After Sutherland Springs Church Massacre, Anglican Bishop Considers Arming Himself at the Altar
A man of the cloth in Pennsylvania who also wears a badge is now contemplating packing a pistol in the pulpit to protect his parish.
Bishop Council Nedd II, rector of St. Alban's Anglican Church in Pine Grove Mills, Pennsylvania and co-chairman of the Project 21 black leadership network, is reassessing security at his church after the mass murder of worshipers at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas on November 5. Nedd is also a Pennsylvania state constable.
In a commentary published by Project 21, Nedd wrote:
"A pistol in the pulpit may sound extreme, but — when people of faith increasingly appear to be targets of armed evil — a good shepherd must do what he must do to protect the flock from the wolves. From my perspective as both a bishop and a cop, people must be protected. This includes in sacred spaces."
Nedd previously chose not to carry a firearm while participating in St. Alban's services despite credible threats to his own safety and personal experience providing security for other places of worship. Growing religious intolerance is causing him to rethink this personal gun restriction, which he will be discussing with his congregation:
"It's shocking that, in a nation founded on the idea of religious freedom, there are monsters out there who now think it's fair game to target people of faith with deadly force. I'm no stranger to religious bigotry and the condescension of non-believers, but recent church shootings like those in Charleston, South Carolina; Antioch, Tennessee and this latest one in Sutherland Springs bring intolerance to a frightening new level."
"I fully support Council Nedd's change of heart on the presence of firearms in church. It's only natural to want to preserve the sanctity of the sanctuary. Carrying a firearm in the pulpit as an act of preparation does just that," said fellow Project 21 co-chairman Stacy Washington, a syndicated talk radio host and U.S. Air Force veteran. ""In light of the increasing frequency of atheists and socialists shooting politically conservative people, whether in ballparks or in churches during services, it's important to allow those who are properly permitted to carry their concealed weapons into the church. Not only is this lawful, but it is Biblical. Jesus's disciples carried swords as he directed them to do in Luke 22:36: "He said to them, 'But now if you have a purse, take it, and also a bag; and if you don't have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one.'"
Washington is a Second Amendment advocate and writer for the National Rifle Association.
To book an interview with Nedd, Washington or another Project 21 member about this or other nonpartisan issues affecting black America, contact Judy Kent at (703) 759-7476.
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