The following are FACEBOOK responses from pastors on what measures their congregations are taking to provide gun safety.
We are in conversation with our local police department to how to prepare without heightening a sense of fear.
I am more concerned about how to preach and teach about domestic violence and race relations than I am about guns in churches. Domestic violence is about power and control. the Texas shooter was out for power and control over his ex and her life, not about the church.
Organize for better gun control laws and to weaken the grip of the NRA in our country.
Here is one example of why churches need to remain a gun free zone: “Man accidentally shoots himself and his wife in a church shortly after discussion shootings.” (WASHINGTON POST)
Didn’t see a lot of these threads after Mother Emmanuel. (Black pastor)
United Lutheran Seminary is hosting an active shooter response training at Gettysburg Seminary.
We discussed whether we needed security and decided we did not. We don’t want to look at people walking in our doors as possible perpetrators.
We pray that no one with a conceal carry permit bring a gun into our sacred space. We are not called to live in fear, but in love.
We are attending a training on churches in public crisis in January, but because we are concerned that the training (hosted by the government and police) will not come from a faithful foundation, we are more importantly co-planning an inter-faith service of prayer and action addressing gun violence in the new year with other faith communities.
Gun culture is birthed from the deep seeds of racism. The NRA was birthed in the same culture. So we are doing what we have always done and continue the work of dismantling white supremacy.
Passive pacifists might purchase a “Let Peace Prevail” sign in their front yard. I am not confident that this would be an effective deterrent.
Taking no measures. The Lord is our Shepherd.
We have locked one rather obscure door during classes and services, but otherwise no change.
In Black church culture, we have always been secret conscious, in light of the recent Charleston shooting, hundreds of other types of similar acts of terrorism and most recent shootings we stay vigilant.
Currently, my church is in New York Metro UCC, so like in the South Carolina terrorist act we are working with those churches and of course praying and revising our own safety procedures… Now when I lived in Atlanta the ecumenical association would often have our interfaith meetings at the gun range cause historically southern churches survived “with Bible in one hand and a shot gun in the other.”
Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis has a full-time unarmed security guard at the entrance. They do not allow guns on premises. He says the presence of guns is always dangerous. He stresses the importance of building relationships with people as the way to prevent gun violence. Central has a sign saying “Guns are banned on these premises. Blessed are the peacemakers.”