The mission of gun violence prevention is a very personal one to the Rev. Meghan Ryan. She grew up in the small community of Paducah, Kentucky. Her middle school was adjacent to Heath High School, where a 14-year-old student opened fire on December 1, 1997, killing three teenage girls and injuring five other students.
This incident happened before the now-infamous shooting at Columbine High School in Colorado and before a long string of other senseless school shootings.
As you can imagine, Ryan and everyone in her hometown were traumatized by the deadly shooting. A friend from Ryan's church youth group was shot and lost the full use of her arm. Her best friend’s boyfriend was shot in the head and miraculously recovered.
“At the end of the day, you had a bunch of kids who thought they were safe at school. All of the sudden, that illusion of safety is shattered,” Ryan remembers. “That sense of safety is fake. There’s not a place that’s safe anymore.”
Those memories and trauma helped transform Ryan into an activist for gun safety. As the new Missioner for Gun Violence Prevention in the Diocese of Missouri, she says she realizes her story is not unique.
“Everybody has a story of a friend or a neighbor, that was accidentally shot in a hunting accident, or who committed suicide with a gun,” Ryan said. “And a lot of people have the same story I have of a shooting in their community school.”
In Ryan’s story, the young shooter used guns from his own home and others he stole from a neighbor’s house. The guns were not locked up in either residence.
“I think my role is reminding people that we have some control over this narrative,” Ryan said. “It’s not hopeless. Our faith demands action, but it also demands hope for change.”
Recent surveys show that most people in our country are in favor of common-sense gun laws. But as Ryan points out, the political power doesn’t always lie in the majority. So in her new role as Missioner, Ryan is working with a team of dedicated members from throughout the Diocese to educate, advocate, and pray for change.
The team’s goals include:
Education: led by Janet Hyde, St. Peter's Episcopal Church in Ladue
The Gun Violence Prevention Advisory Committee hopes every congregation in the Diocese will host a “Be Smart” presentation by the end of 2024. Be Smart is a national awareness campaign from Everytown for Gun Safety. We have members of our diocese and other community members volunteering with us who are trained to teach us about responsible gun ownership in order to reduce child gun deaths. A handful of churches have already hosted this presentation. If you would like to have a presentation at your church, please contact Janet Hyde at gunsafety@diocesemo.org.
Advocacy: led by Jeff Wunrow, Trinity Episcopal Church in St. Louis
The Gun Violence Prevention Advisory Committee would like everyone in the Diocese to sign up for “Voter Voice.” Voter Voice is an online advocacy tool that allows us to get information about legislation at the Missouri capitol and provides simple ways for us to contact our local lawmakers to help influence them on issues important to us. Visit our Voter Voice page on the diocesan website to get the latest on proposed legislation, sign up for alerts, and send letters to your state lawmakers at diocesemo.org/voter-voice/.
Prayer and Liturgy: led by the Rev. Meghan Ryan, St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church in Creve Coeur
The Gun Violence Prevention Advisory Committee offers special prayer services and liturgies for special events to recognize the victims and honor the survivors of gun violence. We encourage you to attend a service as an individual, host a service as a congregation, or include special prayers in your regular Sunday services. You can find all resources on the Gun Violence Prevention webpage: diocesemo.org/gun-violence-prevention.
Ryan follows the Rev. Mary Haggerty as Missioner for Gun Violence Prevention. Mary and her husband recently moved from St. Louis to the Chicago area. We are all grateful to Mary for sharing her passion for this ministry with us.