A pastor, who was tackling a teenage gunman during a carjacking in Baltimore, Maryland, in June, is emphasizing the importance of introducing Jesus Christ to a young, increasingly godless generation.
According to an affidavit cited by WBALTV, the Rev. Kenneth Moales Jr., who leads the Pentecostal Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Bridgeport, detailed his experience. He stated that he parked his car on East Pratt Street near Broadway in Upper Fells Point just before 9 p.m. on June 29.
Moales recounted that the teenager as a 16-year-old high school junior, pretended he had an emergency, claiming his phone was broken. The teen then pulled a ski mask over his face and brandished a gun.
Despite fearing for his life as he exited the vehicle, Moales told Fox News in a recent interview that he thought, “I can take this guy. I’m not a hero, but I began to think, ‘I can’t die like this. My wife and children are at home; they’d be devastated. I can’t die here.’”
He explained that he decided to punch the gunman in the jaw, which led to a struggle over the gun. Although he was pistol-whipped during the altercation, Moales managed to wrestle the gun away from the teenager, and it fell to the street.
At one point, he tried to restrain the gunman and told him, “I’m a pastor,” attempting to show mercy by saying he would not press charges. Despite this, the gunman managed to escape his grip with the weapon and the stolen car.
Police responded quickly, locating the stolen vehicle and arresting three teenagers inside, including the 16-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 19-year-old, Mehkai Tindal, who were charged, WBALTV reported.
Moales expressed disappointment that during the struggle, the teenager showed a lack of reverence, sharing, “Believe it or not, that’s what hurts me the most. He had no reverence for me as a pastor. I thought that would be a turning point in our scuffling. I tried to get more leverage on him. ‘Hey, relax, I’m a pastor,’” Moales said.
“I was so concerned. This is such a godless generation. How could he not at least back off, knowing I’m a pastor, and he didn’t care.”
Moved by the incident, Moales now plans to shift his ministry focus more toward youth salvation. “I started out as a youth pastor with my father. My passion has always been towards mentoring and pouring into young men. But what I’m learning right now, mentorship is not enough,” he told Fox News.
“We’ve got to get into Lordship. [We] have to introduce our generation to our Lord Jesus Christ.”
