Guns in church? Dayton shooting prompts pastors to debate whether to carry firearms in church

Lorraine Caballero Friday, March 04, 2016

A screengrab from a video report on the Dayton church shooting which left Rev. William Schooler dead. | YOUTUBE / Associated Press

The deadly Dayton shooting at a local church last weekend has prompted pastors and congregations to debate on whether they should bring firearms with them when going to church.

Rev. William Schooler was shot dead by his brother Daniel Schooler inside the St. Peters Missionary Baptist Church this past weekend. A disagreement over their inheritance or a mental illness may have led the shooter, who has a violent and troubled past, to kill brother, the Dayton Daily News reports.

The Dayton church shooter is now in jail without bond, but what he did has revived the issue of carrying firearms in church services, according to the Hamilton Journal News.

Pastor Erwin McIntosh of the Payne AME Church in Hamilton thinks bringing firearms to church is not a good idea. He said the same thing after white 21-year-old Dylann Roof went on a shooting rampage at the Emanuel AME Church in South Carolina that left nine people dead, the report details.

Instead of installing metal detectors and hiring armed security guards, McIntosh suggests assigning people to guard both the front and the last row to ensure the congregant's safety.

"I don't think we are ready for metal detectors or armed security guards, and we don't want to profile people," McIntosh previously told the Journal News. "... We don't want to overreact and push people out; we don't want to do that. We just want to be safe."

McIntosh is not alone in his views regarding bringing arms to church. He shares the same opinion with Rev. Dr. Kim Katterheinrich of the Redeemer Church, Pastor Curtus Moak of the Hamilton Christian Center, Pastor Michael Bailey of the Faith United Church in Middletown, and Pastor John Lewis of The Presbyterian Church. However, all of the ministers said safety of the congregation remains a top priority for them.

Patrick Oliver, the director of the Cedarville University's criminal justice program acknowledges the pastors' concern for the safety of their church members. However, he suggests hiring plain clothed armed security to provide protection for congregations.