The Bible repeatedly emphasizes the importance of protection, vigilance, and guardianship for God’s people. Pastors and church leaders are watchmen called by God to fulfill a vital church ministry. It should be clearly understood that the church security ministry is a ministry of the local church. The goal of any church security ministry should be to point people to Christ so they can receive the gift of salvation. It is with the heart of a servant that the members of a church security ministry will fulfill their role to which they have been called.

This calling is not in opposition to faith but a fulfillment of it—combining prayer with practical action to safeguard the flock. Establishing a security ministry team is a biblical calling, rooted in stewardship, wisdom, and divine appointment.

Consider Nehemiah’s example in Nehemiah 4:9,during the rebuilding of the walls: “Nevertheless we made our prayer unto our God, and set a watch against them day and night, because of them.” Here, Nehemiah did more than just pray, he took active measures like posting guards, which was essential to counter the threats from the Israelites enemies. Additionally, Nehemiah 4:17 states “They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon.” Again, Nehemiah prayed and trusted the Lord to provide for safety, but he also knew he needed to take practical steps to ensure safety against the enemy.

In Ezekiel 3:17, God appointed watchmen as a divine role for leaders: “Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.” It was the duty of the watchman to watch for the enemy, and to send an alarm upon the approach of danger. In Webster’s 1828 dictionary, a “watchman” is defined as a sentinel or guard, someone whose job is to watch and guard property, especially at night. It can also refer to a person or group that watches over someone or something, or a person who takes care of property, sometimes for an absent owner. The term also has historical roots in biblical usage, where watchmen were often stationed on walls, towers, or gates to give warning of approaching danger.

As we already see in Acts 20:28, Pastors are called to be spiritual watchmen, responsible for ensuring that nothing wanting that could hinder the salvation of someone.

Proverbs 22:3 states “A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.” Presently, we live in a world with evil forces that are aligned against the church and the message of salvation. God gives us the wisdom to forsee the possibility of evil, which we should guard against. Almost every day evil will visit a church in the United States. Evil can take many forms and does not care if the church is small or large, whether you have a church security ministry or policies and procedures in place. No matter the size of your church, having a church security team with the appropriate policies and procedures will mitigate or even lessen the effects when evil comes to your church.

Psalms 127:1 states, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.” A security ministry team embodies this—praying for guidance while setting watches.

Finally, Isaiah envisions persistent guardians: “I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the LORD, keep not silence” (Isaiah 62:6). This calling for church leaders and security ministries is to intercede and protect ceaselessly, ensuring the church remains a safe haven for worship and preaching of the Word of God.

These versus clearly direct pastors and leaders to guard against evil and ensure the safety of the flock. As a pastor or leader, what is one step you could take today to start the process of establishing a security ministry at your church. If you already have a security ministry we would encourage you to consider what steps you could take to strengthen your current ministry. One of the best steps either new or established security ministries could take would be to engage an outside security consultant, such as N4:17. We can help you through the process of establishing your security ministry, or we can evaluate and provide training for those ministries that are already established.