Do you carry while attending Church?

[yurimodin]

On 3/4/2026 at 1:46 PM, John Q Public said:

Me too, where the one old guy waiting for the shot to clear and put one in the perps head from, what? 50-75 with one shot. Looked like iron sights with a 45, from a Vet. I say that because the video showed perfect form and no hesitation, and perfect composure... It was a deadly thing of beauty. 

 

 

 

That was a .357 sig

[John Q Public]

On 3/4/2026 at 2:38 PM, yurimodin said:

That was a .357 sig

I haven't looked at it for years, so I'll take your word for it. 

[lee n. field]

On 11/3/2025 at 10:21 AM, StuckInIllinois said:

After a 40 some year hiatus I’m headed back to Church. Thanks to this awesome forum I’m aware of the legal aspects of doing so, but I’m curious to see if this is a common practice among legal concealed carriers. 
 

As a kid I’d never think anyone would carry a weapon during Church, but sadly this isn’t that world. And I have zero issue with doing so on a religious level, but that is probably not a discussion needed here. 
 

Thanks for any thoughts on this. 

Late to the thread.  Do I carry in church?  Yes.  Why ever not.  I tend to carry a somewhat smaller gun than I normally do (.38 snub).  Smallish congregation , maybe 50-60 on a typical Sunday.  The elders know I have my CCW, prob. don't know I always carry.  Do not know if anyone else does.

Edited April 12, 2026 at 01:14 AM by lee n. field

[ragsbo]

I think I have mention this before but I am the greeter at church. One lovely elderly lady would always come in and give me a huge hug. She would reach around me and pat my gun on my hip; then she would give me the sweetest smile and a extra hug!! 

[Jeffrey]

I'm a regular at our 10:00 sunday morning mass.  There is an older, mid 70's gentleman that sits in the back row of the same column we always sit in.  We always exchange good mornings and have had a brief small talk as we both walked in one morning.  Never beyond that.  He usually wears a jacket that mentions Cook Co. Sheriff.  I swear he checks for printing on me every weekend.  I've noticed his before among a couple others.  We are a large Parish so making introductions isn't always the easiest especially if my topic is about this.  

[John Q Public]

On 4/12/2026 at 8:55 AM, ragsbo said:

I think I have mention this before but I am the greeter at church. One lovely elderly lady would always come in and give me a huge hug. She would reach around me and pat my gun on my hip; then she would give me the sweetest smile and a extra hug!! 

 I have a hand cover move with a one armed hug, in case of a gun check. I  do it because I never know who might give me a hug. That said, it depends on the hugger.

[ragsbo]

On 4/14/2026 at 2:21 PM, John Q Public said:

 I have a hand cover move with a one armed hug, in case of a gun check. I  do it because I never know who might give me a hug. That said, it depends on the hugger.

I knew what Mary Sue was up to! 

[lilguy]

My church is posted, so no. I leave it in the truck.

[John Q Public]

On 4/17/2026 at 6:30 AM, lilguy said:

My church is posted, so no. I leave it in the truck.

I'd flat our find another church, God helps those who helps themselves. If you get some mad person coming in to shoot the place up, Bibles do little to stop bullets. 

[Tip]

On 4/17/2026 at 9:11 AM, John Q Public said:

I'd flat our find another church, God helps those who helps themselves. If you get some mad person coming in to shoot the place up, Bibles do little to stop bullets. 

Bible didn’t quite work at FBC Maryville several years ago - managed to stop the first round but not the subsequent ….. 

[Quiet Observer]

On 4/17/2026 at 6:30 AM, lilguy said:

My church is posted, so no. I leave it in the truck.

I am guessing that if you were discovered to be carrying, they would just ask you to take the gun back to your truck. You might consider carrying using the "better to be judged 12 than to be carried by 6", logic. What are the chances that you would need to protect yourself and loved ones at church while the gun is in your truck? I am guessing very slim. If the police were called what would happen? The first offense is a misdemeanor. You would not lose your CCL or gun. When I lived in Illinois, I generally observed the signs, but there were a few exceptions. My choice then, and certainly your choice now.

 

 

[StuckInIllinois]

On 4/17/2026 at 6:30 AM, lilguy said:

My church is posted, so no. I leave it in the truck.

Interested in knowing what type of church and why they choose to post. 
 

I’d find another church. 

[ragsbo]

We are a small country Southern Baptist Church in extreme southern Illinois, and the subject has NEVER come up. If it did, I don't know if anyone would be against it

[Quiet Observer]

On 4/18/2026 at 11:06 AM, StuckInIllinois said:

Interested in knowing what type of church and why they choose to post. 
 

I’d find another church. 

The denomination may not matter. I was a member of a Catholic parish in DuPage County when I lived in Illinois. It was not posted. One of the priests knew that I carried in church and told me that he was very happy about it. I saw other Catholic churches in DuPage that were posted. Archbishop Cupich has ordered all Catholic churches in the Chicago Archdiocese to be posted. Other postings that I have seen here over the years indicate that there is variation among protestant churches. 

 

Religion is a very personal thing. If my DuPage Catholic parish had been posted, I might have changed parishes. I would not change religion. Our parish had a school which was posted per the state law. I once went to a pancake breakfast in the school gym after Mass. Halfway through breakfast, I realized that my pistol was still on my hip under my suit coat. After that I CC'd whenever I went to the breakfast. I was well known in the parish and figured there would be no repercussions. If visiting a posted parish, I would probably leave the gun in the car. I generally observed the posted signs in other venues in Illinois. It is not a literal war zone, but you never know what may happen when. I do not make the decision to carry or not carry lightly. 🙂

Edited April 19, 2026 at 07:36 PM by Quiet Observer

[Jeffrey]

I drive by two churches that we went to for years before they posted. Now it’s about 25 minutes to get where we want to be. Worth every second. 

[SiliconSorcerer]

Not that I visit all catholic churches but the last 4 or 5 I've had chance to attend in the list two years had no signs. 

A posted catholic church is blastemous I'd never attend.  

Edited April 19, 2026 at 05:43 PM by SiliconSorcerer
Typo

[Howard Roark]

Late to this thread, oh well.

 

I am a member of a large evangelical Christian church in the Chicago suburbs. I attend every Sunday and often sit in the front row with my family which includes young children.  I am not a member of the security team, although there is a team.

 

A while ago, I was talking privately with the pastor and this topic came up, albeit in an understated, oblique way. I said I liked the fact there are no signs posted against carrying, and he responded that there were multiple members in the church at that moment that were carrying. I smiled and said "That's good." He nodded, yes.

 

I was carrying at the time, just as I do every Sunday.  Christian churches are targets that have been shot up many times in our nation.  I have a duty to protect my family and my church.