'Church Safety Ministry' Created By Colorado Man After Shootings
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (CBS4)- A man who was taken hostage by a gunman at a ministry in Colorado Springs has turned his experience into becoming a national expert in church security.
"When you've been there and experienced it, when you've heard the shots, seen the blood, it hits home in a special way," said Carl Chinn.
Chinn has come face-to-face with two shooters at the Focus on the Family ministry in 1996 and then New Life Church 10 years later.
"It was a dramatic and undeniable call in my life," said Chinn.
The recent shootings at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. where nine people were killed have sparked new conversation about church security.
Chinn became an expert in security at faith based organizations, training hundreds of churches and ministries. Initially, he said some resisted what he calls the church safety ministry.
"Part of it is based upon theology-- 'God will protect us,'" said Chinn.
Today, Chinn said most big churches have some security staff that usually volunteer.
"Here's the danger that I see, is I don't want to see a lot of people serving in a church security program just because they have a conceal carry permit," said Chinn.
Chinn said in places of worship, security must also include training in areas like negotiation and de-escalation.
"I am first and foremost an ambassador for Christ," said Chinn. "So the first thing I'm doing is meeting them on that level. I want to help them anyway I can. I want to help them. If they can't be helped and they're there with the determination to inflict harm, I'm going to stop them."
Chinn helped establish security at New Life Church two years before the shooting there and was with the armed guard who killed the gunman. He has teamed up with a national organization called Gatekeepers to offer specialized training to even more churches.