By Father Casey

Last week I announced that Transfiguration will host an event called "Guns to Gardens" on Sunday, September 7, from 2:00-5:00 pm. I want to share more information about it, as this will be a very special, and also particular, sort of event. First, let me share again some of the background. Guns to Gardens (G2G) allows owners of unwanted firearms to safely dispose of them, after which the weapons are dismantled using chop saws and the pieces later transformed by blacksmiths into garden tools. It is the modern day realization of the Biblical vision of Isaiah 2:4 and Micah 4:3: "They shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks."

G2G was begun by an organization called Raw Tools, which was founded in Philadelphia in 2012, and now has affiliates in several US cities. The organization's mission is to bring the world closer to the prophetic vision of peace by providing a significant public service. There are approximately 400 million guns in our country, and many of those are no longer wanted. They were inherited but now gather dust, or purchased but no longer needed. Sadly, thousands of guns are used in suicides every year (6 in 10 gun deaths are self-inflicted), and grieving families are left in possession of those firearms. G2G offers all these gun owners a chance to safely dispose of their weapons, not for destruction but for transformation.

Our partner for G2G is Raw Tools South, based in Asheville, NC, and one of their directors, who is also a blacksmith, will be our event lead. This event took shape through the coordinated efforts of several local pastors and religious leaders, especially the Presbyterian Peace Fellowship, who have been carefully preparing for months. Our Dallas event is the twin of another happening the day before, September 6, in Fort Worth. With several dozen sponsors – congregations, schools, and non-profits – it is our hope that G2G-DFW will become an annual event.

Raw Tools has conducted hundreds of these events in dozens of cities. They are highly organized and firmly committed to safety. The "safety operating procedures" that will govern our event are extensive and provide detailed instruction for every element of the event, including specialty safety equipment. In keeping with those guidelines, only volunteers with extensive firearm safety training will ever handle a gun, while all other volunteers will have different supportive roles.

If you would like to volunteer to help set up the event or serve as a greeter, you can email the event leaders at dallascountyguns2gardens@gmail.com. If you know of someone who may have firearm safety training, we would love their help! We kindly ask that only registered volunteers or those bringing a gun to be dismantled visit the campus that afternoon. This event is not for spectators or onlookers. It is serious, solemn, and simple. There won't be speeches or celebrating. We hope to conduct a parish event sometime in the future with an area blacksmith, at which people of all ages could watch or even share in the creation of a few garden tools, but that is not what's happening on September 7.

If this event captures your imagination, as it has captured mine, here is how you can help.

Spread the word. Let people in your life know about this public service. No advanced registration is required, and the anonymity of all donors will be strictly kept. Gunowners need only to show up on September 7 between 2-5pm with their unloaded firearm in their trunk or backseat.

Volunteer. We need a few dozen volunteers to help things go smoothly. Only those with very specific firearm safety training will handle guns, while all others will serve in different roles. We are still looking for a few people with firearm safety training, so if you know anyone like this, please encourage them to be in touch. Contact dallascountyguns2gardens@gmail.com.

Donate. This event requires special safety equipment and the presence of skilled personnel. We also hope to present gift cards to each gun owner as a sign of thanks. You can donate by clicking here or mail a check to

Our Democracy
3526 Lakeview Pkwy B-181
Rowlett, TX 75088
Memo: Guns to Gardens

Pray. This is an act of faith. We are trying to live out the prophetic vision of the kingdom of God. Please pray for everyone involved, that God will bless our work for peace.