SBC Pastor in Tennessee Faces Backlash for Immigration Comments

matt crawford
Pastor Matt Crawford. Screengrab from Facebook / @Trinity Baptist Church

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During his pre-service announcements on Sunday (Jan. 26), Tennessee Pastor Matt Crawford addressed the hot-button topic of immigration—and reaction was swift. Crawford, who leads Trinity Baptist Church in Cordova, expressed disappointment in new Trump administration policies regarding deportations and raids.

As a result of the pastor’s comments, Tennessee Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis), left the sanctuary. A representative later confirmed that the senator “walked out of the service during the pastor’s political commentary.”

On Jan. 27, the Republican-led Tennessee Statehouse began a special session, partly to address state cooperation with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) programs.

RELATED: Vance Defends Trump Policy Allowing ICE Raids of Churches, Schools Amid Backlash from US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Trinity Baptist Church, which is affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), holds a Spanish-language service and offers ESL classes for about 200 people. Cordova, east of Memphis, has what’s been described as a “growing and thriving immigrant population.”

Trinity Baptist Church Pastor Matt Crawford Appeals for Love, Grace, and Unity

Pastor Matt Crawford prefaced his comments by acknowledging the topic is sensitive and that congregants likely have differing and strong opinions about immigration. “I ask you to consider it with love and grace and the spirit of unity that our church has consistently been marked by,” he said. “I think we all believe in the rule of law. I certainly do. I don’t think we should have wide-open borders. But I do believe immigration is a major part of what has made this country so great.”

Crawford continued:

We all believe that violent criminals should not be allowed to remain here and terrorize innocent people. We can agree on that. I do think that there are many good people here who are undocumented who would like a path to legality. I believe it’s too hard right now for good people to find that path. It’s sometimes nearly impossible.

Then the pastor shared a story from his time serving at a Hispanic congregation in Florida. A volunteer associate pastor, who had come to America from Costa Rica, was undocumented “and wanted to be legal, and it was very hard for him to get there,” said Crawford. “That’s unfortunate, and I think we need reform in that area.”

The pastor didn’t know the “legal status” of people who attend Trinity’s Spanish service or ESL classes, he said. “I don’t think we’re called to police that as a church. That’s the government’s job. We are called to love and to help those in need.”

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Stephanie Martin
Stephanie Martin, a freelance writer and editor in Denver, has spent her entire 30-year journalism career in Christian publishing. She loves the Word and words, is a binge reader and grammar nut, and is fanatic (as her family can attest) about Jeopardy! and pro football.

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