BENDIGO Christian leaders were arrested and charged pending summons yesterday.

The group was taken to Bendigo Police Station after they silently protested children being kept in detention centres at Nationals Senator for Victoria Bridget McKenzie's office in Hargreaves Mall. 

People involved in the sit-in protest included St Paul's Anglican Cathedral Dean John Roundhill, Uniting Church Minister Reverand Gordon Bannon, Pentecostal Pastor Dylan le Clerc, Eaglehawk community worker Michelle Rankin, community member Jonathon Cornford, Eaglehawk school chaplain Tracey Wolsley, school chaplains Carl Rusbridge and Anthea Taylor and community worker Dave Fagg.

The group has released a statement. 

It reads: "Simply because of this, the damage currently being inflicted on children and families in immigration detention is so serious that it's moral gravity cannot be overstated. 

"Right now, the lives of innocent children and families, who ar in our care, are being destroyed, and it does not need to be this way.

"The findings of two inquiries by the Human Rights Commission and innumerable health professionals have been unequivocal on this point.

"As followers of the Jesus who said, ‘Do to others as you would have them do to you’, we are impelled by the conviction that love must come before the law."

The group said they had repeatedly contacted Ms McKenzie's office with requests for a meeting prior to the protest.

"Despite making clear that we would see her at any time convenient to her, we never once were offered an appointment, or given any indication of when such an offer might be forthcoming," the statement read. 

"Indeed, our disturbing inability to gain an audience with an elected political representative is one of the things that galvanised us into the unusual measures we took yesterday."

Mr Fagg said the group would follow up communication with Ms McKenzie in the weeks following her return to Bendigo from Canberra.

John Roundhill posted the following on Facebook, "If I were not to stand up for this issue, what kind of issue would I ever stand up for? The treatment of the most needy is all our concern, and particularly a concern for all Christians."

The Love Makes A Way Facebook page stated they would "not stop until they are all free."

The page posted the following: "The 12th #LoveMakesAway action saw nine church leaders arrested asking Senator Bridget McKenzie, 'Why are kids in detention?'

"They have been released pending a summons for trespass.

"All are out and well, but will continue to work for those who continue to be imprisoned by Australia's inhumane asylum seeker policies."