A Place of Rest for Those Who Serve: St. John's Support for the Houston Police Department

If you drive by St. John's Presbyterian Church late at night, you might notice a Houston Police Department cruiser parked under our parking lot lights. An officer sits inside, working through paperwork, filling out incident reports, catching up on the administrative side of protecting our city.

We're glad they're there.

This isn't an interruption of our church's mission. This is part of our mission. When we say we're here to meet human needs in Jesus' name, that includes the needs of the women and men who patrol our streets at 2 a.m., who respond to calls most of us hope we never have to make, who face dangers we can barely imagine.

The Quiet Work of Keeping Houston Safe

The Houston Police Department employs approximately 5,300 sworn officers serving a city of more than 2.3 million people. Think about that for a moment. That's roughly one officer for every 434 residents, covering 670 square miles of dense urban neighborhoods, sprawling suburbs, and everything in between.

These officers don't just respond to emergencies. In fiscal year 2025, HPD's community engagement initiatives connected with 235,000 Houston residents through crime prevention programs, neighborhood policing efforts, and community partnerships. They teach safety workshops in schools. They work with neighborhood associations to address local concerns. They build relationships in high-crime areas, trying to prevent problems before they escalate into crises.

This is exhausting work, both physically and emotionally. Officers see people on their worst days, in their darkest moments, at their most desperate. They carry the weight of split-second decisions that can save lives or end them. They miss family dinners, birthdays, holidays. They work nights, weekends, whenever Houston needs them.

And then they need a quiet, safe place to complete their paperwork before heading to the next call.

Why Our Parking Lot Matters

When an HPD officer pulls into our parking lot at night, they're not just looking for a well-lit space to work. They're looking for a place that feels safe, where they can focus without worrying about their surroundings, where they can take a breath between the chaos of one call and the uncertainty of the next.

We want St. John's to be that place.

Our parking lot sits on West Bellfort Avenue in southwest Houston, in a neighborhood these officers patrol regularly. They know our building. They see our sign. And when they need a moment to regroup, to finish their reports, to gather themselves before the next emergency, we want them to know they're welcome here.

When the church building is open during the day, officers are also welcome to come inside and use our restrooms. This might seem like a small thing, but for someone working a long shift in an area without many public facilities, knowing where you can stop for a moment makes a real difference.

A Biblical Call to Honor Those Who Serve

Supporting law enforcement isn't a political statement. It's a biblical principle.

Paul writes in Romans 13 that governing authorities are "God's servants" who maintain order and promote good. Peter echoes this in his first letter, calling Christians to "honor everyone" and specifically to "honor the emperor," the Roman government official of his day. These weren't perfect authorities. Roman law enforcement could be brutal and corrupt. Yet the early church recognized that civil order matters, that someone has to stand between chaos and community, that this difficult work deserves honor and support.

The Psalms repeatedly celebrate those who maintain justice and protect the vulnerable. Psalm 82:3-4 says, "Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute. Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked." This is exactly what good police work looks like when done with integrity and compassion.

Jesus himself, when approached by a Roman centurion seeking help for his servant, didn't lecture him about his occupation or question his authority. Instead, Jesus marveled at the centurion's faith and healed the servant (Matthew 8:5-13). Jesus saw the person, not just the uniform.

Partnership Between Faith and Justice

HPD understands the value of faith community partnerships. The department actively collaborates with religious leaders through several initiatives:

The Police and Clergy Alliance (PACA) brings together diverse clergy and laypeople to foster trust between HPD and Houston residents. The department's Volunteer Initiatives Program includes PACT (Police and Clergy Together) and the Ministers' Advisory Council, inviting faith leaders to ride along with officers, participate in crisis interventions, and provide spiritual support during difficult situations.

In May 2025, HPD hosted a multi-faith Day of Prayer led by Chief Noe Diaz, Jr., uniting religious leaders across Houston for reflection and solidarity with law enforcement. The department also participates in the national Faith & Blue movement, hosting outreach events to bridge divides between police and communities through mutual respect and understanding.

This partnership makes sense. Churches and police departments share a common goal: the flourishing of our neighbors. We approach this from different angles with different tools, but we're working toward the same vision of communities where people can live without fear, where the vulnerable are protected, where justice prevails.

How St. John's Lives This Out

Beyond offering our parking lot and facilities, St. John's tries to support HPD and our community's safety in several practical ways:

Prayer. We regularly pray for law enforcement in our worship services and Bible studies. We pray for their safety, for wisdom in difficult decisions, for healthy families despite irregular schedules, for protection from both physical danger and the emotional toll of this work.

Presence. When officers use our parking lot, they see a church that's part of this neighborhood, that cares about what happens on these streets, that values their work enough to make space for it.

Partnership. We stay connected with our local patrol officers, learning their concerns about our area, looking for ways our community of faith can address underlying issues that contribute to crime, like poverty, addiction, family breakdown, and lack of community connections.

Example. By publicly supporting law enforcement while also holding ourselves and our community to high standards of justice and compassion, we model what healthy civic engagement looks like.

This isn't blind support that ignores real problems in policing. Like any human institution, law enforcement has flaws that need addressing. HPD has an Independent Police Oversight Board that monitors community concerns and works toward accountability and transparency. Since 1988, HPD has maintained accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, showing commitment to professional standards.

We can both honor the essential work officers do and call for continuous improvement in how that work is done. These aren't contradictory positions. They're both expressions of caring about justice.

An Invitation to Practical Support

If you're part of the St. John's community, here are some ways you can join us in supporting HPD:

Pray specifically. Don't just pray generically for "law enforcement." Pray for the officers who patrol our neighborhood. Pray for wisdom in tense situations. Pray for healing from traumatic calls. Pray for their families who worry every shift.

Express thanks. When you see an officer in our neighborhood, a simple "thank you for what you do" can make someone's difficult day a bit lighter.

Stay informed. Learn about HPD's community programs. Attend neighborhood meetings where police and residents discuss safety concerns together. Understanding the challenges officers face helps us support them better and advocate for policies that help them serve more effectively.

Model respect. How we talk about law enforcement matters, especially around children and young people. We can acknowledge problems while still showing honor for those who do this dangerous work.

A Church That Keeps the Lights On

At the end of the day (or in the middle of the night), St. John's wants to be a place that supports everyone who serves our community. That includes teachers who shape young minds, healthcare workers who care for the sick, social workers who help families in crisis, and yes, police officers who maintain order and protect the vulnerable.

When an HPD officer pulls into our parking lot at night, we hope they feel the same thing anyone should feel when they encounter St. John's: this is a place that cares, a community that sees you as a person, a church that takes seriously its calling to meet human needs.

That officer filling out paperwork under our lights is someone's son or daughter, husband or wife, father or mother. They have hopes and fears, struggles and joys, just like the rest of us. They've chosen a calling that requires courage most of us will never need to demonstrate.

The least we can do is keep the lights on.

Peace,

Pastor Jon Burnham

St. John's Presbyterian Church is located at 5020 West Bellfort Avenue in Houston, Texas. We worship together each Sunday at 11:00 a.m., with Bible Study at 9:30 a.m. For more information about our church and our community ministries, call (713) 723-6262 or email office.sjpc@gmail.com.