The Diocese of Michigan has endorsed a resolution call for universal background checks on all gun purchases, banning all sales of semiautomatic weapons, high-impact ammunition, and high-capacity ammunition magazines.

The 180th annual meeting of synod of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan of the Episcopal Church of the USA has endorsed a resolution call for universal background checks on all gun purchases, banning all sales of semiautomatic weapons, high-impact ammunition, high-capacity ammunition magazines, and making gun trafficking a federal crime. Meeting in Lansing on 24-25 Oct 2014, the resolution stated: “We … stand for public policies to ban violence and assault weapons.” The resolution further stated: “Access to guns with rapid fire ability and high capacity magazines are a common, deadly ingredient in … repeated killings.” The resolution engendered heated debate within the convention, but was passed with a strong majority. Supporters of the proposal argued the Episcopal Church had a duty to promote social justice issues, while opponents argued the resolution was vague, illiberal and mere political posturing. While the national church leadership under Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has advocated gun control, her political sympathies have not been shown to be universally shared by Episcopalians across the country. The late president of the National Rife Association — the country’s largest gun rights society — was the actor and prominent Episcopalian Charleton Heston.