Just days after President Donald Trump’s task force to fight anti-Christian bias held its first meeting, a prominent pastor was arrested for praying in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol.
Pastor William Barber and two other people were arrested by Capitol Police April 29.
The Capitol Rotunda also was one of the locations featured in the January 6 insurrection by Trump supporters who took the building by force and later were pardoned by Trump once he returned to the White House.
A spokesperson for the Capitol Police told The Independent Barber and the others were arrested on a charge of “crowding, obstructing and incommoding.”
“They were arrested for demonstrating inside the Congressional Buildings, which is not allowed in any form, to include but not limited to sitting, kneeling, group praying, singing, chanting, etc. In this case they started praying quietly and then began to pray out loud. That is when we gave them multiple warnings to stop or they would be arrested.”
On April 22, Attorney General Pam Bondi convened the first meeting of the task force seeking to root out anti-Christian bias and ensure Christians — but not necessarily others — more free expression of their faith.
William Barber (third from left) and others pray in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol before their arrest. (Screencap)
Barber, a North Carolina pastor, leads an advocacy group called Repairers of the Breach. That group issued a statement about the incident saying: “Bishop Rev. Dr. William Barber II and Rev. Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove were among those arrested this afternoon while praying in front of a statue that honors suffragettes in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda. The arrests occurred after an interfaith gathering of leaders from across the nation delivered a moral message to the nation this morning at the U.S. Supreme Court seeking to sound the alarm on the immoral budget cuts and proposed budget cuts being pursued in Washington, D.C., at the expense of the poor, working people, children, women and families.”
Barber later told Religion News Service: “To think that we went in to pray — pray against the budget, but to pray nonetheless — and the order now is that, evidently, if you pray, you are seen as violating the rules of the Rotunda. What we hope is that folks will see this and it will begin to remove some of the fear, and people will understand that this is the time — now — that we must engage in nonviolent direct action to register our discontent.”
Capitol Police not only removed those who were praying aloud but cleared the room entirely. Reporters were threatened with arrest for remaining in the Rotunda.
Earlier on Monday, Barber delivered a sermon on the Capitol steps and also delivered a Moral Monday address at the Supreme Court.
“The arrest of Bishop Barber feels like the most clear example of hypocrisy of the Trump administration when they talk about anti-Christian bias.”
Barber created the Moral Monday format in North Carolina, where he rallied clergy and laity to protest injustices being perpetrated by the state government. That movement now has moved to Washington.
Despite an official policy prohibiting prayer in the Rotunda, the optics of Barber’s arrest are not good, according to two prominent interpreters of religion and politics.
Anthea Butler, a professor of religion at the University of Pennsylvania, told RNS: “Arresting Rev. Barber and others at the Capitol after announcing a task force to eradicate anti-Christian bias in government is an absolute travesty. Seems like this administration only wants Christians who are supporters of Trump to have access to pray in the Capitol and express their faith.”
Paul Raushenbush, president of Interfaith Alliance, told RNS: “The arrest of Bishop Barber feels like the most clear example of hypocrisy of the Trump administration when they talk about anti-Christian bias. They are not interested in the broad expression of faith as exemplified by Bishop Barber, but rather only Christians approved of by the Trump administration.”
Social media pastor Benjamin Cremer posted: “After a clip of a worship service in the White House goes viral online, a pastor gets arrested for praying in the Capitol Rotunda. Led by Paula White and Sean Feucht, those singing were praising God with their music for God’s favor being over them while Rev. William Barber was praying for God to bring justice for the millions of people who will be negatively impacted by the new budget. Two different kinds of Christianity. One is found accepted while the other is arrested.”
News of Barber’s arrest quickly spread via social media, generating intense commentary from progressive Christians. There was no immediate evidence of any evangelical leader speaking in defense of Barber’s right to pray in public.