Draws from within the congregation — high relational knowledge.
Appropriate for smaller congregations with manageable security complexity.
Can evolve into a paid role as the church grows.
Cons
Limited time and bandwidth — this person has a job and a life outside of church security.
A volunteer will never have the capacity to cover the 24×7×365 security needs of the church — other staff must cover the gaps in security, safety, and medical response.
Volunteer coordinators tend to be trained in security, safety, or medical — rarely all three.
Limited authority — a volunteer may not be able to enforce standards or remove team members.
Accountability is informal — performance is hard to manage without a clear role definition.
Succession is unpredictable — if they leave, the program can leave with them.
Also Consider
Does your volunteer coordinator have the authority they need to do the job? If not, fix that first.
Build a written role description before you recruit anyone — volunteer or paid.
Succession plan: what happens to the program if this person leaves tomorrow?
Who on staff covers the security, safety, and medical response gaps this person cannot fill?
Part-Time Paid Security Role
Pros
Formalizes ownership without a full salary commitment.
Allows the church to build a security culture with consistent leadership.
Can be filled by a retired law enforcement or military professional supplementing income.
A bridge step between volunteer-only and full-time professional leadership.
More consistent onsite presence — builds trust with both leadership and lay leaders.
Cons
Part-time hours limit what the role can accomplish.
A part-time role will never have the capacity to cover the 24×7×365 security needs of the church.
Can create ambiguity about authority — is this a staff position or a volunteer with a stipend?
Harder to recruit quality candidates for a part-time role in a specialized field.
Also Consider
What is the expected weekly time commitment, and is it realistic for a part-time arrangement?
Consider a retired law enforcement or military professional — they bring training and credibility.
Define the reporting structure: does this role report to the senior pastor, executive pastor, or facilities director? It matters.
Full-Time Paid Security Director
Pros
Clear, dedicated ownership — security is this person’s primary responsibility.
Safety and medical response can be integrated and governed by this role.
Professional credibility — enables relationships with law enforcement, insurers, and city officials.
Can build and sustain a comprehensive security program: training, policy, planning, exercises.
Appropriate for large congregations, multi-campus operations, or elevated threat environments.
Cons
Significant budget commitment — salary, benefits, and equipment.
Requires the church to understand what a security professional should do — and hold them to it.
If the role is not scoped and resourced correctly, a good hire will leave quickly.
Also Consider
Before hiring, define what success looks like in the first 90 days and the first year.
Involve your insurance carrier and legal team in the conversation — a professional security director may reduce your premium.
Connect the director with local law enforcement leadership early — that relationship has long-term value.
