Kalamazoo Church Under Fire for Threatening Homeless Woman — The 'Karen' Is A Pastor

Second Reformed Church in Kalamazoo, Michigan, faces backlash after a pastor of the church threatened to call the police on a homeless woman who sought a safe place to sleep in the church parking lot.

The video, originally recorded in September 2024, has recently gone viral, sparking outrage both online and within the local community, as it received tons of emails and phone calls

The Incident: Homeless Woman Seeking Safe Place

In the now viral video, which was posted by a TikTok user BischYouNasty (@bischyounasty), a homeless woman who has been living in her vehicle for 18 months, can be heard explaining her situation to church staff, 'I'm not bothering anybody ... All I do is park my car here and sleep. That's it. I don't know where else to go.'

She describes herself as disabled and receiving only $900 (approximately £685) a month, seeking nothing more than a safe place to sleep. Despite her pleas, the pastor, later named as Pastor Janice, allegedly threatened to call the police if she did not leave, prompting her to record the encounter and post it online.

The woman criticised the church for a lack of compassion, asking, 'How many times did they show me a little bit of compassion? How many times did they say, "What can we do to help?"... How many times did they treat me or look at me like I was a human being?"

The video shows that the confrontation took place inside the church, with music audible in the background.

Additional Context and Allegations

The story gained even more attention after a TikTok commentator, Bo Grant (@marriedtoalunatic), posted a video examining the incident.

In it, she explained that the homeless woman had approached the church politely after noticing a parking sign indicating her vehicle could be towed.

According to the video, Pastor Janice allegedly told her she would be removed and threatened to involve the police, despite the church's public image of compassion and outreach to those in need.

She also claimed that Pastor Janice is married to a man named Robert, who is reportedly a registered offender with past convictions dating back to 2001. These allegations, while circulating widely online, have not been independently verified.

Furthermore, the church is said to have removed publicly available information about its pastors and staff roughly a year ago, which has only intensified scrutiny and suspicion.

Although some details remain unconfirmed, this additional context has fuelled public discussion and criticism, further amplifying the controversy surrounding Second Reformed Church.

The Public's Reaction

The video has sparked a storm of responses across social media. Many commenters condemned the church for what they saw as hypocritical behaviour, arguing that faith institutions should actively help people in need rather than threaten them. Some observers compared the incident to a broader pattern of religious organisations failing to live up to their charitable missions.

Social media users were especially critical of the church's response to a vulnerable, disabled woman.

One Reddit commenter wrote, 'A homeless woman with a disability is being FILMED and threatened for police to be called. She wasn't asked if she needed help, she was asked to leave.'

Another added, 'It makes me sad that she said "I have nowhere else to go" and the conversation didn't turn to "okay, let's help you find somewhere else to go".'

Local critics also weighed in. Blogger Tommy Karr noted, 'Instead of compassion ... she was met with aggression, humiliation, and removal ... when faced with a suffering neighbour, you chose rejection over mercy ... That is not ministry; it is hypocrisy.'

Locally, the church has reportedly received hundreds of emails and phone calls from concerned members of the public. Based on the report of MLive, the church said that its Facebook page has been down and is no longer answering phone calls.

Many are demanding accountability and a reassessment of the church's policies regarding homelessness, reflecting widespread frustration over how faith-based institutions respond to vulnerable populations.

Second Reformed Church Responded

Immediately after going viral, the Second Reformed Church issued a statement acknowledging the resurfaced video and saying it is 'taking the matter seriously' and that they are reviewing their policies to ensure alignment with its stated mission of compassion and service for all, including people experiencing homelessness.

Church leaders also requested patience from the public, noting that staff have received threats amid the viral attention and are working to determine appropriate next steps.

Hector Quemada, who works on the church's mission team, talked to MLive and said, 'Despite what people might have seen or the conclusions that they've drawn from social media, we're a very compassionate church.'

'We have a heart for reaching out to people who need our help,' he added.