BFA-sponsored Protecting Houses of Worship class earns participants' praise

A recent "Protecting Houses of Worship" training brought together community members, church leaders, and safety volunteers with a shared mission: to safeguard places of worship while preserving their welcoming environment.

The class, sponsored by Buckeye Firearms Association and led by a dedicated team of experienced instructors, combined classroom instruction with practical, scenario-based training to give participants both knowledge and confidence.

Students left the program not only with new skills but also with a deep appreciation for the training team.

One participant remarked, “The instructors were top-notch. The different types of sessions/scenarios and getting everybody to participate worked quite well. I learned a great deal. Look forward to doing it again.”

Another student praised the program’s structure. “Very satisfied with the presentation and the way the team worked together. Very well organized. Great job.”

For many, the experience was personal and transformative.

One couple shared how the lessons would immediately affect their congregation.

“Just wanted to say how impressed my wife and I are with Forrest and all the trainers, particularly Jeff and Deb. Working with our pastor on all the learnings to secure our small church. Many thanks, guys, and may God bless you all greatly.”

Perhaps the most eye-opening part of the training for several participants was the scenario-based practice. One student noted, “The scenario training gave me a staggering realization of my short comings.’”

The course placed a strong emphasis on teamwork and preparedness.

The Protecting Houses of Worship program is designed not only to enhance safety but also to build unity, awareness, and resilience within faith communities. By combining expert instruction with practical drills, participants walk away empowered to take proactive steps in protecting their congregations while still ensuring that houses of worship remain places of peace, refuge, and fellowship.

Another class is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 1, in Mayfield Heights, Ohio.

Click here for more information and to register.

About the program

This training class is designed as an intro to help identify security needs, as well as organizational and team training standards. Training will include the history of active killing events, including current tragedies, plus medical training, tactics, and active-killer-response scenarios.

This class includes training with SIRT pistols. SIRT stands for shot indicating resetting trigger. These are realistic replicas of commonly used carry guns, providing the same feel, weight, and trigger characteristics of the real things. They include lasers to show where shots in real life would land.

While there is no live fire during this class, the SIRT pistols (provided) will allow participants to safely practice effective response tactics in a realistic congregational setting.

Angela Armstrong is the administrative assistant for Buckeye Firearms Association.