By Joe Carter, TGC.
(Editor’s note: Although these legal issues pertain to churches in the USA, the invasion and desecration of churches is an issue increasing being faced in many other countries)
What just happened?
Protesters disrupted a Minnesota church service on Sunday after activists determined one of the pastors works as the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s field office in St. Paul, says the Minnesota Star Tribune. Activists, including some from Black Lives Matter Minnesota, entered the service at Cities Church in St. Paul and chanted, “Justice for Renee Good.” The church is led by Jonathan Parnell, who was confronted on camera and misidentified by former CNN anchor Don Lemon.
Harmeet Dhillon, assistant attorney general for the U.S. Department of Justice, announced an investigation of possible criminal violations.
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How common are such disruptions?
According to the Family Research Council, 383 churches endured a combined total of 415 hostile incidents in 2024, including vandalism, arson, armed aggression, and service disruptions. Armed incidents more than doubled from 12 in 2023 to 28 in 2024.
To date, the organization has identified 1,384 acts of hostility toward U.S. churches, occurring between January 2018 and December 2024.
Read also: Don Lemon likens church storming to Jesus cleansing temple, calls churchgoers ‘entitled’ by Jon Brown, Christian Post