Eric Reece
With the recent protest that disrupted a worship service in a Minnesota church, I was reminded of a church conflict in the county I served approximately 20 years ago.
The church had a new minister. A conflict arose between the minister and some long-time members. It escalated until the minister told the members to not come back to church. He forbade them to come to worship.
What did the members do? They went to the sheriff’s office and charged the minister with denying them access to a place of worship.
At the time, I did not know it was a crime to interfere, obstruct or hinder people from entering or leaving a place of worship. It is also illegal to intentionally disturb a religious service and threaten violence at a place of worship. I do not know how the case worked out, but hope there was a peaceful resolution.
On Jan. 18 in St. Paul, Minn., activists interrupted a worship service so badly that the church had to stop the service. The activists were there to protest because one of the ministers on staff works for the local ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) field office. It is not unusual for churches to have ministers who are bi-vocational. We call them tentmakers after the way the Apostle Paul supported his Gospel work by making tents.
Activists protested during the worship service and it interfered with worship. It was not a pretty sight. Five were arrested, along with two journalists who were arrested later by federal agents for being on-site covering the story.
I speak only for myself when I wish there had been another way for the protestors to reach out to the church with their concerns and meet with the leaders of the church. This may have not been an option, but the damage is done. People were prevented from worshipping and people are facing criminal charges. I do not see any winners here.
In North Hull, Calif., another situation took place Jan. 29. A church was having a children’s event and feeding program, when ICE came on the property and disrupted the activities. In front of families and fearful children, a taco vendor – a father of four, who was providing food for the event – was abducted. He was a faithful member of the church and attended worship. There were no warrants to be on the property, or arrest the man.
In a statement, the church’s pastor said, “We are hurting. We are grieving. But we will not remain silent.”
The bishop said, “No church, synagogue, mosque or temple is a staging or hunting ground for ICE agents.”
The children’s program at the church is on hiatus until the church can ensure the safety of the children.
At this divisive time in our nation, it is time to affirm that the First Amendment gives us freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly and petition. We hold these freedoms sacred, just as we hold freedom of worship sacred.
I hope we can find ways in our nation to agree to disagree, and continue to work together for the betterment of all.
Eric Reece is the faith columnist for The Graham Star. He is pastor of Robbinsville United Methodist Church and can be reached via email, ereece@wnccumc.net.