Pastor Calls for Healing Amidst Chaos in Minnesota
In the midst of ongoing unrest tied to federal immigration policies in Minnesota, Cities Church in St. Paul found itself at the center of a storm when left-wing protesters interrupted a Sunday service. Lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell has since called on both state leaders and the agitators to seek repentance and turn to the Gospel.
During a recent appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Parnell expressed mutual heartbreak with some of the protesters over the current state of affairs in the cities. “One thing I think that we have in common, with at least some of the people who came into our building, is that we’re heartbroken over what’s happening in our cities right now,” he stated.
The incident took place on January 18, during a sermon on John 13, when protesters, including former CNN host Don Lemon, disrupted the service. Their protest targeted Pastor David Easterwood, who also serves as the acting director of the ICE St. Paul field office. Protestors demanded Easterwood’s resignation due to ICE’s actions in Minnesota, and slogans were shouted at the congregation, culminating in the service’s abrupt end.
Reports from a U.S. Department of Homeland Security affidavit described the distress caused to families and children, as activists blocked access to the children in Sunday School. William Kelly, a protester arrested and later released, allegedly told children that their parents were “Nazis” and would “burn in Hell.”
Accompanied by attorney Renee Carlson, Parnell reiterated on “Fox & Friends” that the solution to the city’s turmoil lies in Jesus Christ. “We’re asking for God to send healing, and we believe that healing comes ultimately in Jesus Christ,” Parnell emphasized, urging political leaders and protesters alike to “turn from your sin, trust in Jesus Christ and be saved.”
Carlson mentioned that Cities Church is evaluating legal actions against the protesters to protect the sanctity of their worship space. “In Minnesota, we have to make sure this does not happen again to anyone in a holy sanctuary and a house of worship,” Carlson noted.
The U.S. Department of Justice has charged three protestors, including William Kelly, under “Conspiracy against rights.” However, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison defended the protestors, asserting their actions were protected by the First Amendment. “Chanting cannot be a crime; it’s freedom of expression,” Ellison remarked during an interview.
The case’s complexity deepened when charges against Lemon were reportedly blocked by Judge Douglas L. Micko, whose wife is linked to the Attorney General’s office. Further escalating the legal battle, the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recently denied an emergency petition from the DOJ to arrest Lemon and others, due to a failure to prove the necessity of such actions as per Circuit Judge L. Steven Grasz’s opinion.
This article was originally written by www.christianpost.com
