‘I didn’t know the message of Jesus Christ was unsafe’: Evangelist kicked off Alaska Airlines flight after preaching during delay

Instagram influencer Whitney Lynn, 40, was kicked off an Alaska Airlines flight after she decided to stand up and start preaching during a delay. The self-styled Florida evangelist told her fellow passengers that the delay might be because God was “sparing her from danger today,” and Alaska Airlines responded in kind, banning her for the “foreseeable future.”

According to People, the incident occurred on Alaska Airlines Flight 708 on Thursday, July 30. The flight was on the runway at Orlando International Airport (MCO) in Florida, bound for San Diego, when an unexpected incident led to a delay just before takeoff.

The routine ground delay seemingly created an atmosphere of growing impatience within Lynn, and she decided to do something about it. But she saw an opportunity: the other passengers would basically have no choice but to be an attentive audience should she stand up and deliver the word. And that’s exactly what she did.

She was asked to deplane for safety reasons

She was promptly removed from the flight almost immediately afterward. Alaska Airlines released a statement that read, “Our flight crew became increasingly concerned about a guest’s behavior on board the aircraft, which was also affecting other guests. The passenger was asked to deplane the aircraft for safety reasons.” And while Lynn was still gathering her things, she told the crew, “I didn’t know the message of Jesus Christ was unsafe.”

She even decided to broadcast the entire ordeal for her followers. In her caption, she said she was surprised that her sermon was received as a security threat. She wrote, “In fact, it’s probably one of the softest messages I’ve ever shared. That’s why I was so shocked. But the truth is, demons tremble at the name of Jesus. It doesn’t matter whether the message is soft or bold — when you share the gospel, it offends some people.”

Lynn continued filming herself challenging the crew’s decision, questioning whether “freedom of speech is not safe” on an airplane. She then told her online followers that her removal was a manifestation of “spiritual warfare” and asserted that “demons don’t like the name of Jesus.”

In the comments, users were split. One wrote, “Your boldness encourages me. It was a softer and encouraging message. God bless you always. So hard to see so much hate in the comments from your other videos especially from ‘Christians.’ God bless you and protect you sister!” Another disagreed and wrote, “Have you ever considered the pure unadulterated joy of minding your own business and celebrating your faith with people someplace else?”

She said she will continue her public ministry work

Her temporary ban will also include Hawaiian Airlines and Horizon Air flights, but it doesn’t seem Lynn is fazed. She responded to the bans by writing to her followers, “Looking back, I can clearly see God’s hand in it all. What seemed like a setback became an opportunity for people to hear the gospel and give their lives to Christ.”

Lynn told her followers that the logistical and legal hurdles will not stop her. Wherever she is, if she feels spiritual, she will stand up and share the word.