Overview
- Legacy Faith Church confirmed Pastor Philip Thornton held an AR-15-style rifle during his Sept. 28 sermon in Susquehanna Township, captured in a publicly available YouTube video.
- The church says the weapon was unloaded with its firing pin removed and that Thornton told congregants those safety details before preaching.
- Video shows him pointing the rifle at attendees with a laser dot visible at times, and a second participant also holding a similar firearm.
- Leaders frame the display as an illustration of “clearing the room” and encourage viewers to watch the message in full for context.
- Coverage includes Thornton linking media pushes for gun control to spiritual opposition, and no law-enforcement actions have been reported.