A man of God needed help, along with a woman who was taken hostage with him.

Rescuing them was “not a Democratic thing. It’s not a Republican thing. It’s a Kingdom thing,” said the Rev. Matthew K. Thompson, after the Rev. Michel Louis of Dorchester and Lissa Alphonse of Everett, were released by their Egyptian captor on Monday.

But in the kingdom of Massachusetts, it’s also a power and glory thing.

First, there were joyful prayers of thanksgiving. Then, there was grappling over who, besides the Creator, should get credit for the rescue.


That honor went to Republican Senator Scott Brown. “He made this happen,” said Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III, who was with the Louis family when Brown’s office called with news that the captives were safe.
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And upset they were. Said a source familiar with Kerry’s role, “to hear that Brown ‘got it done’ was bizarre.” The source, who did not want to be named, described Brown’s involvement as minimal: a Brown staffer was in touch with the State Department’s Operations Center over the weekend, and on Monday, the State Department provided that staffer with an e-mail update. “For those who work here, that’s like calling the Capitol operator to see if the Senate is in session, and then saying that Mitch McConnell and Harry Reid are working with you,” the source said.

According to a chronology put together by Kerry’s office, a son of the kidnapped minister called Kerry’s office on Friday. Kerry’s team worked on it over the weekend. As part of the effort to get the hostages released, Kerry spoke twice by phone with US Ambassador to Egypt Anne Patterson and offered to meet with Egyptian officials. Brown also reportedly spoke once with Patterson.

On Monday, after the hostages were released, Kerry also arranged a satellite phone call so relatives in Massachusetts could speak directly with their loved ones. That day, Kerry also spoke with family members in Massachusetts.

For Kerry, waiting so long to make that call to relatives was probably a mistake. Brown had been talking to them since Friday, when the hostages were taken. That’s when Thompson and Rivers called Peter Flaherty, a Brown senior adviser. Flaherty then called Brown, who quickly got in touch with family members and gave them his cell phone number.

“I’m not saying Kerry didn’t do anything,” said Rivers. “But they heard from Brown within an hour. It’s not my fault Scott Brown gives his cellphone number out.”

Asked to provide detailed information about what Brown did personally, spokesman John Donnelly said: “Senator Brown is thankful to American and Egyptian officials, and Senator Kerry’s office, for the team effort in securing the release of the hostages. They are safe and will soon be reunited with their families.