A Lenexa, Kansas church reportedly ignited a furious debate for giving away guns to members of its congregation for Father’s Day and the Fourth of July.

In a post on Facebook, The River Church of Kansas City showed pictures of one of the pastors giving an AR-15 to one of its members for Father’s Day, according to a screenshot shown in a video report from KSHB 41. The post quickly garnered a flurry of reactions and comments online, the outlet reported. It appears the post was made private or removed as it cannot be found on the church’s Facebook page.

“I was thinking about Father’s Day because we’ve got a lot of men in the church, they like to shoot guns,” Pastor Christopher Zehner of the church told KSHB 41 in an interview. “I thought, ‘Let’s give away a gun to the church and let some of the men get involved, and let’s make it a big, fun event.’”

“A gun is a blessing because here in America, we have what’s called the Second Amendment, and we’re free Americans,” Zehner told the journalist. “We have the right to bear arms.”

KSHB 41 included screenshots of comments replying to the post provided by the church in its video report.

“Nothing says ‘Faith Over Fear” like worshipping firearms,” one apparent comment read.

“‘A church that upholds the constitution of the USA.’ Just like Jesus intended,” another screenshot showed.

“People are leaving the church like never before, and you wonder why,” a third apparent comment said.

Lenexa church “blesses” congregation members with firearms @taylorhemness sat down with the pastor. https://t.co/b22LEWNJGS

— KSHB 41 News (@KSHB41) July 29, 2024

The initial giveaway was followed by a larger event for Independence Day when the church gave away two handguns and a shotgun to members of the congregation, Zehner recalled to the outlet. The giveaways appear to have done wonders for the church. (RELATED: US Pastors Welcome Gun-Toting Parishioners)

“Our attendance doubled after this whole thing happened,” Zehner explained in the interview. “So I think people were looking at this like, ‘Wow, there’s somebody that stood up for our rights and freedoms and actually has a backbone.’”

Zehner told the outlet that the church planned to do other giveaways, possibly involving larger items like cars or homes. The church also has plans to host a gun safety course to promote responsible gun ownership, he reportedly added.

“A gun in itself is not bad,” Zehner argued to KSHB 41. “It’s the person behind the gun that has a bad heart is what’s bad. I wanted people to know that there’s still a young generation like myself that still stands for what this country was founded on.”