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Church greeters, ushers learn lesson on safety

By Donna Swicegood | Statesville R&L

Published: February 7, 2010

Ushers and greeters at churches need pay attention to more than just the Sunday sermon.

That's the message a group of ushers and greeters heard during a training session Wednesday at Western Avenue Baptist Church.

Lt. Rick Eades of the Iredell County Sheriff's Office presented a church safety program to about 50 people at the church.

"You are here to protect your church and your parishioners," Eades said.

Sanford Sain, one of the ushers and a member of the safety committee, said the church is putting together a safety plan.

That plan began to take shape after Sain and church minister of administration Philip McGaha attended a two-day training session on church safety last fall.

"It was an eye-opener," Sain said.

Since that seminar, the kidnapping of two women from a downtown Statesville church brought the reality of crime in churches home a little bit more, Sain said.

One of the two women kidnapped attends Western Avenue.

Scott Barkley, a former Statesville Police Department officer, and a member at Western Avenue, said safety issues require a different mindset than most people have at church.

"This is a safe haven. Your mind changes to another gear," he said.

Eades said that's the message he wants church personnel to understand — that they are the eyes and ears of the church.

He commended the church for working on a safety plan to address everything from liability issues regarding stairs and carpets to dealing with someone who brings a weapon into the church.

Eades said the biggest obstacle is realizing bad things can happen in church. He showed a long list of shootings that have occurred in churches across the United States in recent years. Many of those centered around domestic situations such as child custody issues.

"Could that happen here?" he asked.

"Sure," several of those in attendance said.

Eades said preparation may not prevent a problem, but it can help in dealing with the aftermath.