Republican state Sen. Mayes Middleton is demanding answers after a pastor was denied entry to an Islamic prayer service at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

Pastor Tom Ascol was traveling through DFW Airport after visiting the family of his late friend, Voddie Baucham, a prominent Christian apologist who died in September. He thought he might find some solace in the interfaith chapel. Instead, he found an Islamic prayer service, which he says he was blocked from entering.

Now, Middleton is demanding answers from DFW Airport CEO Chris McLaughlin. He sent a letter on October 1, requesting information about the incident and the airport’s policies.

“We aren’t letting Texas turn into Dearborn, Michigan,” Middleton wrote. “It’s outrageous that a Christian pastor was excluded from a Dallas Fort Worth airport interfaith chapel by an Imam-led Muslim prayer service.”

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Ascol said a woman’s voice came over the intercom in Terminal D multiple times, announcing a prayer service where “all are welcome.”

“I had a heavy heart, and hours before my flight back to Cape Coral was scheduled to depart,” he posted on X. “Though I had very low expectations, thinking that this might be some weak ecumenical offering, I thought that perhaps someone might read Scripture during the service.”

Ascol walked over and found the entry of the Meadows Chapel – “in honor of the military service of the brave men and women of Texas” – lined with Islamic prayer mats. Beyond the entry, he reported stalls with water faucets apparently for “ablution,” or ritual cleansing before Islamic prayer.

“The main room had several men kneeling on mats with a Muslim Imam in the far corner and a man praying aloud a Muslim prayer near the door,” Ascol said. “I looked through the door, bags in hand, processing the fact that what the travelers in DFW were invited to was, in fact, Muslim prayers.”

The man finished his prayer, and Ascol said he tried to enter the room to observe. It was at this point that the man allegedly blocked his entrance as the imam started speaking. He reportedly directed the pastor to a chair in the back, but said he had to remove his shoes first.

“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,” Ascol said. “A Kafir [unbeliever] like me was not welcome except to a chair in the back and only if I removed my shoes.”

So the pastor said he walked away and took photos. Ascol expressed frustration that DFW authorities were promoting the service as open to all, which he called “deceitful.”

The Islamic cleric reportedly said if he had been made aware of the situation, he would have clarified that “space is open and available to all people with no restrictions on entry,” according to McBrayer.

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

The group offers weekly Protestant services, Catholic mass, and Islamic prayers for travelers in DFW, according to McBrayer. He called the services “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,” McBrayer added. 

Ascol is no stranger to Islam. His grandfather was a Muslim immigrant who was murdered before his father’s eyes when he was just 10 years old. When Ascol and his siblings were young, they came to Christ and began attending a Southern Baptist church.

Ascol began preaching in Beaumont when he was a teen, and later pastored a church in College Station. Ascol is now the pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Cape Coral, Florida. Ascol is also the president of Founders Ministries – a group within the Southern Baptist Convention that aims to bring the denomination back to its biblical roots. 

“It grieves me as a native Texan. It grieves me as an American,” Ascol said. “It grieves me most as a Christian who is jealous for the glory and honor of the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ.”

DFW Airport Spokesman Zach Greiner told The Dallas Express the DFW Airport Interfaith Chaplaincy “is an independent, nonprofit organization that operates independent from the airport.” 

Interfaith Chaplaincy Executive Director Greg McBrayer issued a press release about the incident, calling Ascol’s concerns “disheartening.” 

“We never refuse others from observing any service, or place requirements or restrictions on entering the space during any services,” McBrayer said. “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.”