At Christ Our Shepherd, we affirm GA House Bill 60 as written and ban guns on our Peachtree Parkway and Palmetto properties.

A Statement from the COS Congregational Council Affirming Georgia’s State Law Prohibiting Guns on Church Grounds

Adopted 28 July 2014

Prior to the enactment of HB 60 on 1 July 2014, “places of worship” were included in a list of places into which weapons (even with a concealed weapons permit) could not be carried. The recent change to the legislation added the words “unless the governing body or authority of the place of worship permits the carrying of weapons or long guns by license holders” following “places of worship.” This means that, unless a congregation takes an action to permit the carry of weapons into its building, it will continue to be unlawful to do so. At COS, we choose to affirm GA House Bill 60 as written and affirm the ban on any guns being allowed on either of our Peachtree Parkway or Palmetto properties. We worship Jesus as the Prince of Peace. God entrusts us with a preschool throughout the week and a facility full of children on the weekend. We take the stewardship of their safety very seriously. In response to our bishop’s advice, we’ll ask our Director of Operations to investigate ways we make clear our affirmation of the state law’s declaration of church facilities as gun-free zones, perhaps through window decals. May God bless our congregation and country with not only policies, but humble hearts that make for communities where we truly love each other, and where swords are daily transformed into plowshares.