From Pulpit to Pistol: Baltimore Pastor Now Armed After Being Attacked Three Times in Church
In a chilling revelation that underscores the growing crisis of violence in sacred spaces, an American pastor has confessed that he now carries a gun to church—after surviving three separate attacks while doing God’s work.
The Rev. Rodney Hudson, who shepherds both Ames Memorial and Metropolitan United Methodist Churches in Baltimore, told The Baltimore Sun that he’s been mugged twice in his own church parking lot—and once violently assaulted during a funeral service. “It’s sad to say—we all believe in God as our protector,” he lamented, “but the other harsh reality is that there are so many people who have absolutely no respect for God and the church nowadays.”
Hudson, a former U.S. paratrooper, said the final straw came when he was attacked mid-sermon by the son of the deceased while delivering a eulogy. The shocking encounter pushed him to take unprecedented measures: arming himself and hiring armed security for both congregations. “If they get past him, I’m the second guard,” he admitted grimly. “The pastor almost has to be a security guard.”
His decision reflects a disturbing national trend. According to the Crime Prevention Research Center, over half—54 percent—of Protestant churches across America now rely on armed members for protection. Recent violence in Baltimore’s churches adds haunting context: a man was fatally shot outside Adams Chapel AME, and another worshipper killed on Southern Baptist Church grounds.
For Rev. Hudson, the sanctuary has become a battleground. “The church used to be a refuge,” he said. “Now it feels like a front line.”
