Coloardo Springs , USA - The senior pastor at a megachurch where a gunman killed two teenage sisters before being shot by a church volunteer recommends that all churches have armed guards.
The Rev. Brady Boyd, pastor of New Life Church, made the comments just before convening a free forum on church security that drew participants from about 120 Colorado churches.
"We've had contemporary experience that can help others," Boyd said, referring to the Dec. 9 shootings at the church. "We just don't want this to happen anywhere else."
Matthew Murray, 24, killed two people at a suburban Denver missionary training center and several hours later killed the two girls in the New Life parking lot. He committed suicide after he was shot and wounded by a volunteer security guard, who was credited with saving untold lives.
The forum, which was hosted by police and New Life security staff and closed to the media, included discussions on emergency planning, assessing potential dangerous situations, the role of church greeters and ushers, and how to recruit security staff, said Colorado Springs police officer Dave Husted.
Boyd said that New Life now has uniformed police officers patrolling the premises during Sunday services.
Several U.S. churches have been quietly adding armed guards in recent years, while others have avoided the practice because they either don't have the money or don't want to appear like a fortress.