Church Disruptions are Justified

Don Lemon, a high-profile personality, was arrested on orders from US Attorney Pam Bondi, accusing him of violating the Federal Civil Rights of worshippers. Don Lemon, an independent journalist, followed protesters into a church on January 18 to cover the event. The Trump administration, known for its vindictiveness and with no love for the outspoken Lemon, who has expressed outrage over the policies and racism of the administration, felt obliged to make him an example. We have seen these political rogues in the White House wield power in a punitive and targeted way. Arrested also were Trahern Jeen Crews, co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Minnesota, Jamael Lydell Lundy, and Georgia Fort. Each has a high profile in their own right. There were many other protesters and independent journalists who were in the church.

Pam Bondi wrote on X, “At my direction, early this morning, federal agents arrested Don Lemon, in connection with the coordinated attack on Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota.” One of the church’s pastors, David Easterwood, heads the local ICE field office, and given the high tensions and the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, coupled with the unrestrained hostilities and overwhelming presence of DHS and other so-called law enforcement agencies, was the reason this particular church was chosen. Department of Justice Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon posted on X that her investigation of Lemon and others has to do with these people “desecrating a house of worship and interfering with Christian worshippers.” The post went on to state, “A house of worship is not a public forum for your protest! It is a space protected from exactly such acts by federal criminal and civil laws!”

This church is part of the Southern Baptist Convention, a conservative church movement that has its own history of racism, including its support of slavery, its stance against women in ministry, and homophobia. There was immediate outrage that a church’s worship service would be disrupted. Immediately, the leadership of the Southern Baptist Convention recoiled, stating, “I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship,” said Trey Turner. “No cause – political or otherwise – justifies the desecration of a sacred space or the intimidation and trauma inflicted on families gathered peacefully in the house of God,” stated Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board of the convention. He went on to state, “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.”

I have served in ministries in Chicago and Boston, and for thirty years in DC, and I am perplexed why churches would think they are insulated from criticism from outside once they have made forays into the issues of the world? When churches intentionally enter into vital political discussions or take positions that affect people’s lives, they open themselves to critique and questions from those affected. This invites actions and disruptions that may manifest itself in worship. Disruptions to church services are not new. Civil Rights leader James Forman, in 1969, disrupted services at New York’s Riverside Church to demand $500 million in reparations from white churches. It was the Black Manifesto, an action aimed at forcing institutions to address their historical complicity in slavery. The protest led to increased discussion of religious accountability, with some institutions later adopting anti-poverty and anti-racism awareness initiatives. Also, Stop the Church was a demonstration organized by members of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP). In December 1989, that group disrupted Mass being led by Cardinal John O’Connor at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City. One-hundred and eleven protesters were arrested. The main objective of the demonstration was to protest O’Connor’s opposition to the teaching of safe sex in the public school system and his opposition to the distribution of condoms to curb the spread of AIDS. During the Free South Africa Movement, there were several church disruptions to press churches and denominations to divest from South Africa. More recently, worship services were confronted over the genocide in Gaza. Church disruptions are not new, but they bring urgency and concern about evaluating the church’s public policy positions and, at times, point out contradictions within the church and with the pastor.

The conservative church, often referred to as the white evangelical or charismatic church, is one of the places where this right-wing Make America Great Again agenda garnered strength and energy to get elected. It was from the conservative pulpits that pastors presented to their members that it was “God’s will” and that God took a flawed person like King David, known in the scriptures for adultery and murder, and, like King David, God anointed Donald J. Trump, even with all of his flaws. These statements or those of a similar bent were made behind many church doors to parishioners across the country. It was in these circles that people like Charles Kirk gained his notoriety and political influence among young white evangelicals with his brand of ridicule of “woke-ness”, DEI, Black people, and other people of color.

Behind worship doors across the country, right-wing and predominantly white evangelical churches have impacted society in fascist ways. The theology of these churches holds that God establishes leadership. That leadership is appointed by God. But the reality is that divine leadership tends to be the assertion of those in positions to assert that point of view, dress it biblically, and assert it as divine will. Those of us fighting bias and exclusion in the church observe how God loves all the people that people in the church love, and hate all the people that people in the church hate!” That is hardly a divine equation. When Obama left the White House and Trump 1 took office, Paula White-Cain, a religious adviser to Trump, wrote that Jesus had finally returned to the White House. This was a peculiar comment because the Obamas were rooted in the church, and no one knew any church affiliation that Trump could claim.

Now I am not saying that people should indiscriminately target churches, but I am saying that when churches enter the political fray to reshape the world and make politics for all the rest of us, they open themselves up to the consequences of political discussions and critique, whether in worship or not. Also, Pastors and the positions they take theologically to influence the secular world do not insulate them or protect them from criticism or accusations of hypocrisy.

There are pastors doing secular work, and that has been called “tent” ministry. These secular jobs supplement their church income. The pastor in St. Paul was involved in a “tent” ministry. A “tent” ministry should maintain a secular position in addition to a church position. This raises another question of whether that secular job contradicts or complements a person’s overall ministry. In the St. Paul ministry, an important question emerged: the scriptures ask, ‘whether you can serve two masters,’ in this case, ICE and the church. How can the church comfort and advocate for immigrants, which it claims it does, while arresting and deporting them? The protesters were calling out the contradiction.

Pam Bondi and others are interested in protecting their right-wing religious base and, therefore, are not interested in the history of church disruptions and advocacy. Churches are not exempt from the political or theological fray once they enter the public debate. Institutional churches should be held accountable, as should pastors who serve full-time or in ‘tent’ ministries. What happened on January 18 in St. Paul, Minnesota, is not unreasonable or inappropriate. The pastor opened himself to the disruption and criticism. Instead of being outraged, the pastor and others need to comprehend why they drew the anger of protesters who were spotlighting the lack of congruence in serving ICE and claiming to offer comfort to immigrants.

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