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Jerry,
I am an elder in a church. I am the senior pastor. This is a question that has come up time and time again.
There is a significant issue that I wonder if you have thought about. In a megachurch, there are resources to hire off duty LEOs to keep the facilities secure. There are THOUSANDS of people running around. That is a large responsibility and a logistical nightmare. I know that one of the largest churches in our area has a professional security detail...and I also know that the cost of that detail is slightly more than my total annual budget.
What about the average church in America, though? The average church has about 70-75 in attendance (and that average includes the Willow Creek [25,000], Saddleback [25,000], and Lakewood Church [30,000] numbers too!). There may not BE any off duty LEO's, and a congregation needs to have someone there armed in case of an incident. CCW holders are the most law-abiding citizens around and have consciously decided against being victims. They are the very people I want armed.
Take our church, for instance. We are about 150-180 with gusts up to 260 for major holidays. Two buildings, one for the main service and one for nursery and education. We have a single LEO who is a regular attendee, but he gets called out (he does fatal crash investigations) so he can't always be there. We have probably 8-10 guys who have their CCW, and all of them are good men and good shots. Will they be AMAZING shots when the stuff hits the fan? Maybe not, but I trust their maturity to consider what is behind their target and to neutralize the threat. Do they need to be careful? Of course, just like they would need to be in any crowded environment.
I also know who the best shot in our church is (it ain't me!), and he has a strategic position where he sits that gives him the best chance at a clear shot if the need arises in the areas that a BG would be most likely to make a move. The others in our church who carry know who he is and their own responsibilities too. That is one of the joys of being in a smaller church, IMAO. I know who is there, and they know me. (Yeah, for the record, I'm armed too...but think about where I will be [preaching on stage] and you'll realize that I am not much help for most situations. Too many people behind any threat)
I have always said, if we are in the news I don't want it to say "Gunman kills 4 at _____ Church." If we HAVE to be in the news for an active shooter, it better be "4 kill gunman at ________ Church."
In AZ every church has the right to post a no firearms sign. I almost posted a "firearms welcome for all law abiding citizens" sign! I don't mind them one bit. The more good guys I have, the better. It doesn't bother our other elders either, though none of them have a CCW or carry. (I'm working on them...)
I hope that kept to the OP and what you were looking to discuss. God bless, and be safe.
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