By Rev. Kristen Berry
Why should your church consider a crisis communication plan? God is in control, right? You may be thinking, “Our members are non-violent.” Perhaps you are under the assumption that if a church has a strong prayer ministry, it can pray away any negative occurrences. Maybe you think that your church van drivers are all “really careful” each time they pick up members for services. Oh, wait! Everyone at your church makes delicious food and checks it 100% of the time for any food-borne illnesses.
Right!
The purpose of a crisis communication plan is to ensure that the church knows how to react and how to respond in light of a crisis. You may be thinking, “Our church is in a small town. Why should we be concerned about the media anyway?” Be concerned because people talk! It may not be on the national news, but believe me, negative news gets around quicker than good news has a chance to get out of the bed! If the media outlets in your town smell of your church crisis, they are coming! Let me rephrase that: they may be running! How will you respond to the reporter’s questions? Will you run away?
We live in a dangerous time. Historically and biblically, the church has had to deal with negative circumstances regarding its members. Church bombings, shootings, vandalism, thefts, and sexual misconduct are just a few examples that have occurred on church properties. Just reflect on the shooting at
Mother Emmanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston!
Certainly, each church crisis situation will not be covered by the media, but there is a chance that it may, especially if the crisis involves minors, large sums of money, death, or injury.
My experience as an assignment desk editor at a Baltimore news station opened my eyes to the wonderful world of news! I understand what goes into “making the 6:00 news”. I will never forget one night I was nearing the end of my shift. At about 10:45 pm, there was activity on the police/fire scanners. There was a fire at the
Maryland State Capitol building. “What do I do?” I thought. I was the only one working the desk that night, and I was ready to go home. However, it was my job to “catch” potential news stories. So, I depended on instinct. I let the producers know. We listened intently to the scanners for a few more minutes. The number of alarms continued to increase. I assigned a videographer to the scene! Sure enough, there was a fire at the capitol building. A news story was captured that quickly.
What if that building was your church? To tell you the truth, your church has either been in a crisis, is going through a crisis, or will go through a crisis! Does the church carry insurance in case of lighting striking the church? I can assume that the answer is “yes.” If the church can be prepared to save money in case of an accident or flooding, be prepared to organize your team in case of a crisis. I have met pastor after pastor. After I tell them what a crisis communication plan is, they tell me, “I’ve never heard of that. Wow! That is needed.” But they do nothing! Social media can spread a snippet of your service and send a flurry of unwanted comments your way! The need for understanding effective crisis communication practices are in more demand than ever.
The Creator has not called us to operate by chance in our assigned place of ministry. The Lord has called us to operate wisely. Let’s get prepared just in case there is a storm!
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here