Some unknown gunmen suspected to be armed robbers stormed an American church and robbed the pastor, Bishop Lamor Miller-Whitehead and members of his congregation during a live-streamed church service on Sunday.

Reported revealed that the criminals robbed the pastor and congregation of about $400K in jewellery.

Whitehead was speaking at the Leaders of Tomorrow International Ministries in Canarsie, Brooklyn, when the robbery happened.

Speaking on his social media pages afterwards, the cleric said, “I didn’t know if they wanted to shoot the church up or if they were just coming for a robbery.”

Addressing comments on him having expensive jewellery, he said, “A lot of people are going to say, ‘Why are you so flashy?’ It’s my prerogative to purchase what I want to purchase if I work hard for it.”