Muslim Man Interrupts Church Service — Watch the Video
Muslim man interrupts a Catholic church service by laying down a prayer rug and praying aloud. Learn how church security teams should respond and watch the video inside.
Legal Disclaimer
This article is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Laws vary by state, and church leaders should consult with qualified legal counsel and local law enforcement before creating policies or taking enforcement actions.
Recently in France a man entered a Catholic church during Mass, placed a prayer rug on the floor, and began praying aloud in the middle of the congregation’s service. Worshipers were stunned and church staff faced an immediate decision about how to respond. Incidents like this show that any church can be confronted with an unexpected disruption.
When a service is interrupted it affects more than order. It disrupts the message being delivered, unsettles the congregation, and can erode confidence in safety. For pastors and safety teams this is a moment where preparation makes the difference between a contained incident and a full crisis.
Your response should be deliberate and calm. Stop the public live stream to prevent negative exposure, continue recording privately for evidence, and move to contact the person using a measured approach. This article explains the legal tools, best practices, and response protocols that will help protect your congregation, preserve order, and document what happened.
Watch the Incident Video
In addition to reading this article, you can watch the full video of the disruption here:
The Legal Foundation
Churches have legal protection when it comes to intentional disruptions of worship. Many states have specific statutes that criminalize disturbing religious services. In addition, general trespass and disorderly conduct laws apply once a disruptive individual refuses to leave. Safety teams need to know the tools available in their jurisdiction so they can act confidently and lawfully.
Here are examples from several states:
California Penal Code § 302: Makes it a misdemeanor to intentionally disturb or disquiet any assembly of people met for religious worship by profane discourse, rude or indecent behavior, or unnecessary noise.
Texas Penal Code § 42.05: Prohibits a person from intentionally preventing or disrupting a lawful meeting, procession, or gathering by physical action, verbal utterance, or other means.
Florida Statute § 871.01: States that anyone who willfully interrupts or disturbs an assembly of people met for the worship of God is guilty of a misdemeanor.
New York Penal Law § 240.21: Prohibits making unreasonable noise or disturbance within 300 feet of a religious service with intent to cause annoyance or alarm.
If your state does not have a specific statute for religious worship, trespassing laws apply once a disruptive person has been told to leave and refuses.
Safety teams should also be aware of citizen’s arrest laws, which vary widely by state. Some states allow it for any crime committed in your presence, while others restrict it to felonies only. Improper use can lead to both civil and criminal liability. For most churches, detaining a disruptive person should be a last resort. The preferred response is to call law enforcement quickly and provide evidence.
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Security Team Response Steps
When dealing with a disruptive individual during worship, your goal is to act with clarity and consistency. One proven approach is the Ask, Tell, Make model. It provides a simple progression that every safety team member can follow.
Step 1: Ask
Approach with calm authority. Keep your hands visible and use short, polite commands.
Example: “Church security. You are disrupting the service. I am asking you to step outside with me.”
Step 2: Tell
If the person refuses, your tone should become firmer. At this stage, another team member should already be calling 911 and recording the incident. Make it clear that their behavior is now a legal issue. If your state law allows, tell them they are trespassing once they have been directed to leave and refuse.
Example: “You are interfering with a lawful worship service. I am telling you to leave now. If you refuse, you are trespassing and the police will be called.”
Step 3: Make
If the person still refuses and you have the legal authority, training, and no safer alternative, you move to enforce the order. This may involve guiding the person out of the sanctuary or detaining them briefly until law enforcement arrives. Only use the amount of force necessary, and only if your state law and training clearly allow it.
The ATM framework keeps responses consistent, helps security teams stay within legal boundaries, and provides a clear sequence that is easy to explain to both the congregation and law enforcement later.
Involving Law Enforcement
Calling the police should never be viewed as a last resort. If a person refuses to leave after being asked and told, law enforcement should be contacted immediately. Early involvement protects your team, the congregation, and the church’s legal standing.
When calling 911, keep your description concise:
Identify yourself as church security.
State that a person is disrupting a religious service and refusing to leave.
Give the location of the church and any descriptions that will help responding officers.
If the individual made threats or displayed suspicious behavior, be specific.
Once officers arrive, hand over all documentation. That includes video recordings, the times commands were given, and witness contact information. Avoid debating with the subject or rehashing events in front of the congregation. Let the police take control of the situation from there.
Evidence and Documentation
Good documentation can make the difference between a dismissed case and a successful prosecution. It also protects your team and church if the incident is ever challenged in court.
Video and audio
Always continue recording, even if the live feed is cut.
Preserve the original files and avoid editing them.
Back up the files to at least one secure location.
Assign a specific team member as the evidence custodian.
Written notes
Record the time the individual entered, what they did, and the exact words spoken by both security and the subject.
Note the time commands were given and the subject’s refusal to comply.
Keep these notes simple, factual, and free of personal opinion.
Witnesses
Collect names and phone numbers of people who observed the disruption.
Ask them to write a short statement while the incident is still fresh in their memory.
Chain of custody
Limit who has access to the video or written records.
Keep a log of who handled the evidence, when, and why.
Provide clean copies to law enforcement while preserving the originals.
By treating every incident as if it will end up in court, you not only strengthen any future case but also demonstrate professionalism and credibility to law enforcement and church leadership.
Training and Policy Recommendations
A disruption during worship is not the time to invent a plan. Churches should establish policies in writing and train their teams before an incident ever occurs.
Written policy
Your policy should clearly state how disruptive individuals will be handled. It should define when someone will be asked to leave, when trespassing applies, when police are called, and how evidence is preserved. Keep it short, direct, and easy for every team member to follow.
Scenario-based training
Run through realistic scenarios with your team. Practice the Ask, Tell, Make process so it becomes second nature. Rotate team members through roles such as contact officer, cover officer, communicator, and evidence custodian. Use both tabletop discussions and live walk-throughs.
Assigning roles
Each service should have designated roles:
Incident Commander: Directs the response and makes the final call.
Contact Officer: Speaks directly to the disruptive person.
Cover Officer: Backs up the contact officer and watches for threats.
Medical: Ready to respond if someone is injured or distressed.
Regular reviews
After every incident or exercise, conduct an after-action review. Identify what worked, what needs improvement, and update your policy accordingly. Encourage honest feedback from team members and leadership.
By putting structure in place ahead of time, your team will be able to respond calmly, protect the congregation, and support law enforcement with clean documentation.
Final Thoughts
A disruption in the middle of worship may only last a few minutes, but the way your team responds can have lasting effects. Preparation and training allow you to protect the congregation without panic, to preserve the dignity of worship, and to give law enforcement the evidence they need to act.
Your mission is not to escalate but to restore peace. Follow the Ask, Tell, Make framework, know your state laws, and call police early when needed. Cut the public live stream, continue recording for evidence, and document every step with clarity.
Church safety is about more than reacting to danger. It is about creating a secure environment where believers can focus on worship without fear. With the right training, clear policies, and a team committed to serving the body of Christ, you can meet disruptions with calm authority and keep the sanctuary a place of peace.
No doubt if the tables were turned and that was a Christian entering a mosque and start praying to Jesus, they would loose their minds!! It be all over the news and libtards would also loose their minds and condemn it to no end! Perhaps the Christian would not walk out of that mosque alive!
You are right on about ask, tell, make. This current generation doesn't remember the PLO days where suicide bombers were blowing up buses in Israel every week.