reason might be that in an increasingly high-alert world, churches remain an easy “soft” target. In cases of domestic violence spillover, perpetrators know that once a week, their victim will show up at a specific time, perhaps even parking in a certain spot or sitting in a certain section.
“Personal Conflict” between two or more non-domestic-related parties represents of 13% of church violence.
It’s important to note that for 2 of the top 3 types of incidents perpetrators most likely have visited that church many times, and they might have thought twice had they seen pervasive “situational awareness”. In other words, the act of receiving faith based church security training has the very real potential to prevent violence from even occurring. It turns a soft target to a harder target.
Obviously with acts such as robberies, drug related acts of violence (2%), gang related acts (11%) or those with confirmed mental health issues (10%) it makes even more sense to have a trained church staff, especially during services and special events.
“For you to come to us provides little value as it relates to your facility”, says Theo Billiris. “That’s why we come to you, so we can customize the training for your environment.”
Situational Awareness
It’s important that everyone; pastors, staff and assistants, all learn faith based techniques and protocols to increase situational awareness. Mr. Billiris states that “Great security firms aren’t necessarily the best choice in a church environment. In ESS faith based church security trainings we know that discernment in the Bible is a gift from God. Discerning good from evil provides a foundation for faith based security training that increases situational awareness.”
75% of churches have no security plan in place, and if you are not sure where to start, talk to the church security experts at ESS Global Corp.
“As the only training facility in Florida to be licensed by the US Department of Education, ESS Global Corporation provides education, training and consulting for commercial endeavors, government entities, non-profits and churches, and the general public, solely designed to enhance the safety and security of our communities. Our partnerships promote an unrelenting devotion to high standards of duty and courage. ESS Global Corporation accomplishes this mission through an unwavering dedication to deliver comprehensive security services to every community”