Alabama congregation opens gun range behind church

“Others were talking about issues related to gun safety”.

So far, only church members use the range, but outsiders have been inquiring. You can do so at a church in Alabama, which has opened a gun range.

With the creation of the gun range came the creation of the Rocky Mount Hunt and Gun Club, which now leases the land for the gun range for liability purposes.

Many churches have set their sights on programs to attract new members or minister to their communities.

Guin, who served in the military for 26 years mostly as a non-combatant chaplain described the range as “a loving, wholesome kind of atmosphere” that promoted gun safety.

The red-clay dirt range behind the Rocky Mount United Methodist Church in Jemison began as an overgrown gully once filled with snakes and vermin, according to the station, and has turned into a ministry that includes guns, bullets and the Bible.

Anyone in the community can become a member of the hunting club and shoot targets, but the church’s target is unbelievers.

Turning holy-owned ground into a place to practice a deadly art wasn’t originally about outreach, though, Guin told CBS affiliate WIAT in Birmingham, which first broke the story.

Guin knows there are critics, but says feedback from the Jemison community has been overwhelmingly positive.

Initially, the range was just used to teach about gun safety, but turning the act of shooting into a ministry seemed a natural evolution to Guin. Several pastors have also contacted him wanting to use the range.

“We want to help people enjoy this gun use in an environment where people can feel safe and have fun”, he said.