St. Paul, Minn. | About three dozen anti-ICE protestors invaded the worship service of Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota, January 18, confronting the pastor and worshippers, and eventually causing them to shut down the service. One of the elders of the church is the acting field director for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the Twin Cities. The Minnesota capital is the site of multiple demonstrations and the death of one protestor, Renee Good, on Jan. 7.
Cities Church leaders spoke to the “shameful, unlawful conduct” of protestors in a statement released two days later. In video from the service, Pastor Jonathan Parnell can be seen trying to regain order after protestors began chanting loudly and marching around the sanctuary.
The U.S. Attorney General’s office says an investigation is underway for a protest the disrupted a Minneapolis-area church service Jan. 18. YouTube screen capture via Baptist Press
The protestors “accosted members of our congregation, frightened children, and created a scene marked by intimidation and threat,” the statement said.
Church members responded with prayer and singing, but ultimately Parnell ended the service and asked members to hold prayer gatherings in their homes.
“I’m just so encouraged by the way that my church responded to what happened,” Caleb Phillips, who has attended the church since October told World magazine. “The overwhelming response was one of love and care for one another, and a neighborly love and care for the protesters—even though they were doing a deep disservice and a deep wrong to us.”
Cities Church has ties to the SBC Send Network, part of the SBC’s North American Mission Board. In its founding, the church was also connected to Bethlehem Baptist Church pastored by legendary John Piper.
NAMB President Kevin Ezell criticized the protest within hours, calling it harassment. “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,” Ezell said. “What occurred was not protest; it was lawless harassment.”
Ezell said, if needed, NAMB would pay for security for the congregation.
“This is something that just shouldn’t happen in America,” Vice President Miles Mullin said on behalf of the SBC’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission. “For Baptists, our worship services are sacred.”
Southern Seminary President Al Mohler posted, “The unspeakably evil intrusion of a leftist mob into a Christian worship service today in Minneapolis must be called out for what it is—and Federal authorities should be fast and effective in response.
The Department of Justice announced Jan. 19 that it is investigating the disruption, including potential violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act).
“I just spoke to the Pastor in Minnesota whose church was targeted,” U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X on the day of the invasion. “Attacks against law enforcement and the intimidation of Christians are being met with the full force of federal law.”
Christian Post reported that the protestors included representatives of the Racial Justice Network and Black Lives Matter Minnesota.
Anti-ICE protests in Chicago and other cities have been confined to the streets, often outside ICE facilities such as the one in Maywood, Illinois. This is the first account of protestors disrupting a church service. It followed the shooting death of Renee Good by a federal immigration officer. Good had driven her car to a protest and was blocking traffic when a confrontation ensued.
The church leader connected to St. Paul ICE field office is David Easterwood, pastor-elder of the congregation. His participation in the church dates back a decade.
Easterwood wrote in court filing Jan 5, two days before Good’s death that “…the followers use their vehicles to block the road and to box in ICE vehicles as soon as they are able… “This behavior is not safe and impedes ICE officers from effecting arrests. Prior to 2025, this type of behavior was virtually nonexistent. Now, it occurs almost daily.”
Whether Easterwood was specifically targeted in this protest has not been documented. It is unclear whether Easterwood was present at the church service when protestors entered.
The church invasion is the latest in the escalation of protests against ICE actions nationally, and in Minneapolis in particular.
Cities Church belongs to the Minnesota-Wisconsin Baptist Convention. Executive Director Trey Turner called for a pastoral response. “I believe we must be resolute in two areas: encouraging our churches to provide compassionate pastoral care to these (migrant) families,” Turner said, “and standing firm for the sanctity of our houses of worship.”
–IB staff, with additional reporting by Baptist Press, Christian Post, ABC News, and World magazine
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Federal investigation underway into protest at Minnesota church