Pathway Church has strengthened safety and operational oversight across its multi-campus facilities by deploying advanced surveillance technology from i-PRO. The implementation helps the church monitor large spaces more efficiently while supporting safety for congregants, staff, and children’s programs.
Founded in 1959, Pathway Church operates several campuses serving thousands of attendees each week while also managing a preschool and children’s ministry.
Multi-Campus Environment Creates Security Challenges
Pathway Church operates three primary campuses—Goddard, Westlink, and Valley Center—along with 16 additional leased or hosted worship sites. The facilities vary significantly in size, ranging from approximately 25,000 square feet at the Goddard campus to nearly 195,000 square feet at Westlink.
Like many organizations, the church experienced new operational and security challenges following the COVID-19 pandemic. Budget limitations and reduced staffing made it difficult to maintain consistent monitoring across multiple buildings and entry points.
“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 church also needed to meet insurance requirements, enhance protection for children’s areas, and improve facility oversight without significantly increasing recurring operational costs.
Grant Funding Supports Security Upgrade
To support the project, Pathway independently applied for the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which provides up to $200,000 per location for high-risk nonprofit organizations such as faith-based institutions to strengthen physical security.
Using the awarded funding, the church selected surveillance solutions from i-PRO, citing advanced technology capabilities, long-term reliability, and a seven-year warranty.
Deployment Across Multiple Campuses
The church installed a mix of S-Series and X-Series cameras at its Goddard and Westlink campuses. The deployment includes:
- Multi-sensor cameras for exterior coverage
- Fisheye and dome cameras for interior monitoring
- Bullet cameras for parking areas
All cameras are managed through the VideoInsight video management system from i-PRO, which offers scalability and operates without recurring license fees.
“The lack of recurring licenses made a huge difference for us as a nonprofit,” said Dan Doerflinger.
“It meant we could budget gradually and know the system would be scalable long-term.”
The platform allows staff to manage hundreds of cameras across campuses through a unified monitoring environment.
AI-Driven Analytics Improve Monitoring Efficiency
Advanced analytics capabilities were another key factor in the deployment. The cameras incorporate AI features that help reduce false alarms and improve operational insight.
Key capabilities include:
- Object detection that minimizes alerts triggered by environmental movement such as trees or weather
- People-counting analytics to help estimate service attendance without identifying individuals
- Clothing-color search, allowing staff to locate individuals in recorded footage more quickly
These capabilities significantly reduce the time required to search video recordings in large facilities.
Privacy protection tools are also built into the system. Features such as facial masking help protect student identities when footage must be exported for incident review.
Implementation And Training
The deployment was implemented with assistance from ADS of Wichita, which served as the church’s systems integrator. The company also provided training to ensure Pathway staff could operate and manage the system independently.
Improved Safety And Operational Visibility
Since installation, the system has improved daily monitoring and response capabilities. Live monitoring stations provide oversight throughout the week and during weekend services, while remote access enables staff to verify alerts without traveling to the campus after hours.
The system has also supported insurance claim investigations. In one instance, recorded footage confirmed that damage to a vehicle window was caused by an accident rather than vandalism.
Pathway plans to continue expanding the deployment, including installing cameras in all 46 classrooms at its main campus. The church is also exploring additional capabilities such as vehicle counting and integration with ClassSecure to further enhance safety and operational awareness.
i-PRO is a global provider of advanced video surveillance and security technologies designed for professional security, public safety, and enterprise environments. The company develops AI-driven edge computing cameras, video management software, and analytics solutions that help organizations improve situational awareness, operational efficiency, and safety.
Internal Links URLs
https://security.world/interoperability-in-access-control/
https://security.world/proprietary-systems-in-security/
External Links URLs
https://i-pro.com
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Why did Pathway Church implement a new surveillance system?
Pathway Church needed to improve monitoring across multiple campuses while addressing staffing limitations, insurance requirements, and safety concerns for congregants and children’s programs.
2. What technology did Pathway Church deploy?
The church installed a combination of i-PRO S-Series and X-Series cameras managed through the VideoInsight video management system to provide centralized monitoring and scalable surveillance.
3. How did the church fund the security upgrade?
Pathway received funding through the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), which supports security improvements for nonprofit and faith-based organizations.
4. What AI features help improve monitoring?
The system includes AI capabilities such as object detection, people counting, and clothing color search, helping reduce false alarms and speed up video investigations.
5. How does the system protect privacy?
i-PRO cameras include privacy protection features such as facial masking, which helps ensure compliance with privacy regulations when footage is shared for incident investigations.