US churches are being told to arm themselves in preparation for potential terror attacks, following rising threat levels in the UK and growing fears that churches could be targeted.
Chuck Chadwick of the National Organisation of Church Security & Safety Management warned US churches to be vigilant. "What we over here can expect is the lone wolf attack," he said, "[and] it looks like bombing is becoming popular again".
Speaking to One News Now, Chadwick suggested that the solution is armed security. "Having a person who is armed and can respond in deadly force may be an option" he said, adding that churches of all sizes should be ready. "If it does happen, we're prepared; if it doesn't happen, all glory to God."
Chadwick's organisation, which is based in Texas, specialises in church security and safety; its 'Gatekeeper' programme has put hundreds of armed security officers in churches across the state.
The call to arms follows reports that Dabiq, ISIS's online propaganda and recruitment magazine, called for radicals to target western churches.
The fresh US warning comes at a time of rising threat levels in the UK, where the Home Office has announced a £2.4m fund to strengthen safety in places of worship.
Counter-terrorism adviser to the Home Office Nick Tolson has warned that "an attack is coming... and churches are one of the easy targets". Tolson is the Christian representative on the Places of Worship Security Committee at the Counter Extremism Directorate at the Home Office. He works for National Churchwatch, which advises those who work in places of worship.
Though churches were once thought to be relatively safe spaces, the attack in Rouen, northern France which claimed the life of Fr Jacques Hamel during a morning mass has brought this into question. Speaking to the Mirror, Tolson warned: "We have to look at the possibility of an attack on a church in this country. The risk level has gone up."
Tolson has produced a series of proposals as an update of the Goverment's 2009 document 'Counter terrorism protective security advice for places of worship'. He described the previous report as "impractical" and "terribly outdated".
His new proposals suggest that a knife attack is most likely and give advice for swift evacuation should a crisis occur. The precautions do not extend to Chadwick's armed 'gatekeepers', but the fitting of CCTV and alarm systems is advised, as well as the suggestion of a 'bouncer' who can secure the church in an emergency.
However, the Deputy Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu, while encouraging churches to review their security, added that "Church leaders and their congregations here in the UK should remain alert not alarmed."
