Pastor Clemmie Livingston Jr. returned to the pulpit at New Zionfield Baptist Church in Memphis, Tennessee, after being shot in the face during a car theft only five weeks prior.

“I thank God for answering prayer for Pastor Clemmie Livingston Jr.!” Franklin Graham posted on Facebook.

Resurrection Sunday was Livingston’s first time back in the pulpit, but also his last time for another several weeks as he still has more surgeries to come before he can fully recover from the incident.

On Sunday, Feb. 25, the 70-year-old Livingston was shot before the church service when he tried to stop thieves attempting to steal a Sunday school teacher’s car.

“This should be one of the things that wakes up Memphis to show that nobody’s safe,” said the pastor’s 17-year-old grandson, Kavion Woodin. “A church is one of the safest places you should be at.” Kavion told reporters that he had already lost seven friends to gun violence.

According to Livingston’s wife, Gwendoline, his jaw was “unrepairable.”

“When the bullet hit, it shattered his entire jaw,” she said.

The incident initiated a strong desire in Livingston and his family to make an effort to fight against gun violence in their community. According to FOX13 Memphis, Livingston plans to bring community leaders together to create more opportunities, resources, jobs and extracurriculars for young people in the area.

“Give them something to do,” he said. “Don’t steal my car, go buy yourself a car. So many of these households and homes don’t have a father or anything in the home. So, we have to look at all that.”

Livingston was thankful to return to his congregation in the Riverside community of South Memphis. “It’s Resurrection Sunday, but also, it’s a testimony Sunday for me,” Livingston said from the pulpit.

When asked why he thinks he’s still here today, he said, “Well, it appears to me God’s got something for me to do. … In my spirit and in my heart, I know that Jesus brought me through this.”

Franklin continued in his post, “Pastor Livingston still has more surgeries ahead but said he is blessed to be alive. Would you lift him and his wife, Gwendoline, up in prayer as they continue down the road to his recovery?”

Photo: Screenshot / FOX13 Memphis