Baptist Pastor has gone viral for reporting that he was denied access to the Dallas – Fort Worth airport chapel during a recent layover at the airport, while a Muslim prayer service was underway. Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) issued a press release and is demanding answers from the airport. The incident is being framed as part of a “growing trend of Islamic dominance over shared public and religious spaces.”

As I await my flight home from seeing Voddie’s family an announcement in @DFWAirport says “all are welcome” to a “prayer service” in the chapel. With broken heart I went hoping maybe Scripture would at least be read. Instead I found this & was denied access. Imam-led Salah. pic.twitter.com/p6GhJ4IESB

— Tom Ascol @tomascol (@tomascol) September 26, 2025

The pastor says that, in fact, he was only blocked from entry if he wouldn’t remove his shoes and that he was asked to sit in back.

When I made a move to step further toward the door, he shifted his position to stand directly in front of me, making it clear that this prayer service was only for certain kinds of people, namely Muslims. 8/

— Tom Ascol @tomascol (@tomascol) October 1, 2025

A Texas State Senator running for Attorney General is also entering the fray on this.

We aren’t letting Texas turn into Dearborn, Michigan. It’s outrageous that a Christian pastor was excluded from a Dallas Fort Worth airport interfaith chapel by an Imam-led Muslim prayer service. I sent a legislative information request demanding answers from DFW airport. As… pic.twitter.com/wR6V4MOzIt

— Mayes Middleton (@mayes_middleton) October 2, 2025

According to the chapel’s director,

Recently, DFW Interfaith Chaplaincy was made aware of a disheartening claim posted on social media that a traveler was allegedly denied entry, or felt unwelcome, during a Muslim prayer service held in one of our airport chapels. We take that claim seriously, as we have upheld a tradition for 50 years of serving all who need a shared, respectful space for prayer or quiet reflection. We never refuse others from observing any service, or place requirements or restrictions on entering the space during any services.

We immediately investigated these claims with our Muslim cleric, who is our longest standing chaplain and a person who upholds our shared values of inclusive, shared spaces. Our cleric was shocked and saddened at this claim. He was not aware of the incident, and it was not brought to his attention until after the post was made online. Had he been made aware of the alleged encounter, he would have made clear that the space is open and available to all people with no restrictions on entry.

Our chapels are used by a variety of faith groups, often respectfully sharing the space simultaneously to pray and reflect. This is exactly how our chapels are designed to be used and have been used for five decades of service.

We offer weekly Protestant services, Chapel Mass and Juma prayer services for anyone working at or traveling through DFW. These services are always led by our Chaplains, are brief, and all inclusive. We want our airport community to know that we are shaken by this incident, which would run counter to our core mission, values and beliefs that all are welcome in our spaces. We thank the many tens of thousands of passengers and airport workers who have used our space respectfully for many years, and we look forward to continuing that legacy of service.

Muslim prayer services have long been held at 1:30 p.m. on Fridays at the DFW airport chapel. This is not a new service. The pastor felt that it was misleading to announce that a prayer service was available in the chapel and for it to turn out not to be a Christian service. Maybe announcements should be more specific, but signage says all are welcome at any time.

And I’d note that DFW airport has five chapels, one in each terminal, so I don’t see anything wrong with accommodating services for one religion in one chapel once a week? That really doesn’t seem to exclude anyone else from using the space – although it makes sense one might visit the chapel closest to their gate on a connection. After all, people often anchor to their gates and don’t venture off for food either (which is why so many airports have ipads at gates for ordering, and food delivery, so they don’t miss out on sales).

It seems to me that:

1. A pastor, or any traveler, should not be blocked from entering an airport chapel unless they’re trespassing based on disruptive conduct. There’s no indication that was the csae here.

2. But the pastor, and anyone else entering a religious service, should be respectful of the service that’s going on. Here that meant removal of shoes.

In other words, both sides were probably wrong here. The space is open to all, as the signage in front says! And everyone should be respectful of the services. In other words, don’t be a jerk. Let other religions have their service. Enter if you wish, but do so in a manner that doesn’t disturb people conducting their service, right?

(HT: Joe R.)