A pastor in Troy, New York perhaps took a cue from the Kentucky Baptist Convention when he decided that a great way to promote the Lord Jesus was to give away an AR-15 rifle. The flyer that the Rev. John Koletas has been distributing shows a picture of the fierce-looking firearm below a Biblical quote, from John 14:27, that reads “My peace I give unto you.”

The Rev. John Koletas, pastor of Grace Baptist Church, said the service and gun raffle are aimed at “honoring hunters and gun owners who have been so viciously attacked by the antichristian socialist media and antichristian socialist politicians the last few years,” according to a letter he posted on the church website.

Koletas, who works as a Rensselaer County court reporter, said he wanted to show support for Second Amendment rights.

“I’m just trying to be a blessing and a help to the gun owners and the hunters and give away a free AR-15,” he said. “It’s the right thing to do.”