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Need a Texas Concealed Handgun License? Go To Church!

By: J.R. Absher

Feb 19

A Southern Baptist church located in the Texas panhandle has gained some national media attention for its offering of a state concealed handgun license (CHL) class as service to its community.

“This is an opportunity to meet a real need in our county,” Brad Foster, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Dumas wrote in the church newsletter. “From the biblical perspective, we are especially interested as men to be protectors of innocents,” Pastor Foster said. “Jesus has a special place in his heart for children and innocents, and that’s an important role we have to play.”

The 10-hour class to be held March 2 and taught by a state-certified instructor, will cover all aspects of conceal carry law, including safe use of firearms.

Pastor Foster told the Amarillo Globe News the church isn’t making a political statement, “except we don’t mind being associated with being in support of the Second Amendment.”

“The main purpose of this class is to handle a firearm safely and know when to shoot or just be a good witness,” Foster told the newspaper. “There are parameters. You need to know where to carry, where you can’t carry and know you’re responsible for that round.”

A graduate of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary who has served the Dumas church for 13 years, Foster described the event as part of a larger effort to break out of old traditions in order “to better represent the Lord Jesus through new and fresh wineskins.”

He said his church has “always attempted to think outside the box as far as what the needs of the community are,” and firearms training fits with that philosophy.

Jim Edlin, Sunday school director at Calvary and an organizer of the class, said more than half the class enrollees are women.

“Some of them are teachers, and they’re more passionate about it than anyone else,” he told the Amarillo Globe News.

Founded in 1954 with a total membership of 335 and average attendance of 125, Calvary Baptist Church in Dumas is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and Southern Baptists of Texas Convention.

7 comments

# dlafferty
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 4:24 PM
I think it's a great idea! I cant think of a place where people would feel safer than under a church's blessing!!
# jhay107
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 4:54 PM
Amen to this Nice artical
# coleabear
Tuesday, February 19, 2013 5:52 PM
AMEN! This is great! God bless this Body of Christ with a full house that day!
# gunruner76016
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 10:40 AM
It is great to see more and more people wanting to protect our rights to bear arms.. Could someone be able to tell me what time and how much is the class. I live in Skellytown and would drive to Dumas to come to the class.. My email is gunruner76016@yahoo.com..

Thank you Pastor Brad Foster
# halfbreedmaggy
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 12:05 PM
Its a great idea we more Churches and commities to do the same
# jmoore64
Wednesday, February 20, 2013 3:13 PM
it is good that a church will be helping people protect there self. like god says exodus 21,24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth. so even god knows you have to protect our self. so be safe out there.
# gjeffryes
Sunday, February 24, 2013 11:41 AM
Perfect! After all, we are the people, according to the Impostor-In-Chief, that are clinging to our God and guns.

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