A pastor in North Hampton, Ohio was violently attacked after a sermon by a man who describes himself as a “militant atheist.”

James Maxie, 28, of Springfield, Ohio was attending a service at Bridge Community Church. Maxie disrupted the service several times in what parishioners described as attempts at confrontation with the pastor. After the service ended, Maxie and his girlfriend approached the pastor.

When the pastor asked the girlfriend if she felt safe, Maxie attacked with a brutality that police chief Jarrod Campbell says he’s never seen before.

Reverend Norman Hayes, 57, suffered a broken nose, bruises and three long cuts to the face that required stitches. Hayes said that he feared for his life and begged for Maxie to stop the attack.

Maxie fled the church and hid in a cornfield where police discovered him. Officials say that because of the brutality of his attack on the pastor, Maxie will be facing felony charges.

“We believe there is hope for everyone,” Hayes told WHIO-TV, “but we also believe that regardless of that, people need to pay for what they have done, and I hope he has to pay for what he has done. Get put away for a while and not hurt anyone else. In my opinion, the next person won’t be as lucky as I was.”