FORT MYERS, Fla. — A new Florida bill is aiming to help churches and other religious institutions enhance their security by allowing volunteers to provide armed protection without professional licensing requirements.
Watch Fort Myers Community Correspondent Miyoshi Price's report:
Senate Bill 52, which recently passed the Florida Senate with a 39-0 vote, exempts volunteer security personnel at places of worship from the Class D and Class G licensing typically required for professional security services.
Pastor Jarrod Parker of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church in Fort Myers said the legislation addresses a growing need among religious communities facing increased security threats.
"I think for the past decade or so, the reality is that attacks have been on the increase in the church active shooters and other violent acts, and it's becoming more of a reality," Parker said. "I think churches need to be centered on safety and security, unfortunately, as well as worship and praise of God."
Parker supports the bill but emphasizes the critical importance of proper training for volunteers who would take on security responsibilities.
"I think there are two sides to that bill that need to be considered," Parker said. "One, I think the good side is it frees up churches who don't have the resources to hire security guards and armed services for their worship services. The average church is less than 75 members. People don't have those resources, so you have to depend on volunteers of your church."
However, Parker stressed that training remains essential for volunteer security teams.
"The downside to that, or the challenge to that, is your volunteers need to be trained, because there is a potential of violent situations and other things that come to the church that they need to be equipped, or at least trained, to handle," he said.
The pastor addressed concerns about firearms in church settings, particularly in Florida's open carry environment.
"Well, navigating firearm discussion in Florida can be difficult and complex," Parker said. "Obviously, in any church setting, you have people who come to church with firearms, so you have to maintain the training and the conversation. For instance, if an active shooter should break out in the building, and police are on the way and people are taking out firearms to handle that active shooter. You know, when police come, they don't know who the active shooter is, so just having those conversations about people who do carry and because I don't think we do that enough, and I think it needs to be addressed more, and particularly with our security ministry."
What is a security ministry?
Parker explained that his church's security ministry operates differently from traditional security services.
"Our security doesn't walk around like the militia or law enforcement," Parker said. "They're actually primarily greeters. We greet people. We make sure that our elderly have assistance getting from the car and parking into the building, as well as the entire time keeping the building secure, as well as the pastor secure."
The volunteers maintain a service-oriented approach while remaining prepared for potential threats.
"Ministry is always service," Parker said. "Our volunteers know that they are there to serve, and they carry a servant's mindset, not a police officer's mindset. And I don't mean anything against our police officers, but they're there to serve, but also equipped to handle difficult situations, should they arise."
How to become a volunteer
At Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Parker said becoming a security volunteer involves a straightforward process.
"We ask periodically for volunteers for our security department, and then they go through, obviously, a background check, then those things and some training, and then they're put out with the security team to help us secure the building," Parker said.
The church trains its volunteers periodically, bringing in professionals and leveraging congregation members with law enforcement backgrounds to provide expertise.
Parker said security discussions resurface regularly in religious communities, particularly after attacks on places of worship elsewhere in the country. He emphasized the importance of maintaining ongoing conversations about safety rather than letting the topic fade after incidents occur.
"My word of encouragement is to keep going, keep trying, keep making an effort to develop your security ministries," Parker said. "But know that also coming to church into a place of worship should not be should not be fearful, and people shouldn't be scared. We want to come and worship the Lord freely. On the same token, we want to make sure that our buildings are safe. It is just the reality that we're living in."
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