Our Team

Christopher Taylor, M.A., M.Ed., M.Div.

Founder / Executive Director

Chris has over twenty years’ experience working in the criminal justice system and campus security. He founded the Arizona Church Security Network in March of 2017 after being called and recognizing the need to network, train, and support church security teams. He founded and led the security ministry at Christ Community Church of Tucson for over fifteen years. He served four years as the chairman of the Southern Arizona Community Organizations Active in Disaster. He has previously served on the Board of Directors of the Arizona Rangers and Arizona Crime Prevention Association. He is an integrated Community Solutions to Active Violence Events (ICSAVE) contributing member and instructor. He served fourteen years in full-time ministry at Christ Community Church of Tucson. 

He holds a B.S. in Criminal Justice Administration, M.A. in Curriculum and Instruction, M.Ed. in Special Education, and M.Div. in Church Ministries. He is recognized as an International Crime Prevention Specialist, Certified CARVER Assessment Professional, and holds the Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design Professional Designation. He has completed the Force Science Institute’s Realistic De-Escalation Instructor course, Methods of Instructions for Training Practical Police Skills Course, and is a Certified Force Science Analyst. He is a Certified Massad Ayoob Group Deadly Force Instructor and graduate of the Law of Self-Defense Instructor Program. He is a USCCA Training Counselor and holds numerous instructor certifications from several professional training organizations. 

After leaving the US Army as a Captain, Brian joined the Tucson Police Department. He retired from there as a Sergeant, with experience as a supervisor in patrol, investigations and plainclothes work. He is certified by the Arizona Peace Officer's Standards and Training board (AZ POST) as a General Instructor, and as a  Firearms, Less Lethal and Patrol Rifle Instructor. Brian is a member of the International Association of Law Enforcement Firearms Instructors (IALEFI). A certified Force Science Analyst, he has also been the primary investigator on a series of police uses of force and has testified as an expert witness in the Pima County Superior Court system. He has taught civilian, military and law enforcement students, both in the US and abroad. Brian holds a BS from the Virginia Military Institute and an MS from the University of Arizona.

Brian Kowalski

Director of Training / Advisory Board Member

John McGrath

Advisory Board Member / Instructor 

Behavioral Threat Assessment Team Leader

John leads the Security/Medical ministry at New Life Bible Fellowship in Marana. He is a retired detective sergeant with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and a retired security manager with Raytheon, where he developed and led the Behavioral Threat Assessment team. He holds masters degrees in forensic psychology and criminal justice and security administration and certifications with ASIS International (Certified Protection Professional) and the Association of Threat Assessment Professionals (Certified Threat Manager). He has presented on the subjects of threat assessment and church security at several university and state sponsored conferences.

Steve Lyons is retired from the U.S Air Force and law enforcement. During his law enforcement career, he served as a patrol officer, detective, and major crime scene team member with the Anchorage Police Department (Alaska), and as an arson/fire investigator with the Anchorage Fire Department. During this time, he was deputized as a task force agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to investigate crimes that met the federal level. After serving in law  enforcement and relocating to Arizona, he and his wife, Amy, established the private investigation company, Lyons Investigations & Consulting, which performed fire origin and cause investigations for insurance companies and legal firms.

Steve Lyons

Phil Pinkus

Advisory Board Member / Phoenix Metro Director

Author of, “Wise as Serpents Gentle as Doves, Insight, Ideas, and Discussion About How to Start or Improve a Church Security Team (Amazon 2018).

AZCSN Metro Phoenix Director, AZCSN Board Member, & Instructor.

10 years church security team experience. Currently serving as Volunteer Security/EMS Team Coordinator: Church For The Nations (CFTN) – Phoenix, Global 365 – Phoenix, & Herzog Ministries – Chandler.

Experience includes stadium events in Phoenix and Tempe, and Sean Feucht “Let us pray” events in Tempe, Mesa, and Prescott AZ.

Serve on the Phoenix Police Chief’s Faith Based Advisory Board.

ICSAVE – Training Assistant.

Firefighter/EMT – served as Lt. Training Officer, Extrication/Technical Rescue Specialist

Dr Patrick Boyle is a 25-year Navy veteran with a background in Naval Aviation and Military Medicine. He is experienced in practicing medicine in austere environments and has a passion for developing, training and equipping individuals to care for the injured in the field environment.

He has been affiliated for the past 15 years with a level one trauma center and serves as a trauma instructor.

Patrick Boyle, MD

Instructor / Medical Director

Karl Garsha

Lead Instructor 

Karl has significant experience serving on security teams for special events, private schools and churches as well as on close protection details for conference speakers and government officials. He has extensive training in methods to counter violence, private security, martial arts, and First Aid. Karl holds instructor certifications in the ALERRT Civilian Response to Active Shooter Events (CRASE) program and in the USCCA Countering The Mass Shooter Threat program. He is also a defensive firearms instructor and holds certifications through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, NRA and USCCA. Karl currently lives in Sahuarita with his wife; he is active in the community, and teaches traditional Japanese martial arts and assists his church congregation, serving on both security and video editing teams. Karl is a professional technology expert who specializes in digital imaging technologies and data analysis; he currently works full-time in the private sector to help develop cancer diagnostics. Earlier in life, Karl was an EMT/Firefighter and open-water lifeguard.

John retired after a 40 year career in capital projects management, design and construction, mostly in the mining, infrastructure and semi-conductor fabrication industries, but including a civilian deployment to Iraq during Desert Storm. Reassigned by God to a second career in training for self-defense and security. Since borrowing a handgun for his first Defensive Handgun class 5 years ago, He has trained for and obtained instructor level certifications from Massad Ayoob Group as a Deadly Force Instructor, NRA Instructor in Certified Pistol and Personal Protection in the Home, USCCA Concealed Carry and Home Defense Fundamentals Instructor, AZDPS Armed and Unarmed Security Guard and Firearms Safety Instructor, and SABRE – Law Enforcement Aerosol Irritant Projector Instructor.

Currently he serves over 200 hours a year as an AZCSN instructor. He desires to continue to grow in experience and capability in order to help AZCSN meet the rapidly growing training demand from churches and schools in Arizona.

Lisa was forensic fingerprint expert specializing in expert witness testimony and crime scene management with the Pima County Sheriff Department. She completed investigations from burglaries to high profile homicide cases. After a few years she transferred to the Pima County Juvenile Court as a probation officer. She worked with juveniles on diversion to serving extensive sentences for homicide. During her time in Probation she found herself drawn to the injustices that’s face crime victims. She started working with the Pima County Attorney’s Office within the Victim Services Division. Her training allowed her to provide crisis intervention and  critical indecent management when she deployed to active crime scenes to help victims. The years spent there allowed for her to become a Victim Advocate and handled homicide cases exclusively. She also managed the Unsolved and Cold Case caseload. Lisa worked with several law enforcement agencies to provide investigative assistance and bring these cases to the public to help further provide exposure.

In addition, Lisa has served as the Chairwoman of the Crime Scene Management Board for three years at Pima Community College. This experience is combined with an AAS in Administration of Justice, a BS in Criminal Justice Administration, and  a Master’s Degree Educational Leadership in Community College and Higher Education.

Ken is a former Marine who served with the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Bn as a scout, forward observer and primary marksmanship instructor. He is trained in threat assessment, threat identification, counter ambush tactics and counter terrorism. His interest in, and dedication to church security began in 2010 as a founding member of the security team at Christ Community Church in Tucson. As team lead, he has trained extensively in executive protection, active killer response, close quarters battle and first aid, tccc. Threat mitigation and de-escalation tactics as well. He holds certifications from the the Arizona Dept. of Public Safety, the NRA and more than a dozen certifications from firearms trainers and facilities throughout the state of Arizona and Nevada. He has taught firearms Safety and training for AZCSN and others all over the state of Arizona. He has worked as facilities manager at Christ Community Church, serving in youth ministry as a core group leader and as Director of AWANAS TNT for a combined 12 years. He has lead and taught in men's ministry for more than five years, teaching Men's Healing Journey and other ministries as well.

Ken is a husband and father, currently working for Town West Design and Development as a project manager and continues to serve the Lord in security ministry at church and with AZCSN, as well as other ministries.

Ken Arnold

Instructor

Jorge de la Garza

Instructor

Jorge served with the Arizona Department    of Corrections (ADOC) for 12 years where    his assignments included Counselor, Search Team, and Classification Chairman. Additionally he was a police officer and detective with the University of Arizona  Police Department (UAPD). He has been involved in security with his church for  several years. He has served with several other organizations.

• Industrial Security Officer 
• Member of Tucson Police Assist Group
• Shepherd Member of AZCSN