A crisis situation could unfold anywhere at anytime. Unfortunately, that means even those at church aren’t always safe.

Friendship Baptist Church wants to help other churches prepare for emergency situations and develop security plans, while also updating their own.

The church is holding a security workshop at 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at Friendship Baptist, located at 204 Friendship Road in Clanton.

The community is invited to attend, and Pastor Ken Daniel said he hopes the workshop will provide insightful information for members of churches countywide.

Chilton County Sheriff John Shearon will speak at the event, providing safety tips on how to prevent crisis situations from happening, and also teaching attendees how to react in the event of an emergency.

Daniel said he heard of other churches taking action to ensure the safety of their members, and decided to set up a workshop for churches in Chilton County and surrounding areas.

“We shouldn’t live in fear, but we should just be cautious,” Daniel said. “It’s sad that we need so much security, but it’s necessary.”

According to Daniel, Friendship Baptist plans to implement security checks, more safety policies and have someone outside of the church during service.

During the workshop, Shearon will recommend some basic procedures for the church to follow during services.

Also, Shearon will demonstrate how to act in the event of an active shooter situation and other potentially harmful circumstances.

“I’m asking that everyone have an open mind in the workshop,” Shearon said. “I hate that we have to live this way, but people need to know how to protect their lives so that they can go home to their families at the end of the day.

“With the church shooting in [Charleston] South Carolina and the hostage situation in Jemison still fresh on everyone’s minds, we all need to know how to protect ourselves no matter where we are.”

Shearon said the workshop would be informal, and people are welcome to ask questions regarding safety procedures.

It’s important to always be aware of surroundings at all times, Shearon said, and he urges people to be cautious of visitors even in a church environment.

With several mass shootings occurring within the past few months in the United States, Shearon said he’s been receiving countless calls asking to speak at workshops such as this one.

“We want people to be safe. That’s why we do these talks,” Shearon said. “If we save one or two people, it’s worth it.”

Daniel said he hopes to create “a safer church environment,” while influencing other church families to do the same.

“My hope is that we’ll have representation from every church, so that people can take the things they’ve learned back to their home churches,” Daniel said. “We need to establish some criteria, keep our facility safe and just learn to be cautious.”

For more information on the workshop, contact Daniel at (205)807-2007.