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Help us spread Gun Violence Prevention Awareness by supporting the cause and saving lives. One Team. One Goal. A whole lot of support. We’re thrilled to share some exciting updates on all the great things happening at the Gun Violence Prevention Committee of the Ohio Council of Churches. Our resources are expanding with Committee members’ input.
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A Jesus Christ Movement For Unity, Justice & Peace!
The Ohio Council of Churches (OCC) is a partnership of 17 Christian denominations in 23 different organizational configurations or judicatories throughout Ohio. While our administrative offices are in Columbus, the Ohio Council of Churches is much larger than any office; it is all of us, together, across Ohio!
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Dear Friend of the Ohio Council of Churches,
Like you, I am counting down the days, hours, and minutes that mark the transition from the familiar terrain of 2025 into the promising territory of 2026. Of course, for me, this countdown has dual meanings, for January 1, 2026, will signal my entry into the realm known as retirement.
Whatever the terrain or realm that awaits us, I believe it is good and right to give thanks to God for the wondrous and awesome array of blessings that have ushered us to the present moment.
By the grace of God made known through supportive governance, creative volunteers, gifted staff, and generous friends, the Ohio Council of Churches has given vibrant leadership and visible service in multiple ways, including the following:
*Multi-denominational construction of a biblically and theologically grounded call for the prevention of gun violence;
*The launching of Christian faith-based forums that challenge Christian Nationalism by upholding universal human dignity and supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion measures, in concert with our friends of other faiths;
*Partnership with the Hunger Network in Ohio and the Dominican Sisters of Peace in demanding a State Budget that ends food insecurity;
*Continued efforts to end Ohio's death penalty, in partnership with Ohioans to Stop Executions;
*The expansion of Anti-Racism Sunday efforts that help congregations lift their voices in offering Christian faith-rooted challenges to racial injustice while calling for racial equity; and
*The initiation of Pastors and Laity Advancing Nonviolence (PLAN) as a project that equips clergy and laity to contribute to the construction of communities whose residents resolve conflicts peacefully and justly. (In partnership with Tom Carlisi and Associates.)
Please join me in giving thanks to God for these and all ministries of 2025!
As impactful as our 2025 ministries were, we know there is more that the Council must do. Inasmuch as hate, oppression, and violence continue to disrupt lives and disfigure communities, our work as a love-centered Jesus Christ movement for unity, justice, and peace will be required. On the strength of this conviction, I invite you to take a moment to join me in sending an end-of-the-year financial gift to the Ohio Council of Churches. Our collective gifts will signal our gratitude for the past ministries of the Council, while making known our commitment to the future of our beloved Council.
Please use the Givebutter link to send your end-of-the-year contribution to the Ohio Council of Churches.
As I prepare for ministry at a different pace and in a different place, know that I thank God for every moment of my time with the Ohio Council of Churches. Thank you for your support, encouragement, and love. May God be with us all. Happy New Year!
With Hope and Love,
Jack
The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
Executive Director
The Ohio Council of Churches
Christmas Meditation by the Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr., Executive Director, the Ohio Council of Churches
December 25, 2025
Season's greetings to you and yours!
With immeasurable joy, today, Christmas Day, we join Christians throughout the world in celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ, our Savior, Redeemer, and Liberator!
On this day, we lift our voices in gratitude to God for the gifts of abundant life and transformative love made known to the world through the blessed Christ Child, Jesus, our Emmanuel, God with us.
I believe Christmas presents the church with the opportunity to renew and give thanks for our sacred and sustaining relationships with God through Jesus Christ, and to commemorate the hope-infused and unifying connections we have within the Christian community and with our neighbors of other faiths.
In this current moment, when we are frequently wobbled by repeated instances of needless cruelty, unwarranted suffering, and widespread fear, our celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ retrofits us with the bold, steady, and unambiguous willingness to acknowledge the image of God as made visible on the face of every human being in every zip code, state, and nation.
Through such acknowledgement, we enthusiastically identify diversity within the human family as a gift of God, as we call for the God-given dignity of all of humanity to be respected and upheld by all.
I am convinced that the retrofitting power of God, made known through the birth of Jesus Christ, will give us the holy readiness necessary for us to live as agents of peace, justice, joy, and love in his name, and to animate the words of the African American spiritual, as we, “Go, tell it on the mountain, over the hills and everywhere! Go, tell it on the mountain, that Jesus Christ is born!
Merry Christmas, dear friend!
With Hope,
Jack
The Rev. Dr. Jack Sullivan, Jr.
Executive Director
Toward a More Peaceful Future: An Ohio Council of Churches Policy Statement on Gun Violence Prevention
Adopted December 19, 2025
As the Ohio Council of Churches — a 105-year-old statewide body uniting 17 denominations as a movement of Jesus Christ for unity, justice, and peace — we come together in lament. Since 2022, at the request of the former Ohio Coalition Against Gun Violence, we have committed ourselves to the work of gun violence prevention in our communities. Today we grieve the countless lives lost — in 2023 alone, 46,728 people in the United States died by firearms, an average of one death every 11 minutes, and here in Ohio nearly 690 lives were taken by homicide, over 1,000 by suicide, and dozens of children and youth whose futures were cut short. This grief is not abstract for us: members of our own Council have been directly affected by gun violence, and so we hold all who mourn in prayer before the God who is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18).
Biblical Foundations
The OCC stands united against gun violence because of our belief that human life is sacred. This core belief forms the bedrock of our anti-gun violence stance. It is based on the following biblical principles:
• The sanctity of human life (Genesis 1:26)
• Love of neighbor (Matthew 22:39)
• Peace and nonviolence (Matthew 5:9)
• Social Justice bringing God’s shalom into being (Micah 6:8)
Weaknesses in Current Ohio Law
As followers of Christ, we cannot separate our call to do justice from the urgent need to examine the policies shaping daily life in our state. Ohio’s current firearm laws contain serious weaknesses that place children, families, and whole communities at risk. Naming these gaps is a first step in our witness for peace.
• No universal background checks: Private sales and transfers are not required to go through background checks, creating loopholes.
• No permit required to purchase firearms: Handguns, rifles, and shotguns can be purchased without a state permit or license.
• Permit less /constitutional carry (since 2022): Adults 21+ may carry concealed handguns without a permit, training, or background check beyond federal minimums.
• Age restrictions limited: No comprehensive minimum age for possession in all circumstances; only certain restrictions on sales (under 18 for long guns, under 21 for handguns).
• Weak safe-storage/child access laws: Ohio lacks strong requirements to secure firearms from children or unauthorized users, despite firearms being the leading cause of death for Ohio youth.
• Preemption of local authority: Cities and counties are barred from passing stricter gun laws tailored to local violence conditions.
• Limited crime-gun tracing/enforcement: Gaps in resources for law enforcement to trace guns and enforce prohibitions.
• Public health & equity concerns: Weaker regulations interact with systemic inequities (poverty, racism, disinvestment) to magnify risks in certain communities.
Legislative Recommendations
We call upon Ohio’s lawmakers and leaders to enact evidence-based policies proven to save lives:
• Require universal background checks on all firearm sales, and to close loopholes that allow firearms to be obtained without oversight.
• Ban assault rifles and kits that change guns into automatic weapons, including high capacity magazines.
• Require safe storage and locking devices for guns to protect children, households, and those with mental illnesses.
• Require firearms safety training for all concealed- and open-carry permits in Ohio.
• Enact red-flag laws and extreme risk protection orders that empower families and courts to temporarily remove firearms from those at imminent risk of harming themselves or others.
• Strengthen local control over gun laws (state legislators can now override local laws).
• Support community-based violence prevention programs, trauma-informed care for survivors, and expanded access to mental health services.
Congregational Recommendations
We call upon Ohio’s congregational members and leaders to:
• Publicly declare our churches as gun-free sacred spaces, posting signage where appropriate.
• Make sure our own guns are safely stored and locked so that no others (in or out of the household) can access them.
• Participate in and lead nonviolence and peacemaking training.
• Engage our youth and families in conversations about conflict resolution, mental health, and gun safety.
• Observe national awareness days (e.g., Wear Orange weekend, Gun Violence Awareness Month) to raise visibility in our communities.
• Educate our congregations by hosting forums, Bible studies, and film screenings on the moral and public health impacts of gun violence.
• Advocate with legislators by writing letters, calling representatives, and hosting town halls in our church spaces.
• Host prayer vigils, memorial services, and liturgies of lament to honor victims of gun violence in our communities.
• Build partnerships with local organizations (schools, neighborhood associations, and public health groups) working on violence prevention.
• Organize safe-storage awareness events (partner with law enforcement, hospitals, and nonprofits to distribute gun locks and safes).
• Promote “Guns to Gardens” initiatives, where unwanted firearms are safely dismantled and repurposed into garden tools or art.
• Offer pastoral care and support groups for families and survivors of gun violence, integrating trauma-informed ministry.
Conclusion: Our Commitment and Our Prayer
Our advocacy on this subject stems from our personal pain as faith leaders who have had to attempt to comfort families affected and eulogize the victim. We pray the day comes soon when we no longer have to bury our parents, children, siblings, and friends whose lives have been cut short by gun violence. Therefore, we invite every judicatory of the Ohio Council of Churches to endorse this statement, to join a dedicated task group on gun violence prevention, and to encourage their congregations to take action in their local communities. Together, we can transform our grief into witness. It is our prayer that God’s abundance, safety, and shalom will be realized in our lifetimes. Amen.
Bibliography
Associated Press. “Judge: Ohio Can’t Bar Cincinnati from Regulating Guns.” AP.News, March 2023. https://apnews.com/article/a5f5a92e2f81810669dd195110b52eca.
Botnick Law Firm. “Ohio Gun Laws.” The.Botnick.Law.Firm. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://www.botnicklawfirm.com/ohio-gun-laws/.
Buchanan, Anna Staver. “DeWine Signs Law Removing Training, Background Check, Permitting Requirement to Conceal Carry.” Ohio.Capital.Journal, March 15, 2022. https://ohiocapitaljournal.com/2022/03/15/dewine-signs-law-removing-training-background-check-permitting-requirement-to-conceal-carry/.
Everytown for Gun Safety. “Ohio Gun Laws.” Everytown.Research.and.Policy. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://everytownresearch.org/rankings/state/ohio/.
FindLaw. “Ohio Gun Control Laws.”
FindLaw. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://www.findlaw.com/state/ohio-law/ohio-gun-control-laws.html.
Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “Background Check Procedures in Ohio.” Giffords. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/background-check-procedures-in-ohio/.
“Child Access Prevention and Safe Storage in Ohio.” Giffords. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/child-access-prevention-and-safe-storage-in-ohio/.
Health Policy Institute of Ohio. Social.Drivers.of.Violence.and.Crime.in.Ohio¡ Columbus: HPIO, 2021. https://www.healthpolicyohio.org/files/publications/cjandhealthsocialdriversviolencecrimefinal.pdf.
National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. “Ohio Gun Laws.” NRA‗ILA. Accessed October 22, 2025. https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/ohio/.
Ohio Office of Criminal Justice Services. Report.on.NICS.and.Gun.Violence.in.Ohio¡ Columbus: Ohio Department of Public Safety, 2021. https://dam.assets.ohio.gov/image/upload/ocjs.ohio.gov/links/CJS0057.pdf.
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