Pastor Credits ‘Miracle of God’ After Gunman's Weapon Jams During Sermon

  • Michael Foust CrosswalkHeadlines Contributor
  • Updated May 08, 2024
Pastor Credits ‘Miracle of God’ After Gunman's Weapon Jams During Sermon

A Pennsylvania pastor who was preaching Sunday when a gunman attempted to shoot him is crediting a miracle from God for sparing his life.

Rev. Glenn Germany of the Jesus' Dwelling Place Church in North Braddock, Pa., just outside of Pittsburgh, was preaching Sunday when a man walked into the center aisle and pointed a gun at Germany, who was standing only a few feet away. Although the man tried to fire the weapon, it did not discharge.

Within seconds, a deacon rushed up behind the gunman and tackled him to the ground. Germany then helped the deacon subdue the man. A video of the incident went viral on social media. The service was being live-streamed.

"At that point, I didn't have time to think," Germany told ABC's Good Morning America. "It was just reaction. I ducked and tried to get out of the way."

Germany had never seen the man before, he said. His sermon that day was on "enemies of God."

"He pulled the trigger, and a miracle of God happened that the gun got jammed," Germany said. "That bullet had a name on it."

The heroic deacon was Clarence McCallister.

"I just jumped up and ... pulled his arm down to his side and locked him up," McCallister told Good Morning America.

Said Germany, "I think that was an act of heroism if I've ever seen one."

The gunman was identified by police as Bernard Polite. Law enforcement searched his home and found the body of a 56-year-old man who had been fatally shot, ABC reported. Police later identified the body as that of Derek Polite, Bernard Polite's cousin, and have charged the gunman with murder. He was using the same gun in both incidents, WTAE reported.

"We believe that the shooting death of Derek Polite occurred around 10 a.m., prior to the incident later on that afternoon at the church," said Allegheny Police Superintendent Christopher Kearns.

Germany told WTAE that the gunman said he was listening to voices in his head.

"I said, 'What made you do it?' I mean, 'What were you thinking?' And he said, 'I don't know, it was just a thought in my mind, thoughts coming to your head you just do what the thoughts say,'" Germany said.

Photo credit: ©YouTube/ABC7; Twitter credit: ©Twitter/Christian Emergency Alliance

Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.