Wake County sheriff’s office revives Safe Faith conference in Raleigh

More than 200 faith leaders and community members filled Wake Technical Community College’s Southern Wake Campus in Raleigh for the Wake County sheriff’s Safe Faith conference, a free session that had not been held since 2002. The June 25 event was built to give congregations information, resources and technology to protect against hate crimes, random violence and other injustices.

Houses of worship should create a culture where safety and hospitality coexist, build dedicated safety and security teams, and write clear emergency response guidelines for situations ranging from medical emergencies to active threats. The agenda also included legal responsibilities, written policies, documentation, volunteer background checks, insurance and mandatory reporting.

Major Wayne E. Beatty said the conference was meant to give places of worship the equipment and technology they need to keep parishioners safe. “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” he said, along with “preparing for the worst, praying for the best.” North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson delivered the keynote. Wayne English, who heads security at Apex Baptist Church, said, “We try to keep the church as safe as possible. We try to plan for every scenario there is like a lost child, fire, God forbid, an active shooter.”

Jackson warned leaders to define exactly how members should hear from a congregation and how they never will, to guard against scams, impersonation and fake fundraising. The FBI recorded 11,679 hate crime incidents involving 14,243 victims in 2024, and the Justice Department’s Protecting Places of Worship forum covers hate-crime laws, threat assessments and steps to secure congregations. CISA offers a four-step process, self-assessments and protective-security resources online. North Carolina’s nonprofit security grant program can provide up to $200,000 per site for eligible high-risk nonprofits.