Church Armor Bearers Operate Like Enforcers in The Godfather

Are church armor bearers based on The Godfather?

To you, the reader, the men who walk in front of, beside, and behind some preachers may never have crossed your mind. Perhaps you assume this is a normal part of ministry and never question. You may have heard explanations and scriptures given that satisfied your curiosity.

Because I have had up close and personal experiences, I view church armor bearers differently. One reason is because of the classic 1972 film The Godfather. 

The longer we live, the more information we have to make comparisons. Each time I rewatch The Godfather and reread the book, my opinion of men guarding preachers becomes stronger. 

I am intrigued by Michael Corleone's (Al Pacino) bodyguard and enforcer, Albert Neri ( Richard Bright). Had I remained in a traditional Baptist church, I would not have been able to make this comparison.

Is there a godly purpose?

 In the book on which the blockbuster film was based, Neri was a former police officer who went rogue and was in jail. The Corleones had him released, and he pledged his loyalty to Michael.

Neri blocked people that the new Don did not want to see and killed on his orders. He slammed a door in Kay Adams Corleone's (Diane Keaton) face to keep her out of the loop of her husband's business.

Al kept his eyes on Michael at all times, was seen and not heard unless spoken to. He also knew what to do based on certain looks on his boss's face. One of the most chilling scenes in The Godfather is when Michael tells Neri not to kill his brother, Fredo Corleone (John Cazelle), until after his mother died.

This lets the viewers know that Michael's henchman had previously been told, or he assumed, that Fredo had to die. He was given his orders and obeyed without question.

Focus on man and not God

After the funeral, Michael reached out to hug his brother. As they embraced, Fredo was crying and believing that all was forgiven. In reality, Michael gave Neri a look that signaled it was time to take action. How does anyone acting this way in a church lead people to or show loyalty to Christ? It doesn't.

Michael Corleone had two bodyguards when he lived in Sicily because there was a hit out on him. It made sense that he had protection. When he returned to the US, he became the Don of a criminal organization and had to have people watch his back.

Pastors and Bishops are supposed to be humble servants who lead people to Jesus, not themselves. Armor bearers in the church are men used to guard pastors, usually bishops, and keep the people away.

Understandably, famous preachers with a large following may need others to assist them, but what is the purpose in a small congregation? Why is there a need to stand guard in military formation rather than greeting people with the love of Christ?

Why the attention on a human in church?

I once belonged to a church where three men walked behind the bishop when he prayed over people and as he left the sanctuary.  Once, they were running to keep up with him, and my mother-in-law was hit by one of their arms and knocked into a coat rack.

Another former pastor always came into the sanctuary late with three armor bearers running behind him as he made his way to the pulpit. They stood close to him after the service when church members wanted to greet the pastor. Many members said this was an unnecessary distraction.

Not long ago, I watched a funeral service on television where a church elder walked out of the service beside his female pastor. He was beaming with pride and strutting military style as if he were honored to be her bodyguard.

My personal experiences have affected me

I found all of this distracting and wondered where this tactic came from. Why did preachers of small churches who were in no danger need guarding?

I once was called and asked if I could come to the church to help out in an emergency, to help with cleaning. I stopped what I was doing and drove to the church. 

When I arrived, the door was locked. I rang the bell, and one of the top armor bearers spoke to me through the door and said I was not needed with no explanation. He was cold and abrupt, and I was angry.

Is it really necessary?

I read a book once that said armor bearers came from the Bible. In scripture, these men carried actual physical armour. I visited a church where, as the pastor stood in front of the congregation, his assistant held his Bible, and I thought to myself that this is getting out of hand.

Armor bearers are supposed to keep church members from bombarding a pastor after service, but I never noticed a crowd attempting to get to either of the three preachers I mentioned.

In my opinion, this method onyl draws attention to pastors/Bishops rather than Jesus. One pastor spoke about what an honor it was to serve him and that not everybody was anointed do it. This caused some church members to question themselves and wonder why the chosen ones were so special.

In one church, the pastor's bodyguards were referred to by members as "The A Team." There was a disconnect between these men feeling special and congregants laughing at them.

Life imitating art?

When I recently watched The Godfather, I understood that those in the Mafia needed protection because someone was always getting shot. In the book, Michael said he knew Al would be his man till the death. Dons need absolute loyalty, but do pastors need the same?

Church armor bearers stand in front of doors, escort preachers to vehicles, and do their bidding. I can't help but think that some of these pastors and bishops watched The Godfather and decided they wanted to be like Don Vito Corleone and Michael Corleone.

They wanted their own Albert Neri. Once a few pastors and bishops began doing this, others took the monkey see-monkey-do attitude and did it also. Maybe I'm wrong, but on the other hand, my opinion could be accurate in some circumstances.

It's true that there has been an increase in violence in American churches, and precautions must be taken. If Christian men decide to take a bullet for their spiritual leader, that's a personal choice. If however, they are not willing to die for their faith in Jesus, there is a problem.