Christian leaders demand justice after anti-ICE agitators storm St. Paul church: 'Unspeakably evil'
Christian leaders condemned anti-ICE agitators who stormed a church in the Twin Cities during a service on Sunday.
Leaders demanded action from the government after protesters were filmed shouting at Cities Church congregants in St. Paul. The incident was filmed by former CNN host Don Lemon, who followed the protesters.
The National Faith Advisory Board highlighted a response by Pastor Paul Chappell, as well as Paula Michelle White, who serves as senior adviser to the White House Faith Office.
"We condemn the actions of Don Lemon and the group of activists who stormed Cities Church today in St. Paul, Minnesota, in clear violation of the FACE Act. Christians everywhere should demand that the Department of Justice arrest those who participated. We must protect religious liberty in this country," White wrote.
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Chappell called on the Department of Justice to launch an investigation into the incident and "apprehend those who broke the law."
"We must protect religious liberty in this country," Chappell told his congregation at Lancaster Baptist Church in California.
Albert Mohler, president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, condemned the incident as "unspeakably evil." He also urged law enforcement to take swift action.
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"I normally do not post to social media on the Lord’s Day, but the unspeakably evil intrusion of a leftist mob into a Christian worship service today in Minneapolis must be called out for what it is—and Federal authorities should be fast and effective in response. May God bless this steadfast pastor, this faithful Gospel church, and the members who were traumatized, including children and youth. This was nothing less than the desecration of Christian worship.
President Donald Trump's administration has already announced investigations into the incident, which saw dozens of protesters disrupting the service and harassing congregants on Sunday.
"What a despicable act meant to terrorize and stoke fear in Christians. This is what the Left is. They hate order and want to destroy the nation," wrote Pastor Steve Gentry of Village Church in Virginia.
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Multiple top-level members of Trump's administration vowed an investigation after the unrest on Sunday.
"I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted. Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
"If state leaders refuse to act responsibly to prevent lawlessness, this Department of Justice will remain mobilized to prosecute federal crimes and ensure that the rule of law prevails," she added.
Harmeet Dhillon, the assistant attorney general for civil rights, said she and her team are "hard at work" investigating the incident.
"We will not rest until we are able to deliver justice," Dhillon said in a statement.