On Saturday, Franklin Baptist Church was the host site for a seminar on how churches can handle the challenges of security. Leading the conversation was Austin White of the Virginia State Police.

The program came in the aftermath of the massacre of over two dozen people at a Baptist church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Nov. 5.

While it is quite saddening that congregations even have to talk about such measures, we think it wise that they such difficult conversations about how to keep their sanctuaries safe from potentially similar acts of evil.

White outlined SAR — Suspicious Activity Recognition and Reporting — as a technique of keeping individuals and the community safe. But his advice was not limited to just churches, but could also be applied to schools as well as offices.

We hope those who attended the program will share what they learned with other people, and that in turn will inspire thoughtful consideration of how to prevent tragedy, rather than react to it.