Churches find armed guards may be necessary

Published 10:14 pm Friday, December 14, 2007

Jeanne Assam was armed when services started at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colo. — a policy that had been in place for a few years.

It turned out, according to senior pastor Brady Boyd, to be a fortuitous choice because Assam likely saved many lives when she shot a heavily armed gunman entering the church.

But having an armed presence inside a place of worship isn’t necessarily a common practice, both because of feelings about weapons in a church and insurance liabilities.

Dale Annis, chief executive officer for Church Security Services, said he has consulted with churches across the country and found that few want to have guns on-site during services. Annis said the expense of training and keeping permits current, along with the insurance, make it cost-prohibitive for some smaller churches.

Annis, a retired police officer, started his Bakersfield, Calif.-based business about four years ago when he noticed an uptick in violence against churches.

His company helps churches adapt security plans for violent events such as the one in Colorado Springs, and he said he believes any church the size of the 10,000-member New Life needs to have armed security on-site.