On Monday, Jan. 19, the North American Mission Board (NAMB) released a statement calling the anti-ICE protest that disrupted Cities Church worship service in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sunday morning “lawless harassment.”
Cities Church is a church plant supported by the SBC’s Send Network. According to the Send Network’s website, the SBC has planted more than 11,000 churches across North America since 2010.
A group of protesters, accompanied by former CNN journalist Don Lemon, barged into the church as lead pastor Jonathan Parnell was leading worship.
“Protesters forcibly disrupted worship,” NAMB’s statement said, “barging into the church building and violating the sanctuary by shouting, blowing whistles, and intentionally interrupting ongoing services.”
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“This group trespassed on private property and willfully obstructed Christian worship,” NAMB continued. “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.”
NAMB stated that what took place Sunday morning was not a “protest” but instead was “lawless harassment.”
“We are grateful that the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice has already indicated that an investigation is underway to determine whether federal laws were violated when protesters interfered with worship and desecrated this sacred space,” NAMB said. “We appreciate the swift and decisive response from law enforcement and call on local and state leaders in Minnesota to ensure that order is restored and that egregious events of this nature are not permitted to happen again.”
The statement describes Parnell’s role as a Send Network “city missionary” who “serves dozens of Southern Baptist church plants throughout the greater Minneapolis-St. Paul area.” NAMB added that Parnell is a “faithful servant with a deep love for the Gospel and for his city, having devoted his life to sharing the love of Jesus with all who call the Twin Cities home.”
