Religion

PITTSBURGH — The recent fatal shooting at a church in Knoxville, Tenn., is a tragic reminder that houses of worship are no longer havens of safety.

Just as schools have increased their security, churches, synagogues, temples and other religious sites are taking measures to ensure the safety of their buildings and congregants.

In Knoxville, Tenn., last week, Jim D. Adkisson, a 58-year-old unemployed truck driver on the verge of losing his food stamps, was charged with opening fire at a Unitarian church, killing two people and wounding seven others.

He left behind a note suggesting that he targeted the congregation out of hatred for its liberal policies, including its acceptance of gays, authorities said.

Mega-churches like Potter's House in Dallas, pastored by T.D. Jakes, employ security teams that include people who carry concealed weapons.

"When you minister to broken people, you're going to get everything on a Sunday or Wednesday or daily basis," said Sean Smith, who is in charge of security at Potter's House, the Dallas mega-church pastored by T.D. Jakes. "Some churches, because of their size, need armed security."

He also advised all churches to develop evacuation plans and ways to protect children in various situations.

It's a good idea for churches to bring in an outside agency or person to assist with the assessment, he said. Smith does security training for churches all across the country, and there are several organizations and agencies that have sprung up to address such issues.

Harry Trombitas, a special agent with the FBI in Columbus, Ohio, also does safety and security training for churches.

He developed the program he uses while putting one together for his church.

"Basically we were a very unsecured building, not keeping a close watch on our property, not locking up, not keeping an eye on who was in and out of our church," Trombitis said.

Since February he has done about 15 free presentations that have included 10 to 15 churches per session.

Like Smith, he said churches must assess their vulnerabilities.

"You have to ask yourself, 'Has a lack of an incident at our church been because of steps we've taken to keep our property and people safe, or are we just lucky?"'

From time to time church officials should announce to the congregation what the emergency plans are in case of severe weather, fire, a medical emergency, etc.

They should also have as many people as possible trained in CPR and how to use a defibrillator, Trombitas said.