Pope’s new Network offering training classes for Lubbock clergy

LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - On Monday, Nov. 4, Mayor Dan Pope’s newest group is hosting a breakfast seminar for Lubbock clergy members.

Pope teamed up with Steve Haynes to start a group called The Network here in Lubbock. The group allows members of the clergy to gather for breakfast each week to focus on a single area of concern.

Mayor Pope says he asked Haynes to work with him to get this group started. Haynes has previously worked in security in Washington D.C. and has worked for former presidents: George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.

This month Pope and Haynes hired a security consultant to come and talk to their group about safety and active shooters.

“This is a way for him to share some best practices around how we keep people safe when they go to church,” Pope said.

The group also extended the invitation to local first responders for Monday’s event.

“What I want to do is create an environment where we can know what it looks like when a terrorist is approaching, even before they get to our front door. More and more you can identify them by the way that they act, their mannerisms, their dress so that you can do something before they ever get into your facility,” Haynes said.

Pope explains the idea behind the group: “We bring the people that lead our faith community, regardless of where we worship, whatever time of the week they come together. It’s about how we love Lubbock and how we can help Lubbock be a better place to live and to work. I think it also provides support for the men and women who are the leaders of our faith...that community they get to come together and get to know each other better and to do fellowship.”

Haynes says The Network is getting the attention of state lawmakers: “Governor Abbott has caught wind of what we’re doing here and has asked if I would come down and kind of brief him on what we’re doing, how we do it, why we do it, etc, etc. Maybe opening up an event like this in every city, with me and my staff, wherever they are.”

The new group was started about four months ago with its first meeting in August and another in October. They hold meetings on the first Monday of the month at different churches in Lubbock County.

While the mayor worked to get this group started, this is not a city of Lubbock sponsored event. If you want more information you can call Mayor Pope’s office at (806) 775-2010 or call Steve Haynes at (727) 871-3777.

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