Church Sparks Outrage After Holding ‘Mock Firing Squad’

A Kentucky church is facing a firestorm after a Bible school skit for children showed what appeared to be a mock firing squad on stage, complete with military-style costumes, fake weapons, chanting kids, and a staged execution that has now gone viral.

The video, reportedly filmed at Mount Olivet Baptist Church in Kentucky, shows a group of children loudly chanting, “Take him out! Blow him up!” while men dressed in tactical-style gear point guns toward a man lying on the stage.

@jedidiah_padawan #bibleschool #christianity #insanity #conservative #indoctrination ♬ winter – SilentWoods

Moments later, the men appear to pretend to fire multiple rounds as the man plays along as the victim. Children in the room can be heard laughing and screaming during the bizarre performance.

The pastor can also be seen leading the chant as the scene unfolds in front of the kids.

After the mock shooting, the staged victim is dragged off the platform and taken outside. The pastor then stands near the door and counts down with the children before a loud pop is heard from outside, causing the kids to erupt in screams.

The scene was clearly meant to be theatrical, but critics say the optics were shocking, especially at a time when parents across America are already deeply concerned about violence, schools, churches, and what children are being exposed to.

The backlash quickly grew online, with many viewers calling the skit disturbing and inappropriate for young children. Others argued the church was trying to make a spiritual point in a dramatic way, even if the execution-style imagery went much further than many families expected from Bible school.

Pastor Dewayne Walker later addressed the controversy on the church’s Facebook page, saying the skit was not about harming people but about “commandos for Christ” defeating the Devil with what he described as “the gospel gun.”

Walker said the weapons used in the skit were air rifles, which he compared to paintball guns. He also defended the performance as part of an effort to make church “a fun place” and “a happy place” while teaching children to love others and hate Satan.

Still, the viral clip has left many Americans stunned.

For some, it was a harmless church drama with an over-the-top message. For others, it was a jaw-dropping example of adults blurring the line between faith, entertainment, and violent imagery in front of children.

Either way, the Kentucky church is now at the center of a heated debate over what belongs in a children’s Bible school program — and whether this skit crossed a line that should have been obvious from the start.