wfn.org | Unique ministry ‘targets' gun owners

["Disciples Off. of Communication"<wshuffit@oc.disciples.org>]

Date: July 30, 1999
Disciples News Service
Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
Contact: Clifford L. Willis
E-mail: CWillis@oc.disciples.org
on the Web: http://www.disciples.org

99a-52

	INDIANAPOLIS (DNS) -- A California Christian Church (Disciples of 
Christ) congregation aimed a unique ministry at gun owners, 
triggering the attention of the National Rifle Association and 
national news media coverage. 

	The idea came to the Rev. Karen Komsak Davis, pastor of First 
Christian Church, Glendora,  while she was driving in her car. She 
heard that the mayor of San Diego was passing out free gun trigger 
locks.  "I thought, ‘what a great and simple response to gun 
violence!' So I decided to buy a hundred trigger locks out of my 
minister's discretionary fund," she said. 

	Davis invited the Rev. Doug Hodson, pastor of a United Methodist 
congregation down the street in the Los Angeles bedroom community to 
join her in the effort.  He agreed to buy a hundred trigger locks 
too. 

	The media hungrily snapped up the story.  The Glendora paper ran it 
on page one. The Los Angeles Times unholstered a piece. Los Angeles 
TV stations joined the hunt. CNN taped FCC's Sunday worship as part 
of its coverage and National Public Radio featured the gun lock 
ministry.  "Needless to say, what we expected to be a small gesture 
to reduce accidental shootings and/or easy access to loaded guns has 
turned into quite an affair," said Davis. 

	The media coverage spurred a cautionary call from a woman with the 
U.S. Department of Justice. She worried about liability and suggested 
a liability release form and that the churches buy cable-style locks 
instead of simple trigger locks.  Installation of the cable lock 
starts with an unloaded gun. It both disables the gun's firing 
mechanism and prevents loading of the weapon. It works with a variety 
of handgun and rifle types and shotguns.  

	Davis' brother put her in touch with a Las Vegas-area gun store, 
whose owner donated his inventory of 132 cable locks just three days 
before the July 19 start of distribution. He had seen the story in 
his local paper. The dealer also connected Davis with the 
manufacturer – which has supplied the product to the churches at 
cost. 

	The National Rifle Association got into the act after reporters 
called its people for quotes on the give-away.  The NRA supplied the 
Glendora campaign with some gun safety brochures and posters 
featuring guns with locks.  

	To date, the Glendora Disciples and Methodist congregations have 
given away more than 250 gun locks to people in the congregations and 
others who have heard about the ministry through the media. The 
Glendora police department donated $240, enough for 133 locks. Davis 
says FCC and the United Methodist Church of Glendora will continue 
the ministry as long as donations  support it.

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