But pastor Bartholomew Orr's dramatic entrance at Brown Baptist Church in Southaven, Mississippi proved controversial on social media.
One Facebook user wrote: "This is ridiculous! Look at how much money has been wasted on this contraption to lift him up like this! Nothing but a waste of funds!
"Do you know how many homeless people you could help and feed with the money you spent on this...? Absolutely ridiculous."
Another person commented: "My goodness...Then we wonder why folks don't take church serious anymore."
The head pastor at Brown Baptist used the device while preaching on Sunday about the second coming of Jesus Christ.
See the zip wire movement by skipping ahead in the video to the three-and-a-half minute mark.
Hovering above pews of laughing church-goers, pastor Orr said: "I sense that day is going to come when the sky is cracked and Jesus Christ comes again and everyone will see him.
"Are you ready for his return? Brothers and sisters, are you ready today for the return of the Lord Jesus Christ? Because he's on his way."
Not everyone was critical of the stunt.
One Facebook user said: "Love the ingenuity. Thanks for the laugh and the reminder."
Another wrote: "The thing is people will always down [criticise] what they didn't create. Do it big, pastor. I know you meant positivity with the message."
Speaking after his entrance, he told local news broadcaster WREG: "No, I didn't expect it to go viral.
"Now, seven million folks, if nothing else, have heard the message 'are you ready for his return?'"
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