The Responsible Church Security Team: A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Congregation, preparing for the Unexpected, and Serving with Excellence by Rick Billington

Rick Billington and Scott Stout frame protection as a ministry, with practical guidance for leaders and volunteers preparing for more than violent threats.

NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, October 8, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Preparing for medical emergencies, missing children, and severe weather is part of the protective ministry described in The Responsible Church Security Team: A Practical Guide to Protecting Your Congregation, Preparing for the Unexpected, and Serving with Excellence. The guide, by Professional Defense Advisors Lieutenant Scott Stout and veteran instructor Rick Billington, approaches church safety as a responsibility that begins well before an incident, combining emergency preparation with service to the congregation.

The authors broaden the security discussion beyond high-profile acts of violence to include domestic disputes, disruptive individuals, and accidental fires. They emphasize developing procedures, training volunteers, identifying facility weaknesses, and establishing a team that understands its responsibilities before a crisis. The practical focus is on preparing people to respond rather than leaving them to determine their roles once an emergency is underway.

That readiness need not come at the expense of hospitality. Billington and Stout address pastors’ concerns about security measures making a church feel like a fortress. Their service-centered approach includes greeting visitors, helping someone locate the nursery, and assisting an elderly member across an icy parking lot. Remaining alert and prepared is part of that work, not a reason to intimidate people or project authority. The team’s responsibilities can also include calming an upset visitor before a situation escalates or coordinating an evacuation when severe weather threatens. The authors describe protection as a ministry that supports the church’s purpose without unnecessary disruption.

The guide also frames preparation as stewardship. Alongside buildings, equipment, and ministries, church leaders are entrusted with the people who gather each week. The authors place emergency planning and regular evaluation of security procedures alongside familiar precautions such as insurance and smoke detectors: measures taken in the hope they will never be needed. In this view, preparation reflects responsible leadership rather than fear or a lack of faith.

Written for pastors, church boards, security directors, volunteer team members, ushers, and greeters, the book applies its principles to congregations of fifty members as well as five thousand. It emphasizes thoughtful planning, practical training, and continuous improvement as responsibilities for churches of either size.

Rick Billington and Scott Stout co-authored this practical guide for those responsible for protecting a house of worship.

For more information about the book or to contact its authors, please visit:
https://michiganpistolacademy.com/church-security-team

Available now. Get your copy here:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0HJWTR281

For review copies, interview requests, or additional information, please contact:

Rick Billington, Scott Stout
BrightKey PR
media@brightkeypr.com