What houses of worship are doing to keep their flocks safe when they come to pray

In June 2015, nine worshippers at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal (A.M.E.) Church in Charleston, S.C., were killed when a person who had been invited in for Bible study began shooting.

Three years later, a gunman opened fire during Saturday morning services at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pa., killing 11 and injuring six others. 

And just last month, a security guard and two community members were shot and killed outside of the Islamic Center of San Diego, the largest mosque in the city.

Most people are shocked to hear about these attacks and the hundreds of others that have happened in the U.S. in the past two decades, but acts of violence at churches, meeting houses, mosques, synagogues and temples are not new.

Although mass shootings – those where four or more victims (other than shooters) were killed by firearms – at houses of worship remain relatively rare, the Violence Prevention Project – a research-driven entity that compiles databases to help better understand statistics on violence – points out that there have been 399 incidents in the U.S. from 2000 through 2025, resulting in 512 deaths and 213 injuries. Nineteen of those incidents happened in 2025, but their statistics show that the deadliest year was 2017 when 20 incidents of mass public shootings resulted in 47 deaths and 32 injuries.

‘We now have drills’

From church bombings in Alabama during the 1960s to school children targeted and shot during mass earlier this year, safety seems to have always been an underlying concern at religious institutions. But when deadly situations in places around the country and across the globe become breaking news, far away tragedies feel much closer to home.

“In the Jewish community, we have had to teach our children for centuries that there are people that don’t like us simply because we are Jewish. The difference today is that our young people now have drills,” said Rabbi Elliott Kleinman of the Congregation Beth Israel in Honesdale, Pa. “It’s unfortunate that it’s become part of our story.”

Kleinman said that in addition to his concern and condolences for those experiencing the tragedy directly in San Diego, protection of his synagogue and the people who gather in and around it also came to mind.

“The security of our own house of worship and making sure we are doing what we can to keep our members safe is something else I thought about,” he said.

There have been dangers for the congregation in the past, Kleinman added, including bomb threats sent via email a few years ago. Although nothing was ever found, there was a very real worry that the threats would keep worshipers at bay.

“You would think people would stay away out of fear – but it was the contrary,” the rabbi said of the services and events that had already been scheduled before the emails were received. “We want to be together in difficult times.”

Attention to detail

Even when there aren’t outward signs of beefed-up safety measures – like guards near entrances, ballistic film over windows or doors that can only be unlocked by a push of a buzzer – some worship spaces have made subtle changes designed to make gaining access to inside gathering spaces a bit tougher.

John Bucsko is the chair of the board of trustees at the Vernon United Methodist Church in Vernon, N.J., who oversees the ushers, parsonage and most church maintenance upgrades. He said that although an act of random violence isn’t necessarily the biggest worry, it still is a concern that is taken seriously.

These days, the social hall door is locked so that fewer entrances need to be monitored. Bucsko stands near a main entrance during Sunday service so he can be one of the first faces people see as they enter the church – and so he can also see everyone coming in.

“The area we’re in isn’t like a big city or anything. We’re out in the country,” he said. “Not that it’s less important – but just having one less door open might help keep us safe.”

The door for the Sunday School entrance is also locked now, which Bucsko said the church has been doing for about six months. That level of concern for the safety of parishioners also isn’t new, but it is different.

“It’s the same as it’s always been,” he added, “but we’re now just more aware.”

Protecting the flock

“I agree that awareness is key,” said Brian Foley, who owns Foley Security Solutions in Monroe, N.Y.

His advice for anyone thinking of making a communal space safer? Compare the task to driving.

“We know it’s dangerous, so what do we do to make sure we’re safe? We drive the speed limit, we wear a seatbelt and more. Anything can happen, but it’s important to do your best to be safe and be aware,” he said.

Although it only provides security guard service for one religious institution in the area, not too long ago, the company got a rash of calls about bettering security.

“We saw a huge increase in requests for training in the Jewish community after (the attacks during a music festival near Re’im, Israel on) Oct. 7, 2023, with people getting pistol permits and wanting to learn how to use them,” Foley said. “A lot of people in general are carrying (guns) more often.”

His suggestion for area houses of worship that are considering making changes to help maintain a safe environment during activities, programs, religious education classes and weekly services is very straight-forward.

“Think of your home. If you leave your door open, someone could come in,” he said. “If you lock it, it makes it a bit harder.”

Budget and available space are also important considerations, but Foley added that starting someplace is always better than doing nothing. That could be the pastor and deacon of a church – both retired law enforcement officers – carrying concealed firearms during Sunday service.

As religious institutions become targets of violence more frequently, that may be less of an exception than it has been in the past.

With all that is going on, the places where people gather to prayer might understandably have safety concerns. In response to a query for this story, one layperson of an area church emailed just to make sure that the information being sought was really going to be used solely for news, not other reasons.

“The fact that we have to be in these places is kind of sad, but it’s the world we live in,” Foley said. “At the same time, I don’t want people going around in fear.”

A safe place to pray

Rob Chadwick, a former FBI supervisor special agent who responded to the AME Emanuel Church after the tragedy and now helps with civilian training programs across the country through the U.S. Concealed Carry Association (USCCA) added that awareness, coupled with a plan of action, is very important.

“The most important step is the first one, and that is acceptance that it actually could happen in your house of worship, your synagogue, your mosque, your church,” Chadwick said during a recent Zoom interview.

Because people tend to think that it could never happen to them, he added that acceptance is the hardest step – especially because a house of worship is meant to be open and welcoming to those who may need help.

But as attacks are being seen across the religious spectrum, he advocates for training staff, volunteers and congregants on both armed and unarmed preparedness.

“Any responsible house of worship must accept that they absolutely could be a target because (they are) a symbol for the religion or even the ability to congregate together and worship freely. But they’re also a known and predictable gathering spot for people,” he said. “Whatever is predictable – like your (worship or event) schedule – is exploitable.”

Kleinman said Congregation Beth Israel works with the Secure Community Network, a non-profit organization that ensure safety, security, and more for over 300 independent Jewish communities. According to the agency’s website, it acts as a liaison with federal, state and local law enforcement on safety and security matters.

“This is not about people being afraid,” the rabbi said. “It’s about the responsibility of houses of worship to do everything they can to keep people safe when they come to pray.”

For more information about the U.S. Concealed Carry Association or the Secure Community Network, log onto USCCA.com/worship or https://www.securecommunitynetwork.org.