Thousands of Christians gather in churches across the country on Sunday mornings to worship, serve and pray. Many people assume that the church is where they feel safe and secure.

We are aware that evil exists in the world. A recent incident in Pittsburgh illustrates this sad reality.

WPXI reported, “A man is facing charges after allegedly attempting to shoot at pastor Glenn Germany, who was giving a sermon at Jesus’ Dwelling Place Church on Lobinger Avenue at 1:09 pm on Sunday. ”

Bernard Junior Polite (26 years old) strode down the aisle with his gun pointed at Germany, when a miracle happened.

WPXI reported, “Police stated that the man attempted to fire the gun but it did not go off.” Germany has a different view: “God stopped the bullet from coming out of that gun. ”

Germany was hiding behind the pulpit while Polite ran towards the altar. Both Deacon Clarence McCallister and Germany grabbed the gun from Polite.

It is not surprising that mental illness was a factor. According to Polite, the “spirits” or voices as he called them were what prompted him to try to shoot at the minister.

On Sunday night, police responded to a call at Polite’s home, where they found a dead body. The victim has the same last name, but it’s not clear from WPXI’s report what relationship the two had.

Germany forgives Polite, despite his charges of attempted murder for the attempted church shooting.

Germany told WPXI that “he apologized to me.” “I told him ‘I forgive you’ and ‘I love you’.

I was drawn to this story because my church recently formed a security team to protect its members. We’ve been paying off-duty deputies to work at our campuses and midweek recovery services for years. A volunteer security team adds an extra layer of protection for the congregation.

We are a team of former and current law enforcement, military personnel (including those soon to retire), retired firefighters, nurses, and a former staff member who knows the building well. We are responsible for being alert and ready to identify any threats and help deputies to neutralize them. A large medical bag is available for our team to use to treat injured individuals.

The security team is not just looking out for potential shooters, they are also making sure the building is secure.

I think that churches should do more to protect their members. You can ask your church leaders to help you and your family stay safe. If you are interested, you could start a group to provide security. Everyone must feel physically safe when they enter a spiritually safe place.