A Southfield church’s efforts to remove unwanted firearms from the community was featured on The Daily Show, one of Comedy Central’s longest-running and most popular programs.
The segment, filmed at St. David’s Episcopal Church, highlighted the church’s role in changing Michigan’s gun disposal policies. Host Desi Lydic, known for blending humor with sharp political commentary, interviewed the church’s rector, the Very Rev. Chris Yaw, about St. David’s firearm buyback program.
“It’s no surprise America has a gun problem,” Lydic says in the clip. “In fact, even if our legislators could pass comprehensive gun reform, there’s already over 400 million guns in this country — a number statisticians call ‘really high’ and ‘fucking huge.’”
“While Desi and her team certainly know how to entertain us, they also know how to offer serious political comment on a critical issue to our country,” said Yaw, rector of St. David’s.
Since 2022, St. David’s has hosted eight gun disposal events across metro Detroit, leading to the destruction of more than 650 firearms. Yaw said the program provides a resource for gun owners who no longer want their weapons but lack a safe way to dispose of them.
“There are millions of unwanted guns in the possession of reluctant owners all across the U.S. posing unknown health risks to individuals and communities,” Yaw said. “And every weapon we help take out of circulation has the potential to avert a tragedy.”
The church’s efforts gained national attention in December 2023, when The New York Times published a months-long investigation into gun disposal methods in Michigan. The report was a catalyst for changes in Michigan State Police policies on how firearms are disposed of, Yaw said.
St. David’s buyback efforts are supported by the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, the University of Michigan’s Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention, and the Southfield Police Department, among others. The University of Michigan recently published a study in the Journal of American Medical Association examining the impact of such programs.
The church is also a member of End Gun Violence Michigan, an advocacy group focused on firearm safety measures.
St. David’s Episcopal Church has served metro Detroit since 1952. It is located at 16200 W. Twelve Mile Rd., Southfield.
