In wake of near-shooting, Braddock church hosts forum on religious hate crimes, violence

Four months ago, a North Braddock church nearly became a site of tragedy after a man entered the place of worship, aimed a pistol at Rev. Glenn Germany, who had been delivering a sermon, and pulled the trigger.

The gun jammed — which Rev. Germany, of Jesus' Dwelling Place church, considers an act of God — sparking within the reverend a rallying cry for improved safety measures among Pittsburgh's religious community, which has been plagued by violence in recent years, including the 2018 synagogue shooting that killed 11 across three Jewish congregations.

On Thursday night, Jesus' Dwelling Place church hosted faith leaders, as well as federal and state law enforcement, to discuss how to prevent future attacks and hate crimes aimed at churches, synagogues, and mosques during a forum that saw attendees pack the small church.

The evening featured speakers including clergy members who survived attacks on their congregation and recounted their harrowing experiences, local first responders, and federal law enforcement officials, who discussed grants available to religious organizations to assess and improve security.

However, in a panel discussion by religious leaders whose houses of worship were targeted in violent attacks, Rev. Brenda Gregg, of Destiny of Faith Church in Brighton Heights, said that in her case federal money to improve security came too late.

Destiny of Faith Church became the site of a mass shooting in October 2022 after two teenagers opened fire during a funeral, leaving six wounded.

Rev. Bregg said she requested a police presence at the funeral, held for 20-year-old John Hornezes Jr., who was gunned down two weeks earlier in a triple homicide on the North Side.

"The plan we had thought we had executed did not go how we thought it would go," Rev. Bregg said.

However, Rev. Bregg still urged religious leaders to maintain close ties with police despite what occurred at her church.

"Even though the ball was dropped, I still say that it is imperative for clergy in our house of worship to maintain a close trusting relationship with our local law enforcement no matter what," she said.

Meanwhile, Rev. Bregg said Destiny of Faith Church applied for a federal grant that provides nonprofit organizations, including houses of worship, with a safety assessment and funding for physical security enhancements before the incident — which was denied, only to be approved after the shooting.

"It's kind of interesting because we have to wait for people to get hurt before we get serious," she said.

Rev. Bregg was joined by Rev. Germany and Rabbi Jeffrey Myers, of the Tree of Life Synagogue, who described being rescued by a SWAT team after gunman Robert Bowers, opened fire on his congregation in what marked the worst antisemitic attack in U.S. history.

"I shouldn't be here because I shouldn't be alive," he said. "I should be dead, if it was not for Pittsburgh's finest."

Rabbi Myers urged local clergy members to prioritize security if they already hadn't.

"Any church leader who thinks their house of worship is safe, you are a fool and you are waiting to be next on the list," he said.

Rabbi Myers also encouraged leaders of all local churches, synagogues, and mosques to apply for federal assistance to bolster security.

"The federal government will assess your building for free... any house of worship that doesn't do that has a fool for a preacher," he said. "There is no safe house of worship in the United States anymore because there are two guns for every American."

Meanwhile, Rev. Germany — who initially broke into tears upon considering the possibility that his wife could have been in his place when 26-year-old Bernard Junior Polite walked in armed with a semi-automatic handgun — said the recent spate of attacks on local houses of worship is a sign of what he sees as a nation in decline.

"If we don't understand that we're entering into the end times based on what you're seeing in society, you're kidding yourself," he said.

Like Rabbi Myers, Rev. Germany also advocated for houses of worship to apply for federal assistance.

"It's an easy process, so I'm asking you, please, every pastor in here get that information," he said. "They can help you."

The clergy leaders were preceded by representatives of federal law enforcement, including Soo Song, Chief of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, who gave an overview of hate crime laws and investigations, and Department of Homeland Security officials, who discussed preventative measures authorities are taking to curb crimes on religious communities.

Ashley Wilson, regional prevention coordinator for DHS, said those measures begin locally and include efforts to curb community violence, provide resources to those in distress, and promote overall well being, which she said could mitigate attacks before they ever take place.

"We consider that upstream prevention," she said. "Tonight's programming and what we're doing right here by meeting and talking would be an example of that outcome."

Talks about security among Pittsburgh's religious community, like the one that took place Thursday, are expected to continue with a similar forum held sometime after the November presidential election, Pastor Dale Snyder of Bethel AME Church said.

"Let us protect some houses of worship and do what we can to make people safe...We are living in a day and time where people are indifferent and they believe you don't have a right to exist," Mr. Snyder said.

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