This past Thursday was Yom Kippur, the holiest day in Judaism, dedicated to repentance, forgiveness and atonement. But in Manchester, England, the day turned tragic when a deadly attack outside a synagogue shocked the world.
In the weeks before that, a Catholic school in Minnesota and a Morman church in Michigan were also targets for deadly violence.
The incidents raised questions about steps places of worship can take to ensure their safety. That includes in the Tampa Bay region, where faith leaders have gathered to discuss ways to protect their congregrations.
On "Florida Matters Live & Local," the Rev. Kenny Irby, the city of St. Petersburg's faith and community justice liaison, said they shared the same concern.
He said that the presence of security teams and law enforcement had been a major step in improving safety.
"We've heard from rabbis, priests and imams, pastors alike," Irby said. "That it is a concern in their congregations and the development of security teams has been a big addition to the faith community administration."
Christopher Harris, executive pastor at Crossover Church in Tampa, agreed.
He explained that having a visible presence of law enforcement and security helps churchgoers feel safer.
"Having the presence of law enforcement, having the presence of security, talking at strategic times about specific measures that we've put in place here and there without disclosing all the details helps our congregation, at least, to know that even though everything can't always be seen, there are measures in place to make sure that that we're prioritizing their safety," Harris said.
The violence has prompted countless debates over whether the attacks were driven by religious hostility or reflected a wider issue of public safety. Irby said social tension and gun laws contribute to this fear among communities.
"I think it's become endemic within our society, the polarization, the now open carry in the state of Florida, the awareness of firearms and hate has become a major issue," Irby said.
Following the idea of having law enforcement at religious facilities, state Sen. Don Gaetz sponsored a bill that would allow certain church volunteers to carry firearms without security licenses.
Harris expressed uncertainty about the proposal, saying multiple churches have already been doing what the bill proposed. Irby added that churches policies have become more flexible as to where people can bring firearms.
Both faith leaders expressed the need to ensure security for congregants. They also emphasize the importance of upholding the core values of hospitality and community within the houses of worship.
"We've had a couple of sessions in the city of St. Petersburg, where (the) St. Pete (police department) has gone out in public forums, one hosted by the NAACP, to have conversations about in general ... the open carry guidelines," Irby said. "And in those conversations, the faith community has come up, and so that kind of consciousness and awareness has been something we've been intentional about."
Added Harris: "I think that, by large, houses of worships have been very high trust and low security kinds of places. And I think the day of that being a reality is past. And so churches have to be good stewards, have to be good managers, and have to recognize the reality of where we are. So we can have, I believe, high hospitality, and yet also have high security."
This story was compiled from interviews conducted by Matthew Peddie for "Florida Matters Live & Local." You can listen to the full episode here.
