Pastors and Concealed Carry

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cougarman

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Would be interested to hear from pastors who CC. Do you carry while preaching? What is the best way for you to carry? If you are not a pastor, do you know if your pastor carries and how.
 
I was a youth pastor in a traditional church. I carried with either a 442 and a pocket holster or an SP101, G36 or 1911 in an IWB at 4 o'clock. When I first started packing I carried a 2.5" 19-3 in an IWB at the appendix position. I carried while preaching, performing weddings, attending youth camp, working around the church, etc...
 
To my knowledge my pastor doesn't carry. I did recently hear him say the believed every congestion should have an armed person or two in it, or something to that effect.

While I wasn't really surprised he thought it, I was surprised he said it. We have lots of older people that may not think a church is a place for a gun.

Me and sometimes my wife carry in church, but only the two of us know it. And now my dad because we were talking about his comment and I mentioned that I do carry in church.


As a pastor I'd imagine you'd have to get real deep concealment to f you didn't want to get made. Pastors tend to get/give a lot more hugs, and that's normally a quick way to get made.
 
I was attending a friends church in Colorado and the pastor was talking to one of his guys about the concealed carry class they had scheduled for all the leaders. This was a couple of years ago after the church shootings out there.
 
I am a pastor in Kentucky. I am retired LEO and for some time at a church I was an associate minister and security, (my pastor asked me to ccw), along with a couple of others in the congregation. Whenever I was in the pulpit to fill in for him, I didn't carry. But a few months ago I accepted a pastorship in a small rural church. At first I was leaving it in the car. After the shooting at a church a few weeks ago, I had a heart to heart and much prayer. My congregation is an older group and no ccw carriers, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I had the training and wasn't prepared to protect them as best as I could. So now I do ccw, IWB in case someone hugs me. Understand it isn't to protect me per se, but for those on canes and walkers who might be innocent victims.
 
I am a pastor. I don't have my concealed carry permit, so don't carry in the pulpit. I have considered getting it, but I'm unsure if I would carry to church.

I would think the liability would be through the roof. I'm not sure what our insurance company would think.

Distances in a church building can be big. If you inadvertently hit someone - as an employee and as the pastor - I think you would have serious problems.

Of course, the real question is "is it consistent with the Bible?"

Jesus did tell his disciples to take a sword, and Peter had a sword when he cut off the soldier's ear.

I think one would need to do some serious pre-deciding when and when not to draw a weapon.
 
My pastor carries

In Georgia there was a recent change to our carry laws which now allows for church carry if the church "opts in". Once passed, my church officially opted in. To do that we had an official letter of intent drafted by the church elders and signed by the lead pastor. My church is very large, approximately 3500 members with a main campus and several satellite churches in neighboring towns.

I am in charge of a security detail at my satellite church. There are 6 guys and half of them have carry permits, some are in law enforcement. The band members arrive early and they carry. Likely some attendees carry concealed. Our church letter specifies concealed only and is distributed on a need to know basis only. We profile, when someone arrives and looks out of place or lost we pay attention. There is no way a kid with a backback looking like he does not belong would go unnoticed and unchallenged.
 
I got my current shoulder holster from the pastor of a little Baptist church up on the corner. He said he used it the one winter but he preferred inside the belt when at church. Chief's Special BTW.

I guess if your church is not a business with paid clergy or staff here might be less concern with legal liability and more with the security of the members.

-kBob
 
I am a part time pastor and I carry, except when I play guitar. I carry OWB and I don't like the guitar back taking a beating. Two know I carry, most don't. I don't advertise. Sometimes the shepherd has to protect the flock.
 
I am a pastor in Kentucky. I am retired LEO and for some time at a church I was an associate minister and security, (my pastor asked me to ccw), along with a couple of others in the congregation. Whenever I was in the pulpit to fill in for him, I didn't carry. But a few months ago I accepted a pastorship in a small rural church. At first I was leaving it in the car. After the shooting at a church a few weeks ago, I had a heart to heart and much prayer. My congregation is an older group and no ccw carriers, and I wouldn't forgive myself if I had the training and wasn't prepared to protect them as best as I could. So now I do ccw, IWB in case someone hugs me. Understand it isn't to protect me per se, but for those on canes and walkers who might be innocent victims.
I'm not a pastor, but I am a deacon who has been in the military and law enforcement. If something bad happens in our church and I am not prepared to intervene; that non-preparedness would be extremely tough for me to live with.
 
My Pastor carries

but not all the time. From what I know of the others in the congregation, myself included, he doesn't have much to worry about while in church. There are at least a half dozen who carry while at church, and it isn't a very big church.
 
I am an elder and occasionally preach. I carry all the time and our retired preacher also carried. Some of the other elders also carry so the congregation is protected. I really do not expect trouble but in this day and time it is best to be prepared.
 
My pastor carries, and numerous members of the church carry as well. I normally don't but have been asked too on occasion. Even small churches can handle a great deal of money on any given Sunday. Protecting the people is foremost, but protecting the assests is to be considered as well. If the assests are endangered, it means that at least one member, and possibly more are in danger as well.
 
Jesus did tell his disciples to take a sword, and Peter had a sword when he cut off the soldier's ear.
So Peter had the weapon of its day? Today that would be a full auto weapon today.
 
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Interesting thread. I am not a pastor. I am, in fact, a Buddhist. My wife is Baptist, and a member of Maryville Baptist Church in Maryville, IL ... which is unfortunately infamous for the incident where Pastor Fred Winters was shot during a Sunday morning service in 2009. She was not there that day, thankfully. Because of the way that went down, I don't know that being armed would have saved him. Illinois didn't have CCW yet back then, so no one else in the congregation was armed either. Again, not sure it would have helped in that situation. However, it's impossible not to think that it may have given that disturbed individual pause to think if the possibility of armed resistance was present.

Good to read that there are so many clergy here who do consider that protection.
 
I was called to preach and I have been preaching fours years next month. I was ordained a little over a year ago. I do not pastor a church but preach whenever and wherever I can get an appointment. I carry in church in a Tagua iwb holster a beretta nano. I prayed over this decision for a while, I believe God gave us all minds to use and not waste. just like the saying if you stand in the road with a semi about to hit and if its not your time it won't kill you. well God gave you a mind to move out of the way. so I carry because I may never need to pull my gun but if I do, I pray God makes my aim true and I believe that it's better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.
 
One of our Circuit Preachers is a retired LEO from Montana. He packs but is quiet about it.

Our regular Pastor does not but has no objection to the congregation carrying.
 
Our security team carries and the team leader knows most of the other congregants who do. Some ushers are also on the security team but not the week they usher. They still may be carrying. The pastors don't carry during the services.
 
My son in law is a Baptist Minister with a church of his own. He is also a sworn Deputy Sheriff.
He carries at all times.
I don't worry much about my daughter and grandson.
18 year old Grandson is also a very good shot.
 
The Rev. Michael Pfleger, who heads Chicago's South Side’s largest black Catholic church unsuccessfully lobbied Cardinal Francis George to declare churches gun-free zones, and said:

I was not successful in getting Cardinal George to do so because he told me there were priests who argued against it, priests who apparently believed in the right to carry a concealed weapon in church.


http://chicago.suntimes.com/news/7/...shop-cupich-requests-ride-along-supt-mccarthy

So that was surprising to learn, that there are some priests in the Catholic Church in Chicago and surrounding area who hold that pro-carry view.
 
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