Church Says No to Guns in Sanctuary

MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Some churchgoers are not too thrilled about a recent gun bill that was passed by the Georgia House of Representatives on Tuesday.

House Bill 875 was introduced by State Representatives Rick Jasperse (R) District 11.

Jasperse said the gun bill is a “license bill”. It is for law-abiding citizens who have a license to carry a gun.

“For the most part, it addresses where they can carry their weapons if they have that license,” said Jasperse.

Churches at one time were deemed by the state as “unauthorized locations” as far as carry weapons, according to Jasperse.

But he says that has changed.

“Churches are private property and the folks who go to those churches, they make decisions about what goes on in their church everyday,” said Jasperse. “This adds another repsonsibility to what they need to decide. It’s really not the state’s role to be involved in that.”

More than 1,000 people attend Union Baptist Church located at 1137 Kitchens St., in Macon. The senior pastor of the church, David Stanley, says he is disappointed in the passage of the gun law in the Georgia State House.

“It’s a sad day in Heaven when our legislators start allowing members to bring guns into the church,” said Stanley. “Even though they might be licensed, I feel in this day and time, dangers do lurk in and around the church on Sunday mornings. But, most churches have security people in place.” 

Johona Braswell was at the church Wednesday attending a bible study class.

“Members or anybody who’s coming in for the Word, can’t override the Word of God,” said Braswell. ” I mean we got to believe and we got to have faith that things will be okay.”

Nakeitra Odoms was also on hand for the class and says she was very upset by the passage of the bill.

“The church is considered to be a sacred place,” says Odoms. “I’m not out in the clubs where people typically have the need to protect themselves because of other people in bar fights. But, inside the church you’re here to learn and to feed off of the Word.”