SOUTHFIELD, Mich. – Whether it’s a church, mosque, synagogue, houses of worship have long been viewed as sanctuaries and safe havens.
But with violent incidents such as the attack on the LDS Church in Grand Blanc last fall and the attack on the Temple Israel in West Bloomfield back in March, they are facing a new and scary reality balancing safety with worship
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“People in congregations like to feel when they come to church, that they’re safe,” Rev. Chris Yaw, the pastor at St. David’s Episcopal Church in Southfield, said on Sunday morning. “They wanna feel like this a place I can come to where I can be myself, not have to worry about gun violence…”
He brought members of the Southfield Police Department after 10:00 a.m. service to talk about emergency planning and situational awareness, all to help parishioners stay vigilant in the off-hand chance something bad happens.
“Because (violence) is such a new and disheartening unfolding of events, we wanna make sure to bring the experts in to tell us what we should be looking at,” he said.
While crime overall in houses of worship remains low, according to the non-partisan Violence Prevention Project, there were 399 violent incidents in houses of worship here in the United States between 2000 and 2025 – resulting in 512 deaths and 213 injuries.
“The thing that people need to understand is that you cannot stop living,” Southfield Police Lt. Teresa Young said. “You do need to be more aware of your surroundings. If something doesn’t feel right in your heart, your soul, your belly, then follow those instincts.”
Young helped lead the event this morning. It’s similar to programs that the Detroit Police and Michigan State Police have run over the last year
“I feel safe coming here,” parishioner Elizabeth Greene said. She was flanked by her little sisters and is relatively new to this church. While she feels safe worshipping here, it is a new experience that won’t change things for her.
“I’ve never experienced a church giving education about their safety protocols,” she said. “Just being aware of it is enough.”