Title: Lutherans in Pennsylvania Participate in Homeland Security Course ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 2, 2007
Lutherans in Pennsylvania Participate in Homeland Security Course 07-161-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Lutherans in Pennsylvania recently participated in a course on recognizing and preventing terrorist activity in places of worship. Considered "soft targets" by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, "churches can be considered easy targets because people meet at very predictable times and under very low security conditions," according to Julia Menzo, Philadelphia.
"The impact of an attack in a religious setting can also be great because it goes to the heart of many Americans' core values," said Menzo, Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR) coordinator. LDR is a collaborative ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and the Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod.
The message of the course is not to increase fear, said Menzo, but "to acknowledge a reality so that appropriate attention can be given to alertness." She said the course was valuable in that it served as "an important reminder that terrorist activity is a real threat and that there are people in the world who would like to do real harm to Christians and Americans."
One thing Lutheran congregations can keep in mind is to be vigilant about their surroundings without being suspicious or paranoid, said Menzo. "Important, simple actions, such as doing regular security checks of church property and getting to know neighbors, have many benefits including building relationships, taking care of property and community, and protecting our church's parishioners and children," she said.
Congregations can learn to recognize and prevent terrorist activities by keeping an eye open for anyone who is out of the ordinary, specifically by noticing anyone who is spending an inordinate amount of time loitering on church property, anyone who is observing and taking notes about the grounds, and anyone who is asking unusual questions, she said.
It is possible for churches to remain welcoming communities by building relationships with people from many backgrounds, said Menzo. "These relationships will in many cases be the best protection against terrorists or other individuals seeking to harm church property or people," she said.
The Rev. Frank Sayford, Trinity Lutheran Church, Fort Washington, Pa., said he approached the course "wearing two hats" -- one as a pastor of a congregation, and second as a member of the Fort Washington Fire Police. Trinity is a congregation of the ELCA.
"Many in our area share the mentality that 'it can't happen here.' Hurricanes, for example, are something that happen south of us," said Sayford, but the reality is that communities can still be affected and should "be aware and involved. It's also about how we can reach out as a community since we are part of God's earthly kingdom."
It's important for congregations to have an emergency response plan, like businesses do, because it's a matter of how congregations can be responsive and communicative in protecting the security of children and congregations during human-caused and natural disasters, said Sayford, adding that LDR is "taking a proactive role in calling congregations together, looking at how we can help each other."
The course was presented Aug. 8 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Risk Management Division and the Private Sector Office and Pennsylvania Office of Homeland Security in cooperation with the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Training Office and the Southeastern Pennsylvania Regional Counter-Terrorism Task Force at the Montgomery County Public Safety Training Center, Conshohocken, Pa. - - -
Information about Lutheran Disaster Response is at http://www.ldr.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog