Security measures churches have in place when they gather for worship
Percent of U.S. Protestant pastors, 2023 (in percent)
Key finding
Highest: Intentional plan for an active shooter situation (57%). Lowest: Metal detectors at entrances (1%).
- Intentional plan for an active shooter situation: 57%
- Armed church members: 54%
- Radio communication among security personnel: 26%
Source: Lifeway Research, Planning and Armed Congregants Top Church Security Measures · Lifeway Research phone survey of 1,000 U.S. Protestant pastors; 95% confidence, sampling error no more than plus or minus 3.2%. Article published 2023-06-06.
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Questions about this statistic
What does this statistic show?
Highest: Intentional plan for an active shooter situation (57%). Lowest: Metal detectors at entrances (1%). Intentional plan for an active shooter situation: 57%. Armed church members: 54%. Radio communication among security personnel: 26%.
Who published this data?
Lifeway Research, 2023. Source: Lifeway Research, Planning and Armed Congregants Top Church Security Measures (https://research.lifeway.com/2023/06/06/planning-and-armed-congregants-top-church-security-measures/).
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About this data
Leader Insights collects statistics about U.S. churches from published research by organizations such as Lifeway Research, Barna Group, Springtide, the American Bible Society and PRRI. Every number is checked against the wording of the original source before it is published, and each statistic links back to the study it came from. Figures are reproduced from the publishers named above; see the source for full methodology.