(Kenosha County Sheriff)
Volunteers at Grace Welcome Center are saying that “Pastor” Jonathan Barker didn’t act very Christian-like today when he fired the entire staff of the food pantry and had police escort them off site.
According to a Facebook post by Denise Russell, the food pantry’s executive director:
“In a shocking display of callousness, Pastor Jonathan Barker and Grace Lutheran Church Council today terminated all Grace Welcome Center staff and had them escorted off church property by police – immediately after they finished serving breakfast to those in need. The Council has seized all facilities, food, and supplies intended for our community’s most vulnerable members…All services are temporarily suspended due to these actions. But hope remains strong. Kenosha Welcome Center will emerge from this stronger than ever. Our dedicated staff remain committed to our mission, and will continue employment under Kenosha Welcome Center. We will overcome these challenges and resume serving our community – because that’s what Kenosha does. We stand together. We will need your support more than ever as we rebuild. Stay tuned for updates on how you can help restore these vital community services. The heart of Grace Welcome Center has always been its people – not its building, and most certainly not this Church. Together, we will continue our mission of serving those in need.”
According to Russell, over 250 families who will go without food this week and 150+ individuals each week who won’t receive their free homemade breakfast.
“What makes this especially devastating is that the Church Council had required our separation on July 27, 2024. After we legally established Kenosha Welcome Center (formally know[n] as Grace Welcome Center), established a Board, filed Articles of Incorporation, and started operating as KWC, they have attempted to seize control of an organization built by countless volunteer hours and community donations over the past seven years,” said Russell.
“Pastor” Jonathan Barker is a controversial person in the community. He has been arrested several times in Kenosha and Milwaukee. He prides himself on being arrested.
On April 25, 2021, Barker was arrested for blocking access to the Kenosha Public Safety building. The Kenosha County Sheriff asked Kenosha DA Mike Graveley to charge Barker with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Graveley handed the case off to a neighboring county, where no criminal charges were filed. He was instead allowed to plead guilty to one non-criminal count of disorderly conduct.
On August 23, 2023, he was arrested after blocking traffic in Milwaukee during the RNC. He superglued his feet to the pavement. The arresting officer wrote:
“I responded to a report of individuals obstructing access to a parking garage [for the RNC]. Upon arrival, I observed a subject intentionally super glued his feet to the ground outside of the parking garage, prohibiting vehicular traffic from entering and leaving the garage. The subjects actions cause the disturbance in rows to the level of disorderly conduct. The subject refused and was able to remove himself without the assistance of the Milwaukee Fire Department.”
Barker was cited for disorderly conduct and was found guilty and paid a fine.
Here is the video of Barker rambling nonsense as he is being arrested by Milwaukee Police:
In April of 2024, Barker interrupted a Trump Rally in Green Bay. President Trump joked that Barker would “run home to his mom.” That is exactly what Barker did. He ran home to his mom, who then went on a live broadcast to talk about how proud she is of her “Pastor” son, who supports abortion until birth.
According to its website, the Council of Grace Lutheran church is as follows:
- Council president: unknown
- Vice President: Gregory Foster
- Treasurer: Senja Underwood
- Secretary: unknown
- Outreach & Evangelism: Karen Cassiday
- Worship & Music: Gracie Underwood
- Building & Grounds: position open
- Youth, Family, & Faith Formation: David Underwood
- Stewardship: Leah Schaut
- Peace and Justice Ministries: position open
- Love One Another Ministries: Vivienne Clyne
- At Large: Rich Knapp
KCE spoke with Jonathan Barker and he said he would send us a press release in the coming days. He has since removed the post off of Facebook and blocked access, but here is a screenshot:
62 Responses
He is not a man in GOD”S image. Total scumbag!!
Surprised? Hes a friend of berg. Maybe all the donations he spent like Andy did. Definitely a hypocrite. Dig deeper. I’m sure there’s a lot Funny how alot of your stories involved in theft or crimes, they are all friends of berg.
100%! Berg’s druggie buddy
Berg probably tried to steal from them himself but failed like he does all other things
I wonder if Clyde McLemore will ever team up
with this illustrious posse?
That won’t happen. Clyde is too busy losing all his Black Lies Matter down at the casino in Waukegan.
Are gov’t funds involved?
How will I get my free meal?
What a dick.
(refer to How will I get my free meal?)
Nobody’s starving, 85% of the people getting food from these places are morbidly obese. Maybe this is a good thing.
Well your definingly a P.O.S.
Spell check was invented yrs ago
What
America the greatest country
Sure is!
Barker has been a problem for years. That fake pastor probably wanted all the donations that came into the Welcome Center. Tragically, all these people who depend on donations will go hungry. He is a shameful human being
This is why “church attendance” has been dropping dropping dropping for many years.
More “Churches” being run by lunatics(male and female) like this guy …….
I left that exact church. ELCA, Evangelical lutheran church of america, a branch of lutherans has become a woke ultra left activist group. They preach politics every day, and shamed members for voting for trump. On the pulpit, the sunday after the 2016 election, “pastor” Barker shammed the parishioners for voting for Trump. Basically told them they were not welcome there anymore. Many left during the sermon, most waited until the service was done, and never went back. I know the church is hurting for money. They probably saw what the group was bringing in donation wise, and what they were spending housing this entity, and decided to either raise the rent or kick them out.
All part of the cia play book
Same reason we left St Mary’s Lutheran in south Kenosha. They’d rather don a rainbow flag and preach gay rights than to spread the gospel of Jesus. Politics is just unnecessary in Church no matter what side you support.
Churches should preach politics and call out what goes against the Bible (I.e. child murder aka abortion and soul murder aka gender mutilation surgery). If we the people keep allowing those in “political power” to push and support this trash than we need to be rebuked.
Good for you for leaving a heretical church like that.
St. John’s Lutheran, ELCA is another “church” ruined by their “pastor.” The congregation. All old people; just a couple of kids.
Leah Schaut makes everything she comes in contact with, infinitely worse.
How can he make this decision for church ,
I think other need to step in this church and stop this and get it back up a running asap
There are people that depend on this and the help to survive daily
Sound to me he wasnt getting his cut or something .
By the article, says him AND council. Idk
The KWC sounds like a group of activists who are mad at their old activist “church” and want to go off on their own.
Was there a clear reason for this action? Am I’m not reading something? Why?
I’m wondering the same thing. From the article, it sounds like the food pantry had disagreements with the church (pastor *and* council) going back to at least this July; I’d be very curious about the details and what specifically led to this lockout.
I hope Kevin will do a followup on this, and also let us know if there’s anything we can do to help get the food pantry going again.
This pastor is a product of his idiot mother who has no idea where true morality springs from and is a brainwashed moron. Climate change, these people are insufferable!
If the oceans were going to rise 18 feet (by now according to climate change “experts” 20
Years ago. Don’t you think all military bases near water would have moved and built them to accommodate the “new” sea level?
Also- would investors or banks give a single mortgage on property at or below sea level?
Ya , she was really out there .
It’s all a scam.
Instead of putting the word pastor and quotes, maybe also put the word Church in quotes? They deserve each other, and this church should lose their tax status because they have been a political organization for a couple of decades.
Check with St. Anthony’s they have allowed the use of there facility’s in the past.
Is the crackpot pastor and his mother saying that Climate Changes? What’s next they are are going say the world is round?
Maybe John Steinbrink jr can get lunch there on his way to his Huber job. Total dick along with Sr dick.
Pastor Barker allowed a sign in the church sanctuary stating “DEFUND THE POLICE’ during the Joe Biden/Jesse Jackson campaign visit.
Pastor Barker posted on his Facebook page “POLICING IS A SIN”.
Pastor Barker thought the officers involved in the Jacob Blake incident should be fired without any due process.
PASTOR BARKER CALLS THE POLICE TO ESCORT CHURCH EMPOYEES FROM THE CHURCH AFTER FIRING THEM WITHOUT WARNING AFTER MAKING NUMEROUS REPRESENTATIONS THAT THEY COULD RUN THE WELCOME CENTER AS AN INDEPENDENT CHARITABLE ENTITY. HE ALSO STATED THAT NO WELCOME CENTER EMPLOYEES WOULD LOSE THEIR JOB.
There You Have It.
….You will know them by their fruits.
and nuts 🙂
Pastor is a fraud nut job. People will either have to get their free food elsewhere, or spend less on cigarettes and alcohol.
Wirch and Barca can sniff out a free meal…ask them
Funny someone commented about berg. I was thinking the same. All the while he is posting on his page how the government is wasting money. Didn’t he steal from his own charity? Hypocrite
Yup!!
Berg is an idiot. That parking lot was crumbling into itself. Moving in a couple of years or not, it should have been paved a year (or more) ago. There’s plenty of wasteful spending in Kenosha County (looking at you, DEI coordinator & training), but this parking lot was NOT it.
Why isn’t the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA getting involved? Should have been long ago when he was super gluing his feet, etc., etc. Shouldn’t be happening. He needs a leash!
According to “GWC About” they would seem to be a rather large operation…..
“Grace Welcome Center also coordinates with the University of Wisconsin at Parkside, Carthage College, Gateway Technical College, and Herzing University’s Kenosha campus………”
https://www.gracewelcomecenter.org/about.html
That “pastor” literally tried to steal the money from the church bank account apparently according to those in the know.
Gluefoot!
Looking forward to the new sitcom coming in January. Sgt. Hard and the Pastor . The jokes sometimes just write themselves. Feel free insert plot lines below .
Link posted regarding the Board Of Directors for the Grace Welcome Center lists two Kenosha alderpersons on the BOD:
Bill Siel
2nd District Alderperson – City of Kenosha Common Council
Brandi Ferree
6th District Alderperson – City of Kenosha Common Council
Bill know wonder he’s a fruit cake.
Swwaaammmpppyyy shell corp. using needy people as a pawn. Typical government.
I truly don’t understand how anyone who loves Jesus can be a liberal. I had no idea what a liberal loon this guy is. His mother seems like a real winner herself.
Was wondering the same thing actually
Liberalism
Liberalism Is a Mental Disorder
In the top ten on the New York Times bestseller list.
No surprise to see that criminal Justin Blake mooching free meals there still
Be interesting to hear what his Sunday sermons are about.If its about community activism I would leave that Church .Find a Bible teaching rightly dividing(Pauline) the word of truth church
He’s a different kind of Luther, choosing to nail feces to the church door instead of thesis.
KCE said, “The Kenosha County Sheriff asked Kenosha DA Mike Graveley to charge Barker with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Graveley handed the case off to a neighboring county, where no criminal charges were filed.” yet people still believe that Gravely’s handpicked successor Carli is supported by the local LEOs and is a viable tool for justice instead of just a tool.
Does berg eat there now that he is unemployed?