CHL in Church?

[longtooth]

Every Sundat. In fact, just yesterday my pastor, my wife, and I were discussing if we thought it would be appropriate for him to get a CHL. Of course you know our answer.

You are very correct Mr. Brown. Tell him he definately should.

[iflyabeech]

My wife is Catholic, and I go to church with her almost every weekend while carrying. I just noticed a sign at church that says something to the effect of "guns are made to hurt people, so please do not carry guns in our building"
I smiled and thought that they might have different thoughts if a BG started some trouble in there.

Guns are made, not made to hurt. People hurt people. I use my guns for hunting, self defense, and fun!

[RPBrown]

Every Sunday. In fact, just yesterday my pastor, my wife, and I were discussing if we thought it would be appropriate for him to get a CHL. Of course you know our answer.

You are very correct Mr. Brown. Tell him he definately should.

Him and his wife took the class Saturday. Sent in the paperwork yesterday.

We go to a small, "biker friendly" church (or is it friendly biker church?) and at any given service there are at least 10 of 60 people armed including myself and the associate pastor and his wife.

[doublepush]

I wore my Kimber UCII on stage yesterday morning through both services, no problem. However, I did do my own Aviom setup so as not to be outed.

I run sound at my church, one of the larger ones in Austin. Our front-of-house booth is in the balcony, so I know that I would probably not be a target or easily outed. I do worry about reaching over on the board. Our old board was a Soundcraft Series 5 (quite large and deep), and reaching for the gain knobs or a connector on the back was always an opportunity for printing. We just got a Venue Profile system (smaller, digital, and amazing), so there's not as much to reach for. If I were running monitors (board is on side of stage), then I would have to worry about printing any time I serviced a connection on stage. So I'm glad that they don't have me on monitors. I'm pretty sure I would eventually expose my gun.

I always wondered what I would do if I were on the stage playing an instrument instead of geeking out in the sound booth. I guess not much would be different.

Today I heard that, back when church shootings were big, our pastor went to the effort of talking to a former cop to make sure that we had a plan in case things happened. He just doesn't know that that tall guy on the other side of the sound board also carries.

-Brent

[UpTheIrons]

As the pastor of a small country church (55 or so in worship), I was pleasantly surprised to find out how many of our members either carry, or are in process of getting a CHL. Not only my wife and I, but at least 6 others that I know of.

[fickman]

Interestingly, just Sunday night I had a conversation with our new executive pastor, who was already a friend of mine before joining the pastorate. He brought up the subject of guns in church in the context of protection from crazed attackers. He's been a friend of mine long enough that I felt comfortable telling him that I have a CHL, and that every time he's seem me for the past 8 months I've been armed. He was not only not surprised, but he told me that quite a number of members are "packing heat" as he put it. I was fairly surprised. I personally know of only one other guy who carries there, but given the size of the church (about 1200), I expected that there would be around 10-15 CHL holders in the congregation. My friend's implication was that it was decidedly a higher number than that. I know that some of them are LEOs, but not all.

I told him that I didn't expect him to tell me who the others were, but that I would like to find out who the others are as a safety precaution. I would love the chance to network with them. If we all know one another, we're not likely to shoot one another responding to an actual attack event in the church.

I never talked to the executive pastor (he hadn't been brought on when we moved to our new church), but I can tell you that the senior pastor of the church knew and approved of my CCW. I started carrying there before the law technically allowed it - but my CHL instructors advised us that churches were private property, so if we had the permission of the pastor and/or elders, we were fine. I sought his approval and he gladly gave it.

I informed the pastor at my new church, and he didn't seem to mind one way or the other. I know I don't have to inform him now that the law has been clarified, but I view submission to my church leadership as important enough to let him know.

[hheremtp]

I too have started carrying in church, still a little nervous about being made, I am worried that I might print while kneeling at the alter durring communion, or be discoverd by someone coming up to me and giving me a hug after the service.


Steve

[mr.72]

I always wondered what I would do if I were on the stage playing an instrument instead of geeking out in the sound booth. I guess not much would be different.

I do play an instrument on stage, and sing, and I am on a pair of gigantic HD screens half of the time and a couple dozen 42" LCD monitors all over the building and I have never been made even by people who know I have a CHL.

That includes bending down to adjust pedals and effects, crawling around to chase down errant cables, etc. The biggest thing is that my wireless pack on my guitar strap tends to bump the butt of the gun. But I have a wireless IEM receiver clipped to my belt on the other side. I guess folks figure I have stuff clipped to my belt so no biggie. But anyway, out of 5,000-6,000 congregation members and a hundred or so staff members nobody has ever mentioned or noticed that I am carrying as far as I can tell.

I do have suspicions about the guy on the security team who always wears a fanny pack, though.

[Oldgringo]

I too have started carrying in church, still a little nervous about being made, I am worried that I might print while kneeling at the alter durring communion, or be discoverd by someone coming up to me and giving me a hug after the service.


Steve

Unless your CCW is a bazooka or something, a pocket holster can work well. That's what I use for either my .38 snubbie or my Sig P230 when attending church, funerals or some of the other more august occassions in our life.

[hheremtp]

I too have started carrying in church, still a little nervous about being made, I am worried that I might print while kneeling at the alter durring communion, or be discoverd by someone coming up to me and giving me a hug after the service.


Steve

Unless your CCW is a bazooka or something, a pocket holster can work well. That's what I use for either my .38 snubbie or my Sig P230 when attending church, funerals or some of the other more august occassions in our life.

No, dont carry a howitzer, my daily is a Sig 229R .40 that i carry IWB at about 4; but I doubt a pocket holster would work for that size frame though.