Pistol-Packing Pastor Quits to Work for Gun Rights

A pistol-packing pastor who drew

national attention earlier this year for hosting a "God-and-Guns" event

at his church is stepping down from the pulpit to serve his flock with

a new mission.

















Pastor

Ken Pagano ended his 30-year career last month when he resigned from

the New Bethel Church in Louisville, Ky., saying that he wants to focus

on church security and Second Amendment rights — a crusade he insists

is better fought outside the ministry.









"Thirty

years was a good, long run, but it’s time for a change," Pagano told

the Washington Times. "If I can write my own ticket, I want to get

involved more in Second Amendment issues as they affect the church, and

I can do more from outside the pulpit than from behind it," Pagano told

the paper.









About 200 people attended

Pagano’s "Open Carry Celebration" at the New Bethel Church in June. The

event commemorated the roles of religion and gun ownership in American

history, and included a handgun raffle. Attendees were also provided

with firearms-safety information.









While

Pagano says the event drew mostly positive responses, it made him

realize that he might have another calling — keeping worshippers safe. – [source]