Should preachers have bodyguards?

By Bishop Dave Chikosi

The other day as I parked and got out of my car, I saw a man get up and begin to walk very briskly towards me. He had a cigarette in one hand and a beer bottle in the other.  

My immediate prayer-thought response was: “Lord, if this man is coming to hurt me please stop him, because if You don’t I will do my best to find a way to hurt him first!”

This may not sound very Christian but it may very well be the story of countless millions of pastors all over the world who work in high risk communities with no personal security. This is an age of mindless violence.

There is always the real possibility of being attacked and robbed if you are a preacher working in dangerous inner city neighborhoods. Some pastors in these neighborhoods have even gone on to heaven a little sooner than they anticipated.

Thankfully my story has a different ending. As the man drew close, he suddenly began to sob and cry. And then he opened his arms and blurted out: “Bishop, I could use a real big hug from you right now!”

It turns out the man had come to the end of himself emotionally, was drinking heavily and contemplating doing the unthinkable with his life. We hugged, talked and prayed together for a while. He was ready to turn over a new leaf.

Unfortunately for many churchmen who, like me, do not have personal security, the story doesn’t always have a happy ending. Take for instance the widely-reported cold-blooded murder of a minister at Rev Creflo Dollar’s megachurch in Atlanta, Georgia.

The assailant calmly walked into the church’s prayer service one October 2012 morning. With 20-25 people watching in horror the gunman opened fire, killing Mr Greg McDowell, the prayer leader in cold blood.

Walking a Mile in A Preacher’s Moccasins

Does anybody seriously think that the widow and surviving children of this slain faith hero would stand up and criticize a church for putting into place elaborate security arrangements? Most people who are quick to criticize have never stood where these unfortunate people stand.

Until you have had someone take a swing at you or some deranged gunman place you in the crosshairs of their shotgun, and you lived to tell the story, then you really have no business judging a preacher for having personal security or bodyguards.

We just don’t know what attempts have been made on the man’s life. As the Native Americans say: “Never criticize a man until you’ve walked a mile in his moccasins.”

Don’t tell me how you would use your faith in such a situation if you’ve never had to deal with one in real life. Talk is cheap. You can talk a good game all you want, but if “you ne’er bin thru nuthin” then save it.

I remember nine years ago (2005) watching a very disturbing video online of a man assaulting the late Rev Billy Joe Daugherty at his Victory Christian Center church in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The man had come forward during an altar call at the end of a Sunday service. He motioned for Pastor Daugherty to approach and then hit him twice, opening a cut above the pastor’s eye that required two stitches.

Ironically the pastor had just preached on the Biblical story of Paul and Silas being beaten and thrown into jail. It would be funny if it wasn’t so sad. But the point is: a security detail standing by would likely have neutralized the assailant.

Don’t Just Stand There and Take a Licking 

And just in case anyone thinks St Paul always offered his body as a punch bag for some angry Jewish pugilists, let me remind you that this great apostle of faith once escaped his would-be killers through a window.

Now after many days were past, the Jews plotted to kill him. But their plot became known to Saul. And they watched the gates day and night, to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall in a large basket (Acts 9:23-25) 

Through a window in a basket! Why didn’t he just stand there, take a licking and keep on ticking? Because God doesn’t require us to. What St Paul did was, in fact, consistent with the instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples when He said:

“When you are persecuted in one place, flee to another. Truly I tell you, you will not finish going through the towns of Israel before the Son of Man come” (Matthew 10:23) 

But that’s not all. Christ went further and urged His men to carry a sword for self-protection.

“Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you without purse, bag or sandals, did you lack anything?” “Nothing,” they answered. He said to them, “But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one” (Luke 22:35-36). 

The question of whether a man of the cloth should “pack heat” is very controversial. But if we substitute gun for sword in the above passage the issue may not be as controversial as it first appears.

Gun-toting preachers 

Pastor Ron Gibson of the famous (or infamous) Preachers of LA TV series has no qualms about preachers carrying a gun. Rev Gibson was raised in South Central, Los Angeles where he was once a member of the notorious LA gang called the Compton Crips.

In one of the episodes of Preachers of LA, Gibson is seen telling his wife that while he is committed to bringing Christ to the neighborhood, he would also bring “the law” (a gun) just in case things got sticky in his meeting with young gang members.

I know a popular bishop in Detroit, MI, who openly tells his congregation that he has a “concealed carry” or CCW permit. This is a license to carry a concealed weapon on your person. The message is very clear: if you come to this church don’t try any funny (firearms) stuff!

While many pastors will not go as far as either Gibson or the Detroit bishop, most would however concede that that it is counterintuitive for pastors working in high-risk neighborhoods to not put in place some level, at least, of personal security. There is no need for the man of God to take unnecessary risks in the name of God and put his family or himself in harm’s way.

Security around Church Campuses 

Most large ministries (over 2000 members) around the world have some security arrangements around their premises as well as around their pastors. It would be counterintuitive not to with that size attendance. Most usually have a designated security team, which often includes plain clothes security volunteers.

If you watch Christian TV you will see these seemingly emotionless men standing in front around the pulpit area, adjusting their earpieces every now and then. They are on constant alert and vigil, listening and looking out for anything odd.

Outside the sanctuary you may see uniformed security personnel in vehicles patrolling the parking lot, empty building spaces as well as any other high risk areas. In addition, most church campuses also have security cameras both inside and outside the facility.

If you think all this is a little over the top, then consider the tragic case of Pastor Ronald J. Harris of St Charles, Louisiana. While preaching a special Friday night service at his church in Sept 2013, a lone gunman walked in with a shotgun and shot Pastor Harris twice. Question: would a tighter security regime have saved this preacher’s life? I don’t know. Neither do you.

What about Rev Fred Winters, pastor of First Baptist Church, Maryville, Illinois, who in 2009 was shot and killed during an 8 a.m. service?  His wife, Cindy Winters, afterwards wrote a book, Reflections From the Pit, which has been described as a “riveting, inspiring, and astonishingly transparent account of her life after horrifying tragedy and heartbreak.”

Would enhanced security arrangements have made a difference? Again I don’t know. Neither do you.

Don’t Do Stupid Stuff

But what we know is that as believers “we are co-laborers with God” (1 Corinthians 3:9). That means we have our human part to play and God has His divine part to play. We shouldn’t do stupid stuff – like leave our house unlocked or let a stranger babysit your kids – and expect God to bail us out of our stupidity. We must do our due diligence as humans and God will take care of His end of the deal.

If you pastor a large church and know you don’t have enough faith to believe God for supernatural (angelic) protection in a sticky situation, then go ahead and get yourself a good bodyguard. No use trying to be a hero and ending up a zero. Ignore the critics and do what you need to do.

On the other hand if the minister is willing to trust only God for his personal security, then more power to him. He also shouldn’t be criticized for his radical faith. “According to your faith be it done unto you” (Matthew 9:29) is how Jesus dealt with those who came to him with various life predicaments and situations.

So should preachers have bodyguards? I don’t think that there is a simple yes or no answer to the question. It all depends. We all have different levels of faith as well as different ministry circumstances. One size doesn’t fit all. Different strokes for different folks.

Bishop Dave Chikosi can be reached by email at [email protected].

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