‘Hope As A Christian’: Kenosha Pastor Wants Rittenhouse Convicted

A Kenosha pastor has “hope as a Christian” that Kyle Rittenhouse, who says he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot two rioters last summer, will be convicted.

The Rev. Jonathan Barker, who leads Grace Lutheran Church in Kenosha, said “it will set a dangerous precedent for people’s rights to free speech and assembly” if Rittenhouse is not convicted, NPR reported Monday.

“I have deep concerns about how this will go, and I’ve been disappointed,” Barker said. “I am ready for anything. But I want to be a person of hope as a Christian and as a pastor.”

The pastor was allegedly told to “stay away from the courthouse during the trial because it could become a hub of white nationalism,” NPR noted.