On Sunday (Jan. 25), a few people could be found inside the sanctuary of Calvary Baptist Church in Minneapolis. But they weren’t there for worship, as they instead sought a place for reflection and warmth. The pastor and many members were part of a joint worship service a couple of miles away at Judson Memorial Baptist Church. This wasn’t preplanned, but came together quickly as an alternative option after nurse Alex Pretti was executed Saturday by federal agents in the street just a block from Calvary’s building.
Because of the security perimeter set up by the Minnesota National Guard and the Minneapolis Police Department after the shooting, it would be difficult for many church members to make it to the building. So Rev. Christian Collins Winn instead co-led a service with his fellow American Baptist Churches USA minister, Rev. Travis Norvell of Judson.
During the opening of the service, Collins Winn shared about walking over to the site of the murder the night before, hearing the angry “drums of war” in the street of people shouting “F ICE” and a quieter group around the site where Pretti had been shot who were chanting, “No hate, no fear; Immigrants are welcome here.” He added he saw it all as a needed “holy mix” that “we walk through in our life, with the anger, the pain, and the frustration, but also the sadness, grief, and hopefully the hope, the light. And that’s what I hope today that we can grasp hold of both of those, we can find a place to lodge both of those.”
Screengrab as Rev. Christian Collins Winn (left) and Rev. Travis Norvell read prayers people wrote down during a joint worship service on Jan. 25, 2025, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
While Collins Winn read part of Psalm 55 — about “violence and strife in our city” — as a prayer, Norvell lit a candle to remember Pretti, Renee Good, and “all of the people that have been abducted from our cities.” The two pastors also shared part of a liturgy that had been used two days earlier during an interfaith event as hundreds of clergy members marched to protest ICE. Instead of a sermon, the service featured times of prayer and space for members of the congregations to share what they were feeling and experiencing right now. Before closing the service, Norvell read from Ephesians 6, but with an updated paraphrase.
“Take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day and, having done everything, to stand firm. Stand, therefore, with the gas mask of truth. Put on your hi-vis vest of righteousness. As for your shoes, make sure they are snow boots with yak tracks on them; whatever will make you ready to proclaim the gospel of peace. With all of this, make sure that you have your phone so you can record the truth and stand up to the lies that are being told. Take the whistle of salvation. Take the sword that is your love, that no ICE agent can ever take away from you. For these things are yours,” he offered. “Pray for one another so that when we speak, a message may be given to the rest of this nation and this world that what we are making known with boldness is the mystery of the gospel for which we are ambassadors under occupation.”
While the Sunday worship service for Calvary occurred at Judson’s building, Calvary’s building was also a place of service that day. Some members stood at the street corner outside Calvary to offer hot drinks and food to people walking to or from the memorial for Pretti. And the church opened up its building for people who needed to warm up, find a bathroom, or just experience a moment of rest in the sanctuary. With music quietly playing in the background, a few people sat in the pews for a moment of reflection or just a break from what was occurring outside. The church plans to provide this quiet, warm space for people each evening this week.
While a local Southern Baptist church makes news as it supports one of its pastors who also serves as an ICE leader, an American Baptist (formerly known as Northern Baptist) congregation is ministering to people in the community who are being terrorized by ICE and other federal agencies.
