Nashville pastor protects congregation from gunman during Sunday service

by Seth Udinski
Nashville pastor protects congregation from gunman during Sunday service

Seth Udinski, FISM News

 

As a spiritual shepherd, it is the duty of the pastor to protect his flock from spiritual attack, following the example of the Lord Jesus, the Good Shepherd. But sometimes, as was necessary this past Sunday at a church in Nashville, a pastor must protect his flock from physical harm as well.

Pastor Ezekiel Ndikumana of Nashville Light Mission Pentecostal Church courageously did this for his congregation when a shooter broke into the church’s 10 am service on Sunday. The shooter jumped up from the front row with a gun in one hand and a Bible in the other, taking control of the room and threatening to open fire. Pastor Ndikumana sneaked out of the shooter’s line of vision and wrestled him to the ground from behind before the shooter could harm anyone.

Surveillance footage captured the moment that the pastor saved his flock from serious harm. The gunman, 26-year-old Dezire Baganda, was arrested and could be charged with 57 counts of aggravated assault.

Pastor Ndikumana spoke afterward of God’s protection over his flock in using him to keep the church safe. He said:

He wanted to kill, that’s what first came to my mind…I would say that God used me because I felt like I was going to use the back door as an example as going on by trying to go behind him. And then I felt the feeling that I would go and grab him… and that’s what happened. God wanted to show that he’s a powerful God. One main thing I said, we had faith.

No one was harmed in the incident, thanks to the courage of a pastor who exemplified in his actions the way a shepherd must care for and protect the flock of God.

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