Is Your Church / Synagogue / Mosque Posting 30.07?

[chuck j]

No signage at my church , frankly I haven't known how the pastor feels about it , might affect my concealed carry there so didn't want to know . Last summer after the main service during upcoming announcements he mentioned a CHL class and referred members to 'Bryon" another member to get details .

A couple of weeks later for a prayer breakfast I was there early in the morning to help cook . We were alone in the kitchen , I was frying sausage and the pastor was making gravy . I asked him what the CHL class announcement was about and he was vague , said a few members had asked about it and was just trying to help . I thought a second and said .........You know , I'v been armed and carrying since I joined this church . He steadily stirred that gravy and said .......Oh , really . Nothing else was discussed .
We have several outreach programs , one is every Saturday at a run down motel . Mainly drug and down and out folks living there , we feed and have a service outside . He has pointedly asked me a few times if I'm going to be there .

I don't think open carry will be encouraged in my church but concealed will be fine .

[Smokewagon]

No. We're going to wait and see how it goes. My church supports concealed carry, and has even had CHL classes in the fellowship hall. I think open carry will be discouraged, while concealed carry will continue to be encouraged, as it already is.

[C-dub]

Nothing at my church yet. I'm not an insider, so I don't know if they're planning on posting or not. I do not plan on openly carrying much if at all anywhere and church might be the last place I would. Unless our priest endorsed it and invited everyone to do so in a kind of OC event.

[Beiruty]

None that I am aware of at my side of the world.

[Charles L. Cotton]

We are going to prohibit open-carry, but there are no plans to post a 30.07 sign. Verbal notice will be discretely given to anyone carrying openly. Also, our lead Pastor has mentioned it a couple of times during his sermon.

Chas.

[The Annoyed Man]

So far, my church has proven to be respectful of concealed carry. I know a number of fellow members who carry. But I honestly don't know how receptive the leadership would be to open carry. We go out of our way to be warmly welcoming to people, particularly to non-believers, and to visitors such as family members from out of town, and stuff like that. I honestly don't know if that would play into how our leadership considers open carry.

My own plan is to continue carrying concealed. I am frequently on stage as a member of the worship team, and it is the goal of our team to be personally self-effacing on stage, so that the audience's attention is on Christ, and not on us. In fact, when on stage, team members don't even wear name tags, which are handed out to everybody when they enter the building. So if I am on stage, I don't want people to look at the team and wonder about visible guns. And since that is my habit already, it will not likely change. As I've stated all along since OC became a reality, I'll be less concerned about accidental exposure, but that's about it.

If I had positive affirmation that our church was OC friendly, I might be less likely to cover up.......but only "less likely", not "deliberately open carry".

[The Annoyed Man]

We are going to prohibit open-carry, but there are no plans to post a 30.07 sign. Verbal notice will be discretely given to anyone carrying openly. Also, our lead Pastor has mentioned it a couple of times during his sermon.

Chas.

I suspect that's what will happen at my church too.

[oljames3]

... so that the audience's attention is on Christ ...

Concerning carrying openly in church, the principle I follow is 1 Corinthian 8:8 "Be careful, however, that the exercise of your rights does not become a stumbling block to the weak." (Read chapters 8 and 9 concerning freedom.)

As a rule, I'll OC outside of the sanctuary and don my suit coat before entering the sanctuary so as not become a stumbling block (distraction). As I always have, I'll OC where I can, conceal as the situation dictates, and disarm only if I must. YMMV.

[bcooper]

I feel I've either been misinformed or I misheard/read, but pls correct me because I feel I'm wrong.

I thought we weren't allowed to carry at "places of worship"?

[Distinguished Rick]

My pastor is a CHL and NRA instructor. He packs in the pulpit. Doubt I will see any kind of sign. We are a well armed but polite congregation.

[LSUTiger]

Not that I'm aware of. As far as I know they believe it's off limits. I am not going to tell them otherwise. I doubt most of those yahoo's, I mean my fellow brethren, are aware of 30.06 or 30.07. Who know's? No 30.06 currently.

[Charles L. Cotton]

I feel I've either been misinformed or I misheard/read, but pls correct me because I feel I'm wrong.

I thought we weren't allowed to carry at "places of worship"?

Not unless they post a 30.06 sign or give oral notice. Tex. Penal Code §46.035(b)(6) & (i). (30.07 will be an option as of Jan. 1, 2016.)

On Jan. 1, 2016, some of the code provisions will be renumbered and/or relettered, but the law will remain the same for churches.

Chas.

(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, on or about the license holder's person:

. . .

• (6) on the premises of a church, synagogue, or other established place of religious worship.

. . .

(i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06.

[bcooper]

I feel I've either been misinformed or I misheard/read, but pls correct me because I feel I'm wrong.

I thought we weren't allowed to carry at "places of worship"?

Not unless they post a 30.06 sign or give oral notice. Tex. Penal Code §46.035(b)(6) & (i). (30.07 will be an option as of Jan. 1, 2016.)

On Jan. 1, 2016, some of the code provisions will be renumbered and/or relettered, but the law will remain the same for churches.

Chas.

(b) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, regardless of whether the handgun is concealed, on or about the license holder's person:

. . .

• (6) on the premises of a church, synagogue, or other established place of religious worship.

. . .

(i) Subsections (b)(4), (b)(5), (b)(6), and (c) do not apply if the actor was not given effective notice under Section 30.06.

Thank you sir.

[Dreamer42]

There are a few of our church members out of 90+ in regular attendance who carry. We do not post 30-06, but we just had a meeting about 30-07, and other safety/emergency concerns from rude behavior, to medical emergency and fire escape, etc. We will be posting 30-07 come January 2016. We simply don't want the added concerns or distractions when folks come to worship. Not really anything about one's rights, but just to ease people's minds, especially should we have visitors. Should we have someone who does OC, we'll simply invite them to conceal or leave. They will be welcome to return once corrected.

[mlsa]

Our pastor met with the deacons a couple of weeks ago and told them that they wouldn't be putting up the ugly 30.06 and 30.07 signs on the door but that he didn't want people open carrying in church. So he gave our police officers, hired to patrol our church, permission to tell anyone open carrying to please take their gun back to their car, conceal it, or escort them from the premises.

I thought that was fair enough and can live with that.

David