Community Approach to Church Security, By Rtd DIG Leye Oyebade mni

A Paper Delivered at the RCCG Continent 3 Seminar Series
December 6, 2025

By
DIG Adeleye Olusola Oyebade (rtd), mni

Introduction
The concept of community refers to a group of people connected by shared geography, values, interests, or social ties. In the context of church security, the community includes not only church members but also landlords, neighbours, businesses, traditional authorities, and local security actors who coexist within the same environment.

As security challenges continue to evolve, ranging from petty crime and vandalism to targeted attacks and wider forms of insecurity, churches can no longer depend solely on internal vigilance or formal security structures. Instead, a community-based approach is necessary, one that strengthens trust, cooperation, and collective ownership of safety.

Churches are soft targets by nature: open, welcoming, and accessible. This openness, while essential for ministry, also creates vulnerabilities. Therefore, security must be understood not as an isolated activity but as a shared responsibility rooted in relationships and proactive community engagement.

A community approach aligns with contemporary security thinking, including whole-of-society models and community policing philosophy, which emphasize collaboration, information sharing, and organisational transformation.

Local Security Environment Affecting Churches
The security landscape around churches today is shaped by a range of local factors: rising urbanisation, population mobility, economic pressures, and the presence of unfamiliar individuals moving in and out of communities.
Churches often operate within mixed environments, residential areas, commercial centres, or evolving peri-urban spaces, where criminal behaviour can go unnoticed if community structures are weak.

Many churches also face risks linked to:
1. Increased criminal opportunism – theft of equipment, vehicles, or offerings
2. Strange persons blending into congregations, especially where membership is large and transient
3. Religious intolerance or targeted attacks in certain regions
4. Limited awareness of emerging security threats among church leadership
5. Weak links between faith communities and local law enforcement, reducing speed and effectiveness of response

Given these realities, a church must understand its location, map its immediate environment, identify potential risks, and build relationships with those who live and work nearby. A community approach transforms the security environment from passive vulnerability to active collaboration.

Practical Ways to Manage Security Within the Location of a Church
A practical community-based approach to church security requires deliberate engagement, structured partnerships, and continuous situational awareness.
a. Know Your Community and Stakeholders
• Build relationships with landlords, neighbours, business owners, community leaders and estate associations
• Maintain an updated map of surrounding houses and landmarks
• Develop communication channels (WhatsApp groups, phone trees, neighbourhood alert systems)
b. Engage Local Law Enforcement
• Establish regular contact with the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) and local police units
• Partner with the Police Community Relations Committee (PCRC)
• Invite law enforcement to brief the congregation periodically
c.Contribute to Community Logistics and Support
Security partnership thrives on mutual benefit:
• Provide logistical support where appropriate
• Participate in neighbourhood watch initiatives and joint security forums
d.Information Sharing and Intelligence Gathering
• Encourage reporting of suspicious activities
• Train ushers and volunteers to observe behavioural cues discreetly
• Cross-check information with trusted community members
• Verify identities of new members through welcoming, non-intrusive processes
e. Identification of Strange Members or Activities
• Register visitors, contractors and vendors
• Install discreet surveillance such as CCTV and access control
• Establish protocols for unattended items or suspicious vehicles
f. Adopt a Whole-of-Society Approach
Security should involve everyone:
• Youth, men’s and women’s fellowship groups
• Pastors and workers
• Local residents and security agencies

Churches should also host community awareness seminars and joint engagement activities.

Apply the Three Legs of Community Policing
1. Problem Solving: Identify threats early and implement preventive measures
2. Community-Driven Initiatives: Encourage active participation of members and residents
3. Organisational Engagement: Leadership must prioritise security planning, budgeting and training

Organisational Transformation
• Establish a Church Security Committee
• Train volunteers in first aid, emergency response and de-escalation
• Create evacuation plans and conduct periodic drills

Conclusion
Security in and around the church can no longer be left to chance or handled internally alone. A community approach recognises that the church exists within a living social ecosystem where neighbours, authorities and organisations share common safety interests.

By engaging landlords, community leaders, security agencies and the PCRC, contributing to logistics, improving information flow, and adopting whole-of-society and community-policing principles, the church can significantly enhance its resilience.

Ultimately, security becomes most effective when anchored in relationships, trust and collective vigilance.
A well-connected church is a safer church.

Through sustained collaboration and proactive engagement, faith communities can protect their congregations, strengthen their environments, and continue their mission with confidence and peace.