A package at the worship entrance, a bomb squad, and services canceled

What happened

Early on Sunday morning, October 11, 2026, staff arriving at First Baptist Church of Broken Arrow found an unidentified package at the church’s south worship entrance. Executive Pastor Eric Vaughan said staff called the Broken Arrow Police Department right away, according to News On 6.

Officers secured the area and, after talking with the Tulsa Police Department, asked for the Tulsa bomb squad. The squad took the object away for examination. Police said no explosive device was present and that there was no sign the object was placed with harmful intent. No one was hurt.

Church leaders canceled all Sunday services while police worked. “While canceling services is never a decision we take lightly, we will always err on the side of caution when it comes to protecting our people,” Vaughan said in a statement.

What safety teams can take from it

• Walk the campus before anyone arrives. Staff found this package early because someone was checking the entrances. Make a pre-service sweep of doors, walkways and parking lots a standard step every week.
• Don’t touch it, call it in. Staff left the package alone and called police. Teach your team not to move, open or kick suspicious items, and to keep radios and phones away from them.
• Decide ahead of time who can cancel services. Here, leaders made the call quickly. Write down who has that authority and how you’ll tell members (text, social media, signs at the entrance).
• Plan your perimeter. Police secured the area around the entrance. Know which doors, lots and buildings you’d close off, and where people would go if a package is found while they’re already on campus.
• Most of these turn out to be nothing, but you still treat them seriously. A calm, quick response and clear communication make the false alarms easy to recover from.