A Sunday morning church service in Minneapolis was not a political rally, a protest forum or a media spectacle. It was a worship gathering on private property.
That distinction, Pastor Jack Hibbs says, is precisely why the coordinated disruption of the service should concern Christians far beyond Minnesota.
In a reaction video addressing the incident, Hibbs said the invasion of the sanctuary by activists was deliberate, unlawful and revealing.
“This was a church service on a Sunday morning on private property,” Hibbs said. “Outsiders came in to private property to disrupt a religious church service, which is against the law.”
A planned disruption, not a spontaneous protest
According to Hibbs, the interruption was not accidental or emotional but premeditated. He noted that cameras were rolling before the activists entered the sanctuary and that participants later described the action as a “clandestine operation.”
“That’s a confession,” Hibbs said. “This is premeditated, planned, orchestrated.”
The group targeted the church because one of its pastors also works as a federal immigration enforcement officer, Hibbs said. Out of hundreds of churches in the Minneapolis–St. Paul area, that congregation was singled out intentionally.
“That’s why they picked that church,” he said. “This is selective targeting.”
Constitutional rights and legal boundaries
Hibbs pushed back strongly on claims that the disruption was protected by the First Amendment, a justification raised during the confrontation by disgraced journalist Don Lemon, who attended the event.
“You cannot hinder or restrict or do anything to sequester the expression of religious freedom in the United States of America,” Hibbs said. “It’s a felony.”
He argued that the First Amendment protects worship, not its disruption, and that invoking free speech to justify commandeering a religious service is a distortion of constitutional law.
“The pastor is 100 percent legally right,” Hibbs said. “He needs to double down on this.”
Hibbs added that national law firms had already begun offering legal assistance to the church.
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Political endorsement raises alarm
Hibbs also criticized Minnesota state Rep. Leah Frink for publicly supporting continued disruptions of churches, calling it a violation of her oath of office.
“She swore an oath to the Constitution,” Hibbs said. “Actions like this should disqualify someone from public office.”
The lawmaker described the incident as “essential” and suggested similar actions should continue. Hibbs rejected claims that the disruption was “nonviolent.”
“Words can be violent,” he said. “Intimidation is violence.”
A warning, not an overreaction
Hibbs framed the incident as a probe, not an isolated episode.
“This is a testing of the water to see what Christians will do,” he said. “If there’s no pushback, it will continue.”
He warned that cultural and spiritual disorder often advance incrementally, starting where resistance is weakest.
“The enemy is always probing,” Hibbs said. “Once they get in, they spread.”
While Hibbs drew broader conclusions about spiritual warfare, he avoided urging retaliation. Instead, he called for preparedness, legal clarity and pastoral leadership.
“Pastors need to stand up,” he said. “Churches need to be prepared for the evil day.”
Preparing the church
Hibbs urged churches to take practical steps, including security planning, video documentation and safety teams, noting that government protection cannot always be assumed.
“You need to be prepared,” he said. “Hopefully it never comes, but if it does, you caught it on tape, and it’s admissible in court.”
He emphasized that preparation does not contradict faith.
“Don’t weep. Don’t worry,” Hibbs said. “Jesus said there would be days like this.”
Holding the line
Hibbs concluded by grounding his warning in Christian hope rather than fear, reminding believers that endurance and faithfulness are expected in turbulent times.
“Your liberty, your life, your freedoms will be brought under attack,” he said. “That’s not strange. That’s how close it is to His return.”
For Hibbs, the issue is not politics but precedent.
“When worship is interrupted and the law is ignored, that’s not activism,” he said. “That’s disorder. And the church must recognize it for what it is.”
James Lasher, a seasoned writer and editor at Charisma Media, combines faith and storytelling with a background in journalism from Otterbein University and ministry experience in Guatemala and the LA Dream Center. A Marine Corps and Air Force veteran, he is the author of The Revelation of Jesus: A Common Man’s Commentary and a contributor to Charisma magazine.
