To what lengths can a church go to protect its flock?

What if that church is big — very big — with schools, a seminary and membership the size of a small town? Does it deserve a police force of its own, even if that would be constitutionally questionable?

Alabama may soon find out. A bill passed Tuesday by the State Senate would grant Briarwood Presbyterian Church the right to “appoint and employ one or more persons to act as police officers to protect the safety and integrity of the church and its ministries.”

Supporters say the measure is necessary in increasingly dangerous times. Critics argue not only that it is gratuitous but also that it is unconstitutional. And on top of all that, the bill, if passed by the Alabama House of Representatives, would land on the desk of a brand new governor whose predecessor’s term came to a scandalous end just this week.

Briarwood is on the outskirts of Birmingham, straddling the border between Jefferson and Shelby Counties. It is a giant institution with more than 4,000 members and 40 ministries, including schools for students from preschool through grade 12.