Armed Congregants Help Protect Against Active-Shooter Threats At Church (REPORT)
A survey conducted by Lifeway Research found that more pastors are reporting gun-carrying congregants in their Church to help protect against threats.
The survey looked at data from three years ago and compared it with today, when the number of attacks on churches and religious institutions has risen dramatically. More than half of those surveyed reported an “intentional plan for an active shooter situation,” as well as having armed church members as part of their security plan. The statistic represents a 10% increase from 2019.
“While churches may have different convictions on how to maintain security, it is surprising that fewer churches have an intentional plan for an active shooter than did in 2019,” Lifeway Research executive director Scott McConnell told the Christian Post. “As churches cut back on activities during COVID, this may have been one of the initiatives that did not resume for some churches.”
Protecting Our Faith
Only 5% of churches have a uniformed police officer on hand, and only 1% use metal detectors to screen for weapons at their institutions. Protections are highest in southern states, where a majority of terror attacks on churches have taken place.
Pastors in the south are significantly more likely to report plans for active shooter situations, and are more likely to have armed members in their congregation. (LEARN MORE: Biden Administration Threatens Catholic Hospital Over A Single Burning Candle)
Churches Deserve The Same Protections As Everyone Else
Protecting religious institutions and people of faith is far from the top of many politician’s agendas. New regulations proposed under the Biden Administration are actively trying to hurt Christians, our values, and way of life. You can help protect all of us today by telling your elected officials how important it is to your vote.
To contact your local representatives today, sign up for www.Change. MillionVoices.org today (text MV to 80550). We’ll ensure that your voice is always heard. Share this article with your friends and family so they can stay informed.
The Lifeway phone survey of 1,000 Protestant pastors was conducted September 6-30, 2022, from a random sample drawn from a list of all Protestant churches. The error margin for the sample does not exceed +3.2%.
