Pastor Jamal Bryant, senior leader of New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, is calling for the immediate identification and arrest of an unidentified preacher who trespassed church property and disrupted a worship service in an incident that has since gone viral online.
The disturbance occurred earlier this year and was captured on video that has circulated widely across social media platforms. The footage shows a white, self-described "fire-and-brimstone" evangelical preacher standing in the church foyer near the entrance to the sanctuary while loudly rebuking Pastor Bryant and members of the congregation.
In the video, the man condemns New Birth worshippers to hell, accuses the church of racism, materialism, immorality, and spiritual corruption, and repeatedly shouts denunciations during the service. At one point, he refers to Pastor Bryant as a "wicked dog" who is likewise "condemned to hell."
Congregants visible in the footage appear confused and visibly unsettled by the intrusion, with some stepping back as the man continues shouting. Church security eventually escorted the preacher off the premises. No injuries were reported, and the service later continued.
Pastor Bryant addressed the incident on his podcast, stating that the individual's actions went beyond protest or speech and constituted a threatening disruption of a sacred space. Bryant emphasized that entering a church during worship to verbally attack congregants should be treated as a criminal offense, particularly given the long history of violence targeting Black churches in the United States.
Bryant's call for accountability comes amid heightened national sensitivity to disruptions of worship services. The incident follows the recent arrest of Don Lemon by federal authorities after demonstrators stormed a church in Minnesota during a worship service on January 18.
In response to that incident, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated publicly, "We do not tolerate attacks on places of worship."
Historically Black churches remain especially alert to outside threats, shaped by a legacy of racialized violence, including the 2015 massacre at Mother Emanuel AME Church, where nine worshippers were killed during Bible study.
As of this release, the identity of the mystery preacher remains unknown, and it is unclear whether law enforcement has opened a formal investigation. New Birth Church has not announced additional security measures but has reiterated its commitment to protecting worshippers and preserving the sanctity of its services.
"This is not about disagreement," Bryant said. "It is about safety."
