This week’s column reports on recent policy decisions made by the vestry.
When I was growing up in the Episcopal Church, there were norms of behavior everyone followed. These norms were unspoken and probably unwritten, and were as much of a given as the oxygen in front of your face. Some of those norms might seem silly now: no blue-jeans in church, women should wear hats and gloves, girls were not permitted to be acolytes, and men were expected to wear ties. They seem silly because we all agree that times have changed, and these old norms no longer “fit” with the world we live in today.
When I was a young Episcopalian, church leaders did not require those working with children or other vulnerable folks to undergo background checks or special training. It was assumed that if you were a church member you were a good person, and if you volunteered to work with kids, you did so out of a special calling and the kindness of your heart. In the mid-1980’s when the first Roman Catholic sexual abuse case became public, leaders of all denominations began to pay closer attention. In the Episcopal Church, the “Safe Church” program was developed to guard against sexually inappropriate behavior and to train people how to spot and report abuse. That program has been in place at St John’s for many years. In December, after several months of review and discussion, the vestry approved an updated version of St John’s Safe Church policy. We’ll be posting a copy on our website. In the meantime, you may request a copy from our Safe Church Officer, Pam White.
On any given day, St John’s serves a diverse group of people. During the week folks with developmental disabilities come through our doors for cooking and lunch activities, mothers and toddlers come for music programs, homeless men and women come for assistance or programming, 12-step groups come for support meetings, low-income families come to receive household cleaning and care supplies, and parishioners of all ages come for ministry meetings and activities. Given the extremely diverse population we serve, our staff, lay leaders, and vestry are always looking for ways to make our campus safer, while maintaining an atmosphere of holy welcome.
For many months now, our Social Action Ministry has been working on the issue of gun violence prevention. They sponsored an educational forum on gun violence and gun safety. They participated in the 49 Bells Project—a public witness against the scourge of mass gun violence. That project was endorsed by the bishop, and he called for all parishes in Colorado to take part. We offered a prayer vigil the night before the election, praying for God to be present with all who voted, all who put their names forward as candidates, and all who are the victims of injustice of any kind. Also in November, I moderated a panel on guns and suicide at Congregation Har HaShem. St John’s takes seriously our call to advocate against violence in all forms.
It is in keeping with that calling, and with mindfulness for the safety of the people who come here, that St John’s vestry in December declared St John’s will be a gun-free campus. They did this after several months of prayerful discernment and discussion. Here is an overview of what the policy says:
+ The parish and its properties are sacred grounds and private property. The possession of firearms anywhere on church property is inconsistent with the mission and faith practices of the Episcopal Church.
+ Duly sworn Colorado law enforcement officers are exempt from this policy.
+ If a person is observed carrying a concealed weapon or openly carrying a firearm, they will be advised of the policy and asked to secure the firearm in their vehicle. If the one carrying refuses to comply with the request, local law enforcement will be contacted to come and escort the individual off the church property.
+ Employees or volunteers who intentionally violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action. Non church groups who use church facilities and violate this policy may be prohibited from future use of St John’s facilities.
To the best of my knowledge, St John’s vestry is the first in the diocese to make such a declaration, although I am told other parishes have expressed interest in adopting such a policy. We also have the blessing of our property insurer and the bishop’s office. I want to be very clear, however, that this should in no way be seen as some sort of referendum on gun ownership, for it is not, and if I saw it as such I would not support it. As someone who for many years hunted big game in Alaska for her winter food, I support the right of responsible people to own and use guns in a responsible manner.
Some might argue that part of responsible gun ownership is the right to carry a licensed concealed weapon anywhere one feels it is necessary, including when attending church. If that was the only consideration I might tend to agree, at least in principle. Another perspective, however, maintains that it is a very central and important role of a church to provide a sanctuary, a place of peace in an often turbulent world. It is this latter argument that for me has more weight, and as such I support wholeheartedly the vestry’s policy decision to declare St John’s a gun-free campus.
In December the vestry also approved the declaration of St John’s as a Safe Zone. In this we follow the lead of Boulder County, who in early December observed that the county “has always placed a high value on cultural responsiveness and inclusivity,” and with the posting of Safe Zone signs they reaffirmed their dedication to those values. [1] Safe Zone signs state: “[We] respect all aspects of people including race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, political affiliation, age, religion, body shape, size, and ability.” [2]
It might seem like posting such a sign at a church is stating the obvious. But be careful about jumping to such a conclusion. If you are a white, middle-class, heterosexual person of average physical build, if you share the political views of most of the people around you, the Safe Zone language might sound overly punctilious and pedantic. However, stop for a moment and imagine what it might be like to attend our church as a person of color, or someone without much education, or someone obese and struggling toward better health, or someone whose political views are decidedly in the minority, or someone whose gender identity is homosexual, bisexual, or fluid, or someone who grew up in a fundamentalist cult. Now imagine yourself walking through the red doors of St John’s for the very first time. You come tentatively, having been judged or wounded by churches in the past. The words “church” and “welcoming” are not ones you’re accustomed to using in the same sentence. Wouldn’t it be comforting to read that the church you have just entered is committed to creating a culture of respect? Not claiming to be perfect, just intentionally working to be better at respecting the dignity of every human being, as we promise in our Baptismal Covenant to do.
You needn’t worry that St John’s is going to become plastered with signs. We won’t. We’ll convey these messages tastefully, in a way that is in keeping with our beautiful campus and worship space; in a way that puts people at ease instead of distracting them from the sacred atmosphere we all come here seeking.
Compliance with these policies is between the worshiper and God. We are not going to monitor conversations to assure people are being respectful. We are not going to subject people to searches or detection devices to assure firearms are not brought into the church. We are simply conveying the expectations of the leadership of this parish, in an age when the world has changed and norms can no longer be taken for granted.
Any time the leaders of a church take a stand on something—even something as seemingly innocuous as reminding everyone to be respectful of all people—we are bound to rub some folks the wrong way. As a leader it would certainly be easier to be silent. But unfortunately silence and complacency aren’t what following Christ is about. I am reminded of the scene in Luke 19:37-48: Jesus is entering Jerusalem on a donkey, and his disciples are singing his praises because of all the miracles they had seen. “Teacher!” hiss the Pharisees, “Tell your followers to be quiet!” Jesus replied, “I’m telling you if I silence my disciples then the stones themselves will cry out.” In other words, the work of God moving Creation toward harmony and peace will not be stopped. I am very thankful that our church has elected to join in the work of God, doing our small part to help.
If at any time you have a concern regarding these or any policies at St John’s, please contact the office and we’ll make time to talk together.
