In Pennsylvania, USA, a Church service in North Braddock was upended on Sunday when Bernard Polite, 26, from Braddock, confronted Pastor Glenn Germany of Jesus' Dwelling Place Church with a gun during his sermon.

In an interview, Pastor Germany told CBS News: "I was like, this is not happening." However, no shots were fired, leading the pastor to express gratitude: "I thank God because only God stopped and jammed this gun."

Deacon Clarence McCallister intervened by tackling Polite to the ground. Reflecting on his actions, McCallister told the news outlet: "There's something that needs to be done and I jumped up and handled my business." Pastor Germany hailed McCallister as a hero for his quick response.

Polite now faces charges including aggravated assault and attempted homicide. 

While in police custody, Germany spoke to Polite.

"This guy was just dealing with spirits" he said, "and he came in and wanted to shoot somebody,".

Polite also apologised to Germany: "He said you ducked a taco today...and I guess that's slang for you ducked a bullet."

Pastor Germany forgave Polite but admitted the difficulty in processing the event, especially concerning his daughter who witnessed the incident: "The thing that hurts me the most and brings tears to my eyes because I couldn't watch my daughter break down...that's the part that's hard for me to digest."

The incident has prompted Pastor Germany to emphasise the reality of mental illness to his parishioners. Meanwhile, Allegheny County Police are investigating another shooting at Polite's residence where a man was found dead.

The identity of the victim and Polite's involvement remain under investigation.