Wright, 57-year-old pastor at Heal the Land Outreach Ministries is also a City Councilman.
A congregant Allison Woods narrated her New Year eve experience to CNN: "It didn't seem real because it was like the scripture that our pastor was reading, it was like it came off the page. It's the next day, when you think of all that could have happened, what could have gone wrong, it sinks in how terrible it could have gone wrong."
That evening the church members had discussed about violence in churches in different parts …show more content…
After the stranger appeared to be calm, Wright took the weapon from him, patted him, and called four bulky deacons to hug the man to make him feel welcomed and loved.
The pastor then prayed for the man, who fell on his knees and started crying.
"When I told the congregation, its OK, he wants prayer and I began to pray for him, and the power of God hit and he fell to his knees and began to cry and weep and he had his face on the ground," Pastor Wright was quoted as saying by WNCN.
He was then invited to sit in the front row, as Wright continued with the service.
"I finished the message, I did the altar call and he stood right up, came up to the altar, and gave his life to Christ. I came down and prayed with him and we embraced. It was like a father embracing a son," Wright said.
The night ended peacefully, but someone had called 911 and police arrived at the scene. Pastor Wright did not want to interrupt the service, so he asked the police to wait until the service was over.
"I didn't want to interrupt the service," he said.
Some eyewitnesses claimed to have seen the man pacing anxiously in the parking lot before he entered the