Pittsylvania County sheriff’s deputies served a warrant on a Chatham man after a Westover Baptist Church worship leader made him leave a Feb. 28 church event.
Micah Noel Robertson, of Chatham, is charged with misdemeanor trespassing.
Paul Nelson, a worship leader at Westover, filed the complaint March 24.
Robertson was asked to leave church property several times after causing a disturbance and videotaping at the church, according to a criminal complaint, which notes disturbances and recording worship services are forbidden by posted signs on the church’s entrances.
“He refused to leave as he was asked,” Nelson wrote. “We continued to ‘walk’ him out until he finally left.”
Church officials at Westover did not return calls seeking comment.
Micah Robertson works with his father, Johnny Robertson, for Religious Review Media, a group that tries to bring accountability to religion and to increase dialogue between different religious organizations, according to Johnny Robertson.
He said two Religious Review reporters went to the church event to speak with Elmer Towns, co-founder of Liberty University. One reporter pulled a video camera to record Micah Robertson speaking to Towns, Johnny Robertson said. As he did, church officials asked him to leave. Micah Robertson then pulled his video camera to film the confrontation, and officials told him to leave also.
Religious Review reporters travel with video cameras to document their interactions with others in case they’re accused of anything.
“We are very controversial in the sense that our message is that we should all be together,” Johnny Robertson said.
But Micah Robertson didn’t capture any video Feb. 28 because church officials grabbed his camera as he turned it on, Johnny Robertson said.
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