Church carry?

[frreed]

Don't get me wrong. My psychosis is very small and I have carried during weekday services. Access is the larger issue. Besides that I have a few in the pews that are ready to take care of any threat. Not many people know that I have a license and no one knows when I carry, except for a retired LEO (and he hasn't said a word. Just guessing he knows.)

[NguyenVanDon]

I can't think of a time when I didn't carry at church!

[longtooth]

Don't get me wrong. My psychosis is very small and I have carried during weekday services. Access is the larger issue. Besides that I have a few in the pews that are ready to take care of any threat. Not many people know that I have a license and no one knows when I carry, except for a retired LEO (and he hasn't said a word. Just guessing he knows.)

Concerning who knows:
When you live in Tiny Town, Texas, it is impossible to keep it a complete secret.
Several yrs ago we had a thread on "Conceal Means Conceal" & that means CHL too. No one should even know that you have the plastic.

Well for me & all who live around here that would mean we would had to go to Houston, DFW, Austin or .... I have trained to some extent all but one of the holders in our church. I have shot & practiced w/ him. I am Safety Officer at the gun club here. Impossible to be undercover CHL. Most of us know what the other is carrying on any given Sunday & have shot each others weapons, both rifles & pistols.

I have gone to the class w/ Mom, Wife, & at least 2 others when they test and several renewals for self & others. There has never been a time that I did not know someone there. It is visitation opportunity. We will talk about Church, Sat. night Gospel singings, hunting, & range events coming up.

We are not in a "bad part of town" (just out of the city limits) but our church is VERY open to the bad folks in town. Several of those have come. Two have been converted. We have 1 right now coming regular & hearing the gospel that has been one bad boy. Another young & just out of prison for bad stuff. They are welcome here, they are welcomed when they arrive, they are encouraged, helped, visited with & watched real close.

Do they know? Young one, not at all.
The older fellow is like most in the small town church. He is kin to probably half & he is near kin to 25% of the church on any given Sunday. Two of those near kinsmen carry at church & know their area of responsibility. Does he know they carry at church? Dont know. They all grew up shooting, hunting, together. No doubt he knows theirs is not the house to mess up in.
He does know this is the Church to hear the gospel & be coverted & that is what is important.

[barres]

Well said Longtooth.

I rarely carry on Sunday mornings. Not because I am uncomfortable with it or anything, but I am a volunteer chaplain at one of the local state penitentiaries on Sunday afternoons. I am not comfortable securing a firearm in my vehicle in a prison parking lot and don't always have time to run home to secure my CCW. I regularly carry to Sunday evening and Wednesday night services/classes.

[dwmathews]

I also pastor a church. I believe that the elders, decons and pastors are placed as the watchman over the church.
Therefor I carry at every service. What do you think about this new movie coming out about robbing a church on Sunday morning?

[longtooth]

Have not heard of it but here in Deep East Texas we have Friday & Saturday night Gospel singings somewhere every week. They are in the country. Fifteen minutes response time for LEO at least. Usually 40 to 60 folks there. I have been knowing for a long time they are prime targets to rob.

[M9FAN]

I've carried to church since first receiving my plastic and intend to do so indefinitely. Better to have it and not need it than the reverse...

[Tactical_Texan_CHL]

I agree. I would carry in church. But, like I said, my wife is whole heartedly against it right now. I'm ok with that. We were raised with different mentallities towards guns. It was a HUGE step when she shot a .22 10 years ago, and an even bigger step when she shot on of my 9mm pistols 1 year ago. I explained to her why I wanted my CHL and she reluctantly let it go after months of "family discussions". An incident occured this summer while I was working out of town, and she's become more open to me carrying all the time. I love and respect my wife's opinions very much, so right now, I don't carry in church. That doesn't mean I'm not working to convince her otherwise. She just has a hard time believing that anything could happen inside a church of all places. Recent events have begun to open her eyes though. I just tell her that if anything were to happen to her, the kids, or someone we care about and I could have prevented it but happened to not be carrying that I could never forgive myself for that. So, does anyone have any subtle techniques for influencing a very opinionated, strong willed woman?

[longtooth]

Several of our ladies on the board are able to talk to women about carry. Some were very opposed before they started too.

If the perspective of the preacher would help, I will be glad to visit w/ her from that direction.
If she wants some "Bible" passages that will back that up I will be glad to do that for her too.

I also teach ladies to shoot. If she wants to talk to ladies that carry I can put her in touch w/ them. If she wants to talk to ladies that do not carry but know the preacher & others do, I can put her in touch w/ them.

Willing to help any way possible.
LT

[Tactical_Texan_CHL]

That's pretty cool for someone I don't even know! Thanks! I may take you up on it!

[TDDude]

When I took my first CHL class, there was a group from a 5th ward church taking at the same time.

The church had been making some great strides against gangs & drugs and such and had received death threats.

Every single staff member from that church was there from the head pastor to the gardening volunteers.

I'd say that they were serious about it and took Luke 22:35 to heart.

[Bubba]

Not as often as I should (24 x 7) but so far have guessed right. We are a very small, rural and hug everyone
group, so not many secrets. Also no objections either :)

[Venus Pax]

Since getting my license, I carry whether I am in a small church or a mega-church. Criminals don't give courtesy calls.

Actually, I carry everywhere I legally can, and church just happens to be one of those places where I legally can.

[Amistad]

Yesterday was a new experience for me. I was granted my CHL in mid-December and yesterday was the first time that I've carried to church. I must admit that I had a hard time concentrating on the pastor's message. I was thinking mostly of various "what if" scenarios where I asked myself, "What would I do right now if..." I'm not sure whether I should ask the pastor if my carrying meets with his approval, or not... I'll pray about it and see what sort of guidance I sense in the matter.

Amistad

[seamusTX]

I was granted my CHL in mid-December

You earned it.

Your carry piece is no different from your wallet, keys, cell phone, handkerchief, or underwear. You don't need anyone's approval to carry or wear them.

- Jim