Insurance agent offers risk-reduction seminars

LOWELL — When it comes to assessing risk, Michael Russell is an expert. As an insurance agent it's his job to reduce liability for his clients and he's sharing his expertise with houses of worship at protectmychurch.org.

In addition to running his Bentonville-based insurance business, Mike Russell & Associates, Russell also helps churches with free seminars on everything from church violence to sexual misconduct.

When it comes to preventing violence in church, Russell said, ministers aren't likely to turn their houses of worship into fortresses, but they do have a responsibility to provide a haven to worshippers. The key is to assess the risks and have a plan in place.

"It's a gray area. How far do you go? Do you frisk everyone when they come in?" Russell said. "You can't stop everything, but a lot of it can be stopped, but sadly most churches are not prepared."

That's where Russell hopes to help - by offering seminars that address risks facing churches. He talks about a variety of topics including church transportation, liabilities during youth activities, financial accountability and protecting the church fromviolence.

"In my safe church seminars I ask, 'If someone showed up with a gun in your church, what would you do?' and we take it from there," Russell said.

Russell urges churches to form safety teams, which can be trained to deal with all types of situations. He suggests assembling team members from a variety of backgrounds, including law enforcement officials, firefighters, teachers, building contractors, legal experts and parents.

"Each will bring a different perspective and then we can try to establish where they are the most vulnerable," he said.

Russell said churches can reduce their liability, but most aren't prepared. He said they don't think about the risks involved in transporting a van-load of teenagers on an outing or making sure more than one person handles church finances.

"They run by the seat of their pants," he said. "That can be a serious problem when you get to court, from sexual misconduct [and] transportation to safe church issues. ... We've got to protect what's been entrusted to us - buildings, finances and people."