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Know What You Face

Assessing Risk

Assessing Risk
Based on the Sheepdog Church Security training module Safety Team Fundamentals [1]

From the Bible

Then said the princes unto Baruch, "Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be" (Jeremiah 36:19).

But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand (Ezekiel 33:6).

This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come (2 Timothy 3:1)

Be thou diligent to know the state of thy flocks, and look well to thy herds (Proverbs 27:23).

“Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16)

Introduction

Some of the saddest things that have been said are:

What led to statements like these? In most cases, certain risks were not recognized and evaluated. The result was that these people or organizations were left unprepared for what came. In a few cases, there was no way to foresee the risk or the probability that it would happen, but most of the time a risk can be determined and measures taken to avoid it or to mitigate the effects should it occur.

In the News

Wheaton, Illinois, May 22, 2017 - In a Mission Nexus article, Anna Hampton discusses the risks faced by missionaries, relief workers, and local church leaders in several mission fields, especially those with war zones, insurgencies, high crime rates, and persecution. She and her husband have served - and raised their family - in these areas for many years.

Christians in these places must evaluate the risks and, with Holy Spirit guidance, determine whether they should stay or retreat. She says, "Not risking in certain situations does not automatically mean disobedience to God. The same Bible figures often cited as examples of moving into risk almost always had times when they righteously avoided risk or retreated from danger." In this context, she cites what Jesus said: "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves" (Matthew 10:16).[2]

Merrill, Wisconsin, 2011 - In Recognizing Your Liability Risks, the president of Church Mutual Insurance Company discusses the various risks of liability a church should consider. There are twelve major types with several sub-types. Several cases are given. A few of the incidents resulting in liability are injuries, sexual misconduct, building conditions, and property disputes.[3]

Aspencrest, Wasatch County, Utah, September 2, 2019 - What would happen if youth who attended the camp became ill and the parents sued?

A local paper revealed that the drinking water at a church camp in the mountains near Salt Lake City was contaminated with bacteria. This had been so for a long time, even though state and local officials knew about it, assuming the church would eventually correct the problem.[4]

Denver Colorado, 2009 - A booklet by Tina Lewis Rowe, which has been copied by several organizations and agencies across the nation, guides churches and other places of worship in assessing safety and security risks.[5]

Renton, Washington, February 20, 2020 - A business insurance agency advises businesses to consider various cyber risks. They should take reasonable measures to prevent them, protect their data in case a cyber incident happens, and to insure the business for losses and costs of system restoration.[6]

New York City, New York, February 24, 2021 - Sexual abuse is now a widely-recognized risk in various institutions and organizations, including religious ones.

"The Takeaway" host, Tanzina Vega, conversed with Washington Post investigative reporter Emma Brown about the sexual abuse of boys and young men in large social and religious institutions. These cases have led to civil and criminal liability for both the perpetrators and the institutions.[7]

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,1998 - Structural damage and/or deterioration pose a risk of structural failure, which may result in injuries and/or deaths.

In a foreward to Sacred Places At Risk, Dr. William J. Bennett and (now former) U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman said, "Many sacred places [built before 1940] are in fragile physical and financial condition." About a fifth have structural damage. They cited the high costs of repairs.[8]

Monroe, Washington, November 10, 2021 - Structural failure is not the only risk in older buildings.

The jury in the second lawsuit brought by parents, students, and teachers of a school in Monroe awarded the plaintiffs $62 million in damages. This was for PCB exposure following leakage from ballasts in old light fixtures. Combined with the decision in the first suit, awards have so far totaled $247 million. A third trial has yet to be decided.[9]

Featured Resources

The free downloadable resource for December is Reports and Forms Bundle. The featured training module, Security Team Fundamentals, is the first one in the Complete Training System.

Reports and Forms Bundle

Accurate records help us not only to run things smoothly and efficiently, but also to "Provide things honest in the sight of all men" (Romans 12:17b). The Reports and Forms Bundle has five items in it, three report forms and two logs:

The first four have this notice: "Release of Information on Juveniles is Restricted." You can click *HERE* to get it. It is also a free resource that comes with Security Team Fundamentals.[10]

Security Team Fundamentals

This module is the first one in the Complete Training System by Sheepdog Church Security. No wonder! As with any job, including sports, the first thing learned is the fundamentals. Once you have learned those, you can go on with the finer points.

Students who take all the modules in the training program and pass all the tests will receive Safety Member Certification. It is available for Team training (classes) and individual training (online).[11]

This is the first module in the 2022 Spring Semester of the Sheepdog Church Security online academy with live Zoom classes, beginning February 6, 2022. Here's the schedule:

Among the free downloads that come with the program is one that relates to this course, the DIY Security Assessment.

What Is Risk Assessment?

It is easy to confuse terms that sound similar, especially when they are in the same broad context. That is the case with three assessments used in a Church Safety Ministry: Risk Assessment, Security Assessment, and Threat Assessment.

Threat Assessment

Threat Assessment is a function of an already established Church Safety Ministry. This is a continuing process of recognizing, evaluating, and deciding how to respond to specific threats. Since it identifies people at risk, it is done confidentially. There are three reasons for this:

First, we do not want to needlessly embarrass people, especially if what first caused concern is safely resolved.

style="text-decoration: underline;"Second, these are persons in need of help, someone to come alongside as they deal with stressful situations in their lives. That is a ministerial priority.

Third, if this does turn out to be a real threat, we do not want to compromise any plans we make to handle it.

Security Assessment

The DIY Security Assessment is 27 pages of questions and should be conducted annually. It is a thorough inspection of the church building, grounds, vehicles, personnel, operations, and policies & procedures. An evaluation of the results should show how ready the church is to prevent certain incidents and respond to others. This gives them a chance to add, fix, or correct as needed.

Risk Assessment

A Risk Assessment is usually conducted while planning for the Church Safety Ministry. It may have to be reviewed periodically, especially in light of change in the community. This is an assessment of the risks the church faces or may face. Many of these are shared by the entire community, and some are particular to the church itself. Not all are exactly risks, but still need consideration since they may affect the safety of the church in some way:

Conclusion

An old saying is, "Forewarned is forearmed." If you know what may be ahead, you can plan accordingly. That is the purpose of a Risk Assessment.

There Is More

There are three other articles this month: "To Keep the Flock Safe and Secure" (What Is Church Safety and Security?), "Building on a Foundation" (The Basics of a Church Safety Team), and "The 2009 First Baptist Church of Maryville Shooting" (Lesson Learned).

References

  1. Kris Moloney, "Complete Training Program v4," Sheepdog Church Security, © 2020 [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/].
  2. Anna Hampton, "Risk From a Field Perspective," Mission Nexus, May 22, 2017 [https://missionexus.org/risk-from-a-field-perspective/].
  3. Richard V. Poirier (President and CEO), "Recognizing Your Liability Risks," Church Mutual Insurance Company, © 2011 [https://www.churchmutual.com/media/safetyResources/files/LiabilityRisks.pdf].
  4. Emma Penrod, "The Mormon Church supplied tainted water to its members for years: Utah regulators turned a blind eye to faulty water systems at a girls' summer camp, trusting the LDS Church would eventually fix the problem," High Country News, September 2, 2019 [https://www.hcn.org/issues/51.15/corruption-the-mormon-church-supplied-tainted-water-to-its-members-for-years].
  5. Tina Lewis Rowe, "How to Assess the Safety and Security of Your Place of Worship," The River Conference, © 2009 [http://storage.cloversites.com/theriverconference/documents/How%20To%20Assess%20Church%20Safety%20and%20Security.pdf].
  6. Bob Davenport et al, "Commonly Overlooked Business Risks," Humble & Davenport Insurance, February 20, 2020 [https://humbledavenport.com/blog/commonly-overlooked-business-risks/].
  7. Tanzina Vega with Emma Brown, "The Overlooked and Pervasive Sexual Abuse of Boys and Young Men," New York Public Radio (WNYC), February 24, 2021 [https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/takeaway/segments/overlooked-and-pervasive-sexual-abuse-boys-and-young-men].
  8. Diane Cohen and A. Robert Jaeger with a foreward by Dr. William J. Bennett and U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman, "Sacred Places At Risk: New Evidence On How Endangered Older Churches And Synagogues Serve Communities," Partners for Sacred Places, © 1998 [https://sacredplaces.org/uploads/files/395429189155295863-spar.pdf].
  9. Lulu Ramadan, "Juries award students, parents, teachers $247 million for toxic exposure at Sky Valley Education Center in Monroe," The Seattle Times, November 12, 2021 [https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/times-watchdog/2nd-multi-million-dollar-verdict-against-monroe-school-for-toxic-exposures/].
  10. Kris Moloney, "Reports and Forms Bundle," Sheepdog Church Security, © 2015 [https://sheepdog-church-security.ck.page/31e9dcb23b].
  11. Kris Moloney, "Complete Training System and Safety Member Team Certification," Sheepdog Church Security, © 2020: Team Training [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/bundles/complete-church-security-training-system]; Individual Training [https://sheepdog-church-security.thinkific.com/bundles/safety-team-complete-training-course].