Should We Allow Guns In Churches?

So my professional and operational answer about guns in churches is, “it depends” and I don’t have time right now to go into MY views on the PROCESS to decide which is legally, operationally, spiritually, financially a complex process, but….

Recently I was talking to some of my amazing and really smart, peers in the “church security / safety (education) industry” and read some articles and news stories on this question.

But this post is about a very small guide into the process, but I think a huge issue that I believe is missing from the conversations.  I think most (probably not all) churches are mistakingly starting with the wrong question or at a minimum are not looking at this question in a non bias way.

Here is my thought I have had for awhile on this question… If you took the cross off your building and removed “church” from your sign, letter head, business card, and you were just a company, with a building, visitors, money, employees, other valuable assets, and people that speak in public forums….

……would you allow/want/implement guns in your company?

The process for a church and a process for a company is almost exactly the same.  Are there differences, no doubt, but these differences are probably 1% of the process, the other 99% is the same whether you are a company or a church.  You may even need to leave the property to go through the process so you are not biased based on where you are sitting.

BTW: Legally, financially, tax-wise, public relations wise, etc…….uh……news flash, you ARE a company, a VERY PUBLIC COMPANY and in the non-spiritual sense, you are a company first.

If your board is made up of business people / owners, they may be a better or at least an ADDITIONAL  source of “best practices” on the PROCESS then Billy Bob’s Church down the street.

More to come on this topic, but kind-of needed to vent, hope it helps.

Jim