Oklahoman churches know what to do when a tornado warning goes off: find the innermost part of the building far away from windows and hunker down. But what about other severe weather incidents? Do churches have a plan for severe flooding or hail? What is a church’s plan for an intruder incident? Severe weather isn’t the only danger a church can face in today’s world.

“Churches today are less often exempt from the perils of society,” said Thomas Jordan, director of Oklahoma Baptists Church and Employee Benefits. “Sometimes, they are the targets.”

To help churches adopt the best practices for safety and security, Oklahoma Baptists hosted four Church Safety conferences across the state. This conference series was created in response to numerous inquiries from pastors seeking guidance on church safety.

“The conference is designed to help churches develop safety teams and implement best practices for working with children and youth,” said Todd Fisher, Oklahoma Baptists executive director-treasurer.

More than 350 attended the regional conferences, with those attending being church staff, members and security workers. Dan Ray, captain of emergency services with Oklahoma State University (OSU), was the facilitator and main speaker of the event. Ray has served at OSU for 27 years after working in law enforcement in the Yale Police Department, Payne County Sheriff’s Office and the Oklahoma Baptist University campus safety and security team.

“As a follower of Christ, I wanted to make sure my church family was safe,” he said. “A shepherd protects the flock, and we have a responsibility, as shepherds, to protect our flocks.”

Ray pulled from his experience to help churches develop efficient safety plans for a wide range of incidents including severe weather, service disruptions, intruders and technology hazards. A recurring question during the conference was how to best set up a safety plan that doesn’t interfere with ministry. Ray’s advice was to craft a plan that best uses the church’s resources and personnel and consider external factors like the church’s location and community.

“The best thing to do is customize the plan according to the church,” Ray said. “Use your resources and people in a way that best fits the church. My best advice is the plan must fit the community and the church.”

Ray is thankful for the opportunity to assist churches in setting up safety plans. He said that it was encouraging to see so many pastors and church staff committed to protecting their church families.

For information on other Oklahoma Baptist events, visit https://www.oklahomabaptists.org/events/.