Bishop Simeon Hall, senior pastor of New Covenant Baptist Church, said that after receiving a gun pick-up request, he collected a shotgun yesterday morning in conjunction with the police.
However, the person who turned over the illegal firearm will escape prosecution. That is because a gun amnesty period began on October 5 and ends on November 4.
Prime Minister Hubert Ingraham announced in a national address earlier this month that after November 4, anyone convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm or ammunition will, upon conviction, be imprisoned for a minimum of four years.
Hall indicated that he had received approximately four gun pick-up requests since appealing to the public on Sunday to take advantage of the gun amnesty.
"We have too many guns in our society and The Bahamas does not manufacture guns," said Hall during an interview at his church on East West Highway.
"We thought that the church should stand in its prophetic role and speak truth to all facets of our society and to encourage persons to obey the law."
Hall headed the government-appointed crime commission earlier on in this term.
He  pointed out yesterday that this is the first time that he has been directly involved in recovering an illegal firearm although he has encouraged anonymous callers, who have queried the gun amnesty period, to turn their weapons over to the police.
"We got a call after we made an announcement encouraging persons with guns to embrace the gun amnesty period," Hall said.
"An elderly lady who was unsure of what to do said to me that it (the shotgun) had been left there by a deceased family member and she wanted us to facilitate, and we gladly did.
"I know that the police have been leery of individuals taking guns on behalf of persons who posses them illegally, and so I called the police and they accompanied me to this person's house to retrieve the gun."
Hall said that he felt good about the collection of the shotgun and encouraged pastors in The Bahamas to offer assistance in relation to the gun amnesty initiative.
"I believe that the church is the bridge between those who disobey the law and those who enforce it," he said.
"I believe the church can play a crucial role and I am calling on pastors all over the country to make themselves available to persons who might have guns and be the facilitator in the recovery of guns wherever possible."

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