Pathway Church, located in Wichita, Kansas, has implemented a robust camera system across its multiple campuses to enhance safety and operational efficiency.
Established in 1959, the church operates three main campuses—Goddard, Westlink, and Valley Center—alongside 16 additional worship sites.
With varied facility sizes, such as the 25,000 square feet at Goddard and 195,000 square feet at Westlink, thousands of congregants attend weekly services, making security a significant concern.
Addressing security challenges
Pathway Church faced heightened security challenges post-COVID-19, compounded by budget constraints and staffing limitations. Ensuring reliable monitoring across extensive campus environments and multiple entry points proved difficult.
The church also aimed to meet insurance requirements, protect children’s areas, and optimise facility management without incurring high recurring costs. "We needed a camera system that could help us extend our reach," stated Dan Doerflinger, Facilities Director at Pathway Church, highlighting the necessity for efficient monitoring with limited manpower.
Technology and funding solutions
Pathway Church chose i-PRO cameras for their cost-effectiveness, durability, and seven-year warrantyTo finance the security enhancements, Pathway Church applied for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which offers up to $200,000 per location for high-risk nonprofits like faith-based organisations. With the funding, they selected i-PRO's camera technology for its cost-effectiveness and durability, backed by a seven-year warranty.
A mix of S and X-series cameras have been installed at the Goddard and Westlink campuses, including multi-sensor units for outdoor coverage, fisheye and dome cameras for interior spaces, and bullet cameras for parking lots. These are managed via i-PRO's VideoInsight™ Video Management System, which aligns with the church's budget due to its scalability and absence of recurring licenses. This system provides an integrated approach to security with the capability to oversee numerous cameras, improving overall situational awareness.
Advanced AI features
The church benefits from i-PRO's AI-driven technology, which minimises false alarms by using object detection to disregard environmental movements. Analytics like people counting offer insights into service attendance without sacrificing privacy, and the ability to search by clothing colour aids in quickly locating individuals.
Such tools have substantially reduced the time required to review security footage. Privacy protection features, including facial masking, ensure compliance with privacy regulations, particularly within the church's school.
Implementation and results
ADS of Wichita assisted with the system's implementation, providing training to church staff for independent operation. The immediate impact of the security system includes live monitoring during services and the benefit of remote access to quickly assess alerts, reducing unnecessary on-site visits. Insurance claim resolutions have also improved, exemplified by an incident where video footage clarified the cause of a vehicle's damage.
Looking forward, Pathway Church plans to expand camera coverage, aiming to equip all 46 of its main campus classrooms with surveillance by next year. Long-term strategies include exploring advanced applications such as vehicle counting and integration with i-PRO’s ClassSecure™ system to further augment safety and operational management. "Our congregation values knowing we’re proactive about safety," noted Doerflinger. "The cameras help us protect our members, support our staff, and steward our resources wisely."
Support for nonprofits
While Pathway Church independently pursued the NSGP, i-PRO's Grants Support Program offers assistance to nonprofit customers, providing tailored funder research and consultation.
This program aids organisations in securing funding for tech-driven initiatives and supports the expansion of existing projects.
Pathway Church, founded in 1959 and located in Wichita, Kansas, operates three main campuses – Goddard, Westlink, and Valley Center – along with 16 additional leased or hosted worship sites.
The facilities range widely in size, from 25,000 square feet at Goddard to 195,000 square feet at Westlink, serving thousands of congregants each week.
In addition to worship services, Pathway manages a large preschool and children’s ministry.
The challenge
Like many organisations, Pathway faced new security challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Budget constraints and staffing limitations made it difficult to reliably monitor across its large campus environments and numerous entry points.
The church also wanted to address insurance requirements, safeguard children’s areas, and streamline facility management without adding significant recurring costs.
“We didn’t have the manpower to cover every corner of our buildings,” said Dan Doerflinger, Facilities Director at Pathway Church. “We needed a camera system that could help us extend our reach, so one person can monitor spaces that would otherwise take multiple staff to oversee.”
The solution
To offset budget limitations, Pathway independently applied for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides up to $200,000 per location to support high-risk nonprofits, such as faith-based organisations, in strengthening physical security and reducing vulnerability to potential threats.
Utilising funding awarded by NSGP, Pathway selected i-PRO for its advanced camera technology, cost-effectiveness, and seven-year warranty. The church deployed a mix of S and X-series cameras at its Goddard and Westlink campuses, including multi-sensor units for exterior coverage, fisheye and dome cameras for interior spaces, and bullet cameras for parking lots. The cameras are managed through i-PRO’s VideoInsight™ Video Management System, chosen for its scalability and no-license-fee model, which aligned with the church’s long-term budgeting and growth.
“The lack of recurring licenses made a huge difference for us as a nonprofit,” said Doerflinger. “It meant we could budget gradually and know the system would be scalable long-term.”
With the ability to manage hundreds of cameras across multiple campuses, VideoInsight provides a unified view of operations and simplifies security oversight for Pathway.
AI-driven features
i-PRO’s AI-driven features were another key factor. Object detection reduces false alarms caused by environmental movement, such as trees blowing in the wind. Analytics like people counting give Pathway a clearer view of service attendance without compromising privacy, while clothing color search – such as looking for someone in a blue shirt or jeans – make it easy to find specific individuals in a large, busy building. These tools have also significantly reduced the time required to review footage.
Privacy protection features, including facial masking for students, are equally important for Pathway’s school, helping ensure compliance with privacy laws when video must be downloaded for incident reviews.
The system was implemented with support from ADS of Wichita, Pathway’s systems integrator, which also provided training to help church staff operate the system independently.
Results
The impact of the new system has been immediate. Monitoring stations now provide live oversight throughout the week and during weekend services, while remote access allows Pathway to quickly verify alerts, eliminating unnecessary late-night trips to campus.
Insurance claims are easier to resolve as well. In one case, i-PRO footage confirmed that a damaged vehicle window resulted from an accident rather than vandalism.
The church is continuing to expand coverage, with plans to install cameras in all 46 classrooms at its main campus by next year. Long-term, Pathway is exploring advanced applications like vehicle counting and integration with i-PRO’s end-to-end safety system, ClassSecure™, to further strengthen security and operations.
“Our congregation values knowing we’re proactive about safety,” said Doerflinger. “The cameras help us protect our members, support our staff, and steward our resources wisely.”
i-PRO Grants Support Program
While Pathway applied for the NSGP on its own, the i-PRO Grants Support Program provides free, no-obligation assistance to nonprofit customers. This includes customised funder research and consultation to help develop project ideas, guide efforts to secure funding for technology-driven initiatives, and support the expansion of projects already underway.
