The former law enforcement officer told the gunmen that they were on “Holy Ghost turf” and that “God’s about to change the plot of the enemy.”
On February 12, Pastor Marquaello Futrell’s cop instincts told him immediately that something was up when the men entered in the middle of the service at his Ferguson, Missouri church, All Creation Northview Holiness Family Church.
“I immediately just had the hairs [stand] on the back of my neck. I’m like, ‘OK, something’s about to happen,'” said the former St. Louis police officer to KSDK.
“Me being a former police officer, I immediately noticed their waistbands. I’m like, ‘There’s something there,'” explained Pastor Futrell.
He said that he told the Children’s Church Director to lock the doors and keep the children safe and directed someone on staff to call the police.
Pastor Futrell also told his media team that was livestreaming the service to “zoom in” on the men so that they could be identified later.
He continued the service, not wanting to frighten the congregation or alert the gunmen that the police were coming.
At one point, Pastor Futrell boldly approached the men and asked if he could pray for them.
Futrell can be heard telling the men they are on ‘Holy Ghost turf’ before informing them that ‘God’s changing the plot’, while the rousing sounds of gospel music is played live on a church organ in the background.
He then made his way over to where the group were sitting and began interrogating them over the church’s microphone.
‘Who sent ya’ll here? Just saw the church and decided to come?’ Futrell asked. ‘Talk to me.’
‘Let’s praise God for them coming. I said praise God that God sent them here!’ Futrell proclaimed as he encouraged the congregation to applaud.
‘Don’t you play with me – I still got a cop anointing and I still know what’s going on and I still know what’s about to happen.
‘God is about to change the plot of the enemy. Lift your voices and shout unto God for what he’s about to do!’ Futrell said with a rousing tone.
Source: Daily Mail
The men stayed for about 20 minutes and left, but not before they were prayed for and the media team got their faces on camera.
Pastor Futrell hopes that the incident is a wake-up call to all ministers to be alert and protect their congregations. He added that Christians are told in the Bible to “watch and pray.”
Here is the KSDK news report:
Pastor Futrell later learned that the men were wanted in connection to two convenience store robberies.
Laura Ingraham invited Pastor Futrell on her Fox News show on Monday night to discuss the incident.
“We believe that they were intending to rob us, do some harm, but we believe that God is the greatest power and we cannot be defeated so I had those instincts. I engaged them and we prayed for them and they knew that they were being recorded,” Pastor Futrell told Laura Ingraham.
“I had my media team put the cameras on them knowing that possibly the police [were] on the way. We found out later that when one of the guys lifted his hands — that the tattoo on his hand — that actually one of the guys just hours before had committed a robbery at a convenience store,” he said.
When asked by Ingraham to explain the congregants’ reaction to the incident, Pastor Futrell said that they were “thankful to God, they were thankful to me and our team for protection.”
“A lot of people really didn’t know what was going on. Many did and we had our children’s ministry on lockdown and so many of the congregants were just thankful those able to navigate them through that process with the help of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost,” said Futrell.
“When the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard,” said Pastor Futrell. “The flood will never be greater than the standard.”
Amen, Pastor Futrell, Amen!
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Sources:
1. Gordon, James. “Incredible moment Missouri church foils armed robbery when former police officer pastor and congregation pray for gunmen: Reverend tells four masked men they’re on ‘Holy Ghost turf’ and ‘God’s changing the plot’.” Daily Mail. February 28, 2023. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11801357/Missouri-church-foils-armed-robbery-former-police-officer-pastor-congregation-pray-gunmen.html
