A. Churches are private property owners, so they can restrict access to their property.
Case law supports the notion that churches are not required to allow anyone to enter or remain on their property simply because their ministries are open to the public.
When a ministry has reason to believe that a person will disrupt its service or activity, the ministry may either deny access or require the person to leave.
About Distressed Individuals
Many ministries have experienced that awkward moment when a visitor in the back of the room interrupts worship or Bible study with loud proclamations.
Often these outbursts come from an individual struggling with mental health or other issues who just happens to be in your church that day.
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to determine whether an interruption is benign or a calculated disruption.
Having a uniform set of policies and procedures for dealing with any interruption will help to minimize the disruptive effect of such outbursts. Your policies and procedures should focus on three things: being prepared, forming a screen, and calling the police.
About De-escalation
Consider training your ministry volunteers to persuade disruptive individuals to leave the sanctuary or event without using force. There are many effective “de-escalation” techniques that can be used. Your local law enforcement agency may be willing to provide this training to your ministry. The chief objective of anyone responding to a disruptive individual should be to form a visual barrier between that individual and the rest of the congregation. This barrier will be used to direct the individual to a more appropriate place for resolving the underlying problem. In doing so, ministry workers should avoid physical contact as much as possible.
The chief objective of anyone responding to a disruptive individual should be to form a visual barrier between that individual and the rest of the congregation.
In forming a visual barrier, however, it is important to leave a clear escape route. If an upset individual is left with nowhere to go, he or she is more likely to become violent.
Ministry workers should also be trained to call police as soon as they believe someone’s physical safety is threatened or that physical contact is inevitable.
From a risk control perspective, calling law enforcement solves many problems. The visible presence of law enforcement often helps to calm a disruptive individual. Also, the officer’s actions won’t be attributed to the church if a disruptive individual is looking for a legal fight. Relying on the training and experience of local law enforcement will rarely be a bad thing for a ministry dealing with a disruption.
Check the Related Articles at the end of this FAQ for more guidance.
About Demonstrators or Protesters
If a group of demonstrators crosses your property line, you have the right to ask demonstrators to leave. You may not be able to quell the protest entirely, but you can at least move protesters away from your property and people. It’s best to send a single spokesperson with one or two observers to communicate this request as far from your building as possible. While demonstrators are being asked to leave, another ministry worker should call police for assistance.
Do not attempt to physically remove demonstrators from the property. If police response is delayed, workers can lock doors or find other ways to prevent access to your building by demonstrators.
Once you have communicated your desire for demonstrators to leave your property, allow police to enforce trespassing laws. Do not attempt to physically remove demonstrators from the property. If police response is delayed, workers can lock doors or find other ways to prevent access to your building by demonstrators. It will be much more difficult to get demonstrators out of your building once they gain access.
The information we provide is intended to be helpful, but it does not constitute legal advice and is not a substitute for the advice from a licensed attorney in your area. Accordingly, no attorney/client relationship is created through this process, and no legal advice will be provided. We strongly encourage you to regularly consult with a local attorney as part of your risk management program.
