Situational awareness and preparedness assessment headlines surfaced across the nation following the Jan. 18 church service disruption in Minnesota and ahead of the predicted historic snow and ice storm that came the weekend of Jan. 23.
Protestors entering Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, seemed to target that specific church because one of the staff pastors, David Easterwood, serves as a field office director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The group marching into the service also are suggesting Easterwood should resign from the church, saying his two roles are a direct conflict of interest.
Jonathan Parnell, pastor of Cities Church, described the scene as jarring and marked by intimidation and threat.
“Such conduct is shameful, unlawful and will not be tolerated,” he said, while also noting he welcomes “respectful dialogue about present issues and about how the realness of Jesus, as revealed in the Bible, provides the only final answers to the world’s most complex and intractable problems.”
Parnell pledged the church will not stop “teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah” (Acts 5:42). Church buildings are meant to be places of peace and solace where worshipers can hear and live out His message, he said.
‘Unacceptable trauma’
Trey Turner, executive director of the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention, called for “all levels of governmental officials to protect the religious freedoms of all Minnesotans.”
“Video footage captured by the protesters themselves and others show them shouting insults and accusations at youth, children and families. This is an unacceptable trauma,” Turner said.
“The disruption of a religious gathering is an unacceptable violation of civil peace. We urge our leaders to stand firmly against any tactics that use the intimidation of a local congregation as a tool for political protest.”
Churches becoming a target when a specific group of likeminded individuals become angry about a particular point isn’t a new experience, but it doesn’t happen often in the U.S., which has been a gift we sometimes take for granted.
Christians and churches in many parts of the world deal with these types of threats on a daily basis. Several groups work hard to keep the stories of the persecuted Christians around the world available for us to remember to pray for them.
Our sister publication, The Alabama Baptist, also will soon be looking back on 20 years since a string of church fires happened in the western part of the state.
Nine churches in a rural part of the state were set on fire in two separate arson attacks in 2006 by three college students. It was deemed the motive was thrill-seeking and not targeted attacks, but it still confused the community as to why the young men would choose churches to damage.
1963 bombing
And, of course, the 1963 bombing of Sixteen Street Baptist Church in Birmingham where four young girls were killed will always be horrifically etched in our minds. The attack on the church was racially motivated.
When a house of worship is threatened in any form, all people of faith should be concerned and work together on solutions.
These moments also provide reminders to do our due diligence ahead of time by thinking through and being prepared for the what if.
Whether it be a safety and security issue or potential natural disaster situation, our first responder friends know how to help us be prepared. Be sure to include their voices around the table, and keep up with suggestions and tips found at tbponline.org and tabonline.org.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Jennifer Davis Rash, president and editor-in-chief of TAB Media Group. This editorial appeared in the January 29 edition of The Baptist Paper and was revised Feb. 10 to correct information initially noted about the description of the nine churches that were burned in 2006. Click here to subscribe.
