A notorious activist who disrupted a church service in Minnesota on Sunday is reportedly the same individual behind months of harassment at Secretary of War Pete Hegseth’s Washington, D.C. church, prompting calls for federal prosecution and a renewed debate over religious freedom and civil protest.
William Kelly, a self-described combat veteran, was seen leading protesters into Cities Church in St. Paul during worship services. The group, aligned with Black Lives Matter and the Racial Justice Network, shouted slogans like “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” and accused congregants of being “fake Christians” due to the presence of an ICE field director on the church’s pastoral staff.
Lead Pastor Jonathan Parnell ended the service after multiple children reportedly began crying during the chaos. Kevin Ezell, president of the Southern Baptist North American Mission Board, said the protest left kids in tears and described the tactics used as “illegal” and “cowardly.”
Kelly has now been identified by numerous observers, including Deputy Undersecretary of War Justin Overbaugh, as the same agitator who has repeatedly disrupted services at Christ Church in Washington, D.C., where Pete Hegseth attends. Joe Rigney, a founding pastor of Cities Church and current pastor at Christ Church, confirmed that Kelly has been a recurring presence there.
“They’ve sought to disrupt Christian worship gatherings now in multiple places,” Rigney told The Daily Wire, explaining how Kelly and others have used bullhorns and profanities to intimidate families, even causing one congregant to suffer a ruptured eardrum. “They scream at kids, use loud sound equipment, and we’ve needed police escorts just to worship.”
Sunday’s protest was ostensibly tied to the recent death of Renee Good, a far-left protester who was fatally shot by an ICE agent after allegedly driving her vehicle toward officers during a federal operation in Minneapolis. But Rigney believes Kelly and his cohorts are not genuinely interested in the incident.
“They’re professional activists who move from cause to cause,” Rigney said. “This isn’t about Good. It’s about targeting Christians who won’t go along with the Left’s lawlessness.”
Rigney also called on the Trump administration to bring federal charges, and the Department of Justice appears to be responding. Assistant Attorney General Harmeet Dhillon confirmed the DOJ is investigating the incident for possible violations of the FACE Act, which protects religious services from interference or intimidation.
“These protests are un-American and outrageous,” Dhillon said. “We will hold accountable anyone who violates the religious freedom of American citizens.”
Despite the disruption, local Minneapolis police made no arrests. Law enforcement said they monitored the situation and are weighing how to balance free speech rights with the rights of churches to gather and worship peacefully.
Kelly, who has not been arrested, was seen on livestreams with former CNN host Don Lemon, who embedded with the activist group and attempted to justify the protest as a “First Amendment moment.” Lemon, now a YouTuber, could also be subject to DOJ scrutiny, according to Dhillon.
Rigney dismissed the claim that supporting ICE is incompatible with Christianity. “They’re not here to debate theology,” he said. “They’re here to hijack our spaces and silence Christians who resist lawlessness.”
Invoking the book of Acts, Rigney said the proper response from believers is renewed boldness.
“When mobs shouted lies and governments turned a blind eye, early Christians didn’t fold — they prayed for courage,” he said. “We’re called to do the same today.”
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