Tensions over Proposition 8 escalated in San Francisco Friday night.

Police in riot gear escorted a group of Christians out of the Castro District - a popular gay San Francisco neighborhood - in fear of their safety.

The Christians are part of a ministry known as Justice House of Prayer.

For three years, they've prayed specifically for California's gay community. Most recently, they spent 40 days in San Diego praying for the passage of Proposition 8.

Friday night's conflict started as they met on a Castro sidewalk to sing and worship - their typical routine. But this time, a large crowd gathered.

"The crowd grew larger and larger until it ended up being a few hundred people, until the bars had emptied out and we're completely surrounded by people who are yelling at us," the Justice House of Prayer's Angie Baird recounted.

"They started saying 'We're going to kill you' and they started taking our pictures saying 'We're going to kill you, we know who you are,'" she said. "They started raging at our leader - 'We're going to kill you' - swearing at us, pouring hot coffee on us."

Police eventually escorted the Christians out of the neighborhood.

"They made a wall between us and the crowd until the crowd started trying to get through the police officers to us and that's when they told our leader 'We fear that you guys are in danger out here -- we need to get you out of here,'" said Missy Huff, another House of Prayer member..

Huff says the group is praying about its next step since they are not sure how best to minister to the gay community in such difficult times.