One Tampa Bay, FL church is making headlines after posts of their warning signs have gone viral. Senior Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne posted the photo just days after the horrific Sutherland Springs church massacre in Texas.
"Welcome to the River at Tampa Bay Church – our sign at every door of our church," the caption reads.
The River at Tampa Bay Church is a 21-year-old non-denominational church, however, the signs are only about a year old. According to The Washington Post, many of the 1,200 to 1,300 members of the River at Tampa Bay Church are armed and prepared to use their weapons if necessary.
“It is a deterrent,” Associate Pastor Allen Hawes told the Tampa Bay Times. “Look at what is going on. In the past two months, look at what happened in Texas. Look at what happened in Las Vegas. Because we are a church that is on television, we are very involved in the community. We want people to know that this is a safe zone.”
While the signs have received both praise and criticism, many pastors and officials alike agree that churches need better security after shootings in recent years.
Southern Baptist pastor Jack Graham, says it is important for all churches — large and small — to have a security procedure in the event of a shooting.
“We are living in dangerous days,” Graham, an evangelical adviser to President Trump, said on Twitter. His Plano, Tex. megachurch is preparing to host church leaders for a security training.
Pastor Howard-Browne was also among a group of evangelical leaders who met with Trump in the Oval Office in July and laid their hands on him as he bowed in prayer.
Despite any political affiliations, do you think that churches arming themselves is an effective tactic? Would you attend a church where you knew people were armed? Without true reform, is there a better way to go about this? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
