RICHMOND, Va. — Virginians can carry firearms into churches and other places of worship, according to a legal opinion issued this spring, but some Baptist pastors in the state say they’re unsettled by the prospect of congregants with handguns.
Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli said in April that personal protection is a valid reason to carry weapons into worship services. He also said houses of worship have the right to ban guns from their premises.
Current Virginia law prohibits carrying guns into churches unless there is a “good and sufficient” reason to do so. Cuccinelli’s advisory opinion says personal protection constitutes a good and sufficient reason under the statute.
The attorney general issued the opinion at the request of Del. Mark Cole, a Fredericksburg, Va., Republican, who sponsored a bill in the state’s General Assembly that would have allowed anyone with a permit to carry a concealed handgun into a worship service. The bill was killed in subcommittee.
“I was a bit startled by [Cuccinelli’s] announcement,” said Don Davidson, pastor of First Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va. “Did it include church business meetings? A congregation that’s packing can really make a preacher nervous.
“Seriously, I'm not comfortable with the thought of guns at church,” he added. “We have lots of FBI, CIA and Secret Service people in our church, and I always assume that at least a few of them are armed, and that’s OK. They are highly trained professionals. If there were an incident on our campus or in a worship service they would know how to handle it. Too many other gun-handlers and innocent people could get caught in the crossfire.”
Davidson said churches concerned about safety should “consider forming a small, discreet security team and then encourage everyone else to leave their guns at home.”
Chuck Warnock, pastor of Chatham (Va.) Baptist Church said he was “disappointed but not surprised” by the advisory opinion.
“I would be very much opposed to anyone in our congregation bringing weapons to worship,” Warnock said. “I think the argument that we are defending against a terrorist attack is a ridiculous argument because of the nature of the terrorist attacks we’ve seen in the past. I also think that weapons in church are not a deterrent and actually endanger more people than they might protect. Theologically, I think to allow or encourage worshippers to bring guns to worship the Prince of Peace is a contradiction that we should not be comfortable with.”
State Sen. A. Donald McEachin, a Henrico County Democrat, told the Richmond Times-Dispatch that because of the legal advisory, faith communities which didn’t want weapons in services would be forced to post signs and expend funds to ensure guns are not present.
“The assumption will be that guns can be there, even if they are contrary to the spirit of the religious service and the desire of the congregants,” McEachin, an attorney and ordained minister, told the Times-Dispatch.
In his opinion, Cuccinelli said, “The Constitution of Virginia protects the right to bear arms, but it also recognizes the importance of property rights. … Churches, synagogues, mosques and other religious entities can, like any other owner of property, restrict or ban the carrying of weapons onto their private property.”
Robert Dilday is managing editor of the Religious Herald.