Chesapeake, Va. - Rehoboth Church packed with people for watch night to remember the Emancipation Proclamation which freed slaves in the South 151 years ago to the day.
"We celebrate freedom from slavery but with a christian spin where we're celebrating our freedom from sin," The Reverend Milton Greene said.
As the clock struck midnight, the service was wrapping up. Reverend Greene's son went to the balcony to turn off the audio system, that's when he saw a stray bullet go through the church's roof.
It took a minute for everyone to collect themselves and realize what had happened.
"They don't really think a bullet goes up, it's gonna come back down," Greene said.
No one was hurt and once the church's collective heart rate went back to normal, they felt especially blessed.
"This was God's way of saying, 'Hey, no matter what happens, I'm still protecting you. You still have my grace," Greene said.
Greene kept the bullet as a reminder of what could have been lost in the first minute of the new year.