The following “police” procedures were used for years by Worldwide Church of God ministers and those assigned to security duty in the WCG. Many are still intact in the authoritarian and exploitive WCG offshoots today. This shows the control and abuse that can be inflicted by those who have absolute authority. This shows the control and abuse that can be inflicted by those who have absolute authority.
PROPOSED PROCEDURES TO PREVENT ATTENDANCE OR EVICT UNINVITED AND DISORDERLY PERSONS FROM CHURCH
- An individual insists he is going to attend Church services in spite of his being denied permission to do so.
- If threat appears sincere, call local police and advise that the individual has threatened to disrupt religious services and request that a policeman be on the premises and available so as to prevent a breach of the peace.
- Have qualified persons at door to prevent individual from entering.
- An individual shows up at Church entrance prior to services and insists upon entering, although having been denied permission to do so.
- The individual should be clearly advised as follows: “Church services are a private meeting, the public is not invited, he is not invited nor authorized to attend. If he attempts to enter, he will be restrained and the police called.”
- In the event the individual may attempt to enter the services, the preferable circumstances would be for the door to remain closed and locked so as to prevent him from entering. If for some reason this is not possible, one or more persons should stand between the door and the individual so as to prevent him from entering. It would be advisable to have a person on each side of the individual to restrain him should he attempt to strike someone.
- Someone should be inside the door observing the situation so as to call the police in the event physical confrontation takes place.
- An individual shows up at the door prior to services with a policeman or reporters.
- The individual should be clearly advised as follows: “Church services are a private meeting, the public is not invited, he is not invited nor authorized to attend. If he enters the building, he will be a trespasser and subject to removal and/or arrest. If he attempts to enter, he will be restrained and the police called. If he wishes to attend Church, he must invoke the appropriate Church procedure by first meeting with the minister and obtaining permission to attend Church services or, if he is a disfellowshipped member, also becoming reinstated.”
- If the argument is made that this is depriving him of his free exercise of religion, right to worship, etc., advise him that he has every other church in the U.S. to attend; it is only this 1,000 square foot or so in the entire U.S. where he cannot worship (even assuming that is his intent) because it would violate the free exercise right of religion of all the people who are worshipping there.
- No one should have reservations about denying the individual entry, even if the police or a reporter are there, because the issue at stake is the fundamental right of the Church, as an organization, and its individual members, to worship according to the dictates of their conscience and their rules of conduct. If we cannot maintain these rights, then the entire right of private religious worship, as well as the right of privacy and association, collapses because of one individual who does not want to abide by the rules to which he had previously agreed. d) If the individual is accompanied by anyone who is deemed to be reasonable, the rationale in “b” and “c” above should be explained to him. In addition, you should explain that the individual refuses to abide by the appropriate Church procedures for reinstatement.
- An individual appears in the foyer before Church services.
- Tactically, the door between the foyer and the Hall where the Church services are to take place should be closed and an appropriate person standing in front of it so as to prevent the individual from entering.
- The principal person communicating with the individual should be standing between the individual and the door. It would be advisable to have a person on each side of the individual to restrain him should he attempt to strike someone.
- The individual should be clearly advised as follows: “Church services are a private meeting, the public is not invited, he is not invited nor authorized to attend. If he enters the building, he will be a trespasser and subject to removal and/or arrest. If he attempts to enter, he will be restrained and the police called.”
- Someone should be inside the door observing the situation so as to call the police in the event physical confrontation takes place.
- In the event the individual does not leave, there is the option of escorting him out of the building, if it appears that this can be done without undue disturbance. If not, then the police should be called and advised that there is an individual in Church who is disrupting services and refuses to leave.
- An individual who is first noticed in Church services who has been determined to be unqualified to attend Church and advised not to.
- The attitude of the individual must first be assessed. If the individual is not noticed until services have begun and is not in any way disrupting services, there is the option of leaving the individual remain for the services and escorting him out immediately after services. A previously designated person should then be alert on the next occasion to prevent the individual from entering the building in the first instance.
- In the event the attitude of the individual is blatant hostility and it is determined that he should not remain, then the previously designated person should quietly advise the individual that he would like to discuss something with him and invite him to the foyer. Once in the foyer, the previous procedure set forth under Paragraph 4 should be followed.
- If the individual is creating a disturbance, then the disturbance procedure should be followed.
- Disturbance Procedure
- A previously designated person calls the police and advises them that an individual is disrupting religious services. The police should be advised that the safety of the other parishioners is in jeopardy, if such is the case.
- Depending upon all the facts and circumstances, there is the option of waiting for the police to arrive or removing the individual by the use of reasonable effort.
- There should be no attempt made to remove the individual who physically resists unless there are persons available who are qualified to do so.
- Individual brandishes a weapon during Church services
- A previously designed person calls the police and advises them of the facts and circumstances. He should if at all possible remain on the phone and keep the police advised as the circumstances progress in the Church from time to time.
- If it is deemed appropriate by the particular facts and circumstances, the person at the pulpit should engage the individual in conversation and, among other things, make inquiry as to what the individual’s grievances are and what it is that he is requesting be done to placate his grievances.
- If it is deemed appropriate based on the particular facts and circumstances, the person at the pulpit could ascertain if the individual is desirous of coming to the stage and addressing the congregation. If so, the minister could then retire from the stage and let the individual take over the pulpit. The reason for this is to placate the individual, separate him from close proximity to the members and isolate him in an open area so the police can better deal with him after they arrive with less danger to the members.
RKH:ed
COMMENT BY ESN: The initials of the one who wrote these procedures are RKH. We have reason to believe that this refers to Ralph K. Helge, long time head of the WCG legal department and one time partner with Stan Rader.