A Kentucky Church’s VBS Skit Showed the Devil Getting Executed by Firing Squad — In Front of Kids

A Kentucky church is facing backlash after a Vacation Bible School skit featuring a mock firing squad in front of children went viral online.

The clip, which spread widely after being posted to Reddit, shows men in military-style clothing marching down the center aisle of Mt. Olivet Baptist Church in Lexington and pretending to shoot a person dressed in black standing near the altar. As the scene unfolds, children can be heard chanting, “Take him out! Blow him up!” The costumed men then carry the figure outside as an explosion sound effect plays.

@workaholic99 “Come to Church” they said, “It’I be fun!” they said… #vacationbibleschool#kentucky#feverdream♬ original sound – Mr wise guy

The video quickly sparked criticism online, but Pastor Dewayne Walker says much of the reaction has been fueled by misunderstanding.

In a Facebook post Monday, Walker called the controversy a “firestorm” and said he was “befuddled” by the outrage.

“The misinformation out there is sad, and I guess it’s a part of what this generation has become,” Walker said.

Walker said the clip came from a long-running Vacation Bible School tradition at the church, where characters representing good and evil act out scenes intended to reinforce the week’s lessons.

“We have characters every year that represent good and right and God, and we have characters that represent evil and wrong and that which should be avoided,” Walker said, describing the skits as an effort to make church “fun.”

According to Walker, the church has staged similar performances for more than three decades.

“Every year, for 32 years, we’ve had this evil against good [ritual] in our vacation Bible school. The last several years, we’ve had the commandos for Christ,” he said. “The clip you saw was simply killing the Devil.”

Walker acknowledged some viewers may have found the performance excessive but defended the presentation.

“You may think we went over the top,” he said. “You may think it was a little bit extreme, and maybe you’re right, but don’t you believe that the devil is really using extreme measures in this generation.”

The video also drew criticism from the Kentucky chapter of Moms Demand Action, a gun violence prevention organization. Volunteer Kathi Crowe, a retired teacher in Lexington, called the skit “unbelievably disturbing.”

“Vacation Bible School and our churches should be safe spaces for children. Subjecting kids to a full-scale simulated tactical raid and firing squad is just an appalling abuse of that space, and a major breach of trust that can’t go unaddressed,” Crowe said. “Any lesson for children about good and evil has to start with adults modeling safety and grace. Our leaders must do more to protect our kids and educate the community on the steps they can take to prevent this kind of violence from actually happening.”

The clip also prompted thousands of reactions on Reddit, where many users questioned whether any amount of context could justify the performance. One commenter called the skit “depraved,” while another wrote, “There’s not enough context in the world to make this okay.”