James McGarvey, PhD, CPS

James McGarvey has served for over 20 years as a church safety and ministry leader. He has over 25 years in Public Safety working as an EMS Dispatcher, Firefighter, EMT, Disaster Chaplain, Volunteer Officer for the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, and is currently a First Responder/EMS and CRASE Instructor. He is a certified Crime Prevention Specialist who regularly works with law enforcement agencies and churches to assess safety and security needs through environmental design. An expert marksman and trained in executive protection, he has trained 1,000's of individuals in various aspects of public safety. He has authored over 20 books, 8 of them bestselling, on the topic of church security and safety, church ministry, and church leadership. For over 40 years he has been actively involved with church ministries across the country, including serving in roles as youth pastor, associate pastor, and safety director. He currently serves on the leadership team for Thrive Church in Central Ohio. He holds an undergraduate degree in Bible from Emmaus Bible College, an MBA in Marketing from Grand Canyon University, and a PhD in Religion from Centurion Bible College. In 2018 he started the Church Safety Guys because he felt that there was little ministry focus in spiritually equipping and disciplining within church safety and security. He works full-time for the U.S. Defense Department. When he is not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and four children.