Posted on 07/10/2024 1:03:30 PM PDT by Morgana
A Tennessee church raffled off an AR-15 rifle as part of its Independence Day celebration over the weekend. Dr. Todd Holmes, senior pastor of The River of Tri-Cities Church in Johnson City, said that he sees the giveaway as part of a broader effort for his church to “be a blessing” to the community.
“This is just one of the many giveaways that we do here at our church,” Holmes told WJHL last week. “And I thought it was appropriate, since it’s about our nation’s independence and part of our Constitution and our Second Amendment rights.”
Although Holmes acknowledged that some might be uncomfortable with the giveaway, particularly those who have been affected by gun violence, he seemed to downplay those concerns.
“There’s a lot more opportunity to be killed in vehicular violence, or crash I guess I should say, than there would be a gun,” Holmes said. “And people can get upset about something, but in the end, it’s really not about a gun. It’s about a person’s heart, because a gun in itself is not evil. It’s as good or as evil as the person that’s using it.”
The AR-15 was given away on Sunday (July 7) during the church’s worship service, which was live streamed to Facebook.
“We had a raffle set up here in the lobby here,” Holmes said. “And we are going to—because of our Second Amendment rights—now you couldn’t do this in North Korea. You couldn’t do this in China. You couldn’t do this in Canada…But you can in the United States of America.”
Scattered affirmations of “amen” could be heard throughout the congregation.
“And we don’t worship guns,” Holmes clarified as the worship keyboardist continued to play. “That’s the corniest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. But we’re going to give away this rifle here today.”
Holmes then instructed someone to bring the rifle onto the church’s stage. He was also joined onstage by his wife and co-senior pastor, Katie, who joked about being “a deplorable woman.”
“This is awesome to be able to do this,” Katie said as the rifle was brought forward. She went on to refer to those who would criticize the raffle as “small-brained liberals.”
“Amen,” Holmes replied. After being handed the gun, Holmes pointed out that the AR-15 rifle was American-made and that he had purchased a scope for it.
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Holmes indicated that the gun was “completely, 100% legal” and that the winner would need to pass a federal background check before receiving the gun directly from the gun dealer.
Again poking fun at those who might object to the raffle, Holmes said, “People say, ‘Do you know that that is a very dangerous weapon and that it breaks bones?’ Well, yeah, if you shoot it right.”
“If I’m going to defend myself,” he continued, “and somebody’s trying to kill me and I’m using this to defend myself, then I do definitely want it to stop the person, okay? I don’t want them to have another opportunity to get up off the floor and to try it again.”
ChurchLeaders has reached out to The River of Tri-Cities Church for comment and will update this article in the event of a response.
Love it! If the church had any liberal members, they’re probably gone now. Good riddance.
This makes me smile. Pro-life/Pro-gun. Sweet!
I don’t see a problem.....my Pastor is a gun enthusiast.....if he doesn’t carry while bringing the weekend massage I’m sure he has a firearm in his office......I KNOW my mother in laws pastor carrys during Sunday services.....he told me he did. Lol.
He’s got one of those gun cases disguised as a cell phone case that clips on the belt.
Today’s warm & fuzzy
Our church hires 2 local LEOs to walk the corridors and foyer, etc. every Sunday as notice that we are prepared for trouble. There are also usually 10 civilians in street clothes packing heat and scatteredd thruout the congregation and elsewhere. The Boy Scout motto applies here: “Be prepared.”
Johnson City folk know how to do things, but we do have a lot of folks moving in from mostly undesirable places to live so there will be gnashing of teeth over this. I almost always pack in church as do many other of our flock.
Reminds me of the olden days when going to church meant you brought your Bible AND your “firelock!”. The men drilled as milita after services.
But that was before libs took over. Too bad these children and their teacher had no “firelocks” at the Enoch Brown School House in 1764.
Forgot the link!
Psalm 20:7
Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God
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