ORLANDO, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law this past week aimed at boosting security at places of worship, a move supporters say will help churches protect their congregations.
This new law gives churches more flexibility with security, allowing unpaid volunteers to serve as armed protection without a state license. One Central Florida church says it already has a security team in place and believes the law will help them continue keeping people safe.
“Our job is to watch over the flock. Our job is to do what Jesus did,” said Lou Minnis, Director of Safety and Security at Quay Church.
For Minnis, keeping his church family safe is his top priority.
“You need us to be able to have enough people to look around and watch over people so they have to be trained for those purposes,” Minnis said.
Quay Church sees thousands of visitors each Sunday, and this new law specifically applies to volunteers who are not paid, allowing them to provide armed security at churches, mosques, synagogues and other places of worship without a state security license.
Supporters say it removes barriers for churches, while still requiring individuals to follow Florida’s existing gun laws.
“Because we call it safety, because we’re volunteers, we’re governed under Florida’s use of force like everybody else is. We’re there to help protect,” said James Howard, Executive Director of Trinity Security Allies.
Howard travels across the country training church safety teams. He says while the law helps, preparation and training are still key.
“It’s a need for churches today, it just is, because of the situations we see happening across the country,” Howard said.
Many churches say they still have strict requirements for their safety teams, meaning not everyone can participate.
At Quay Church, Minnis says they look for people with military, SWAT or law enforcement backgrounds because they already understand protocols.
The law is set to go into effect on July 1.