THE MAKING OF A STREET PREACHERThis is my story on how I went from being a drunken dope smoker, fornicator, liar, reviler, rock and roll freak, deceived Roman Catholic and general dirt bag sinner to being a Jesus loving ,devil shoving ,Bible toting, scripture quoting, Holy Ghost filled, open air preacher. It easy after I let go and let God run things. Let me take you back to BC –( Before Christ).I was raised by violent parents who suffered with alcoholism and with each other. My early years were so bad that I stuttered because of the abuse of my mother. I commented from time to time that I would have been better off raised by wolves because at least I would know how to hunt (ha-ha). I spent most of my life thinking I was 10 feet tall and bullet proof. Then in 1995 a vein inside my head started to leak and as quick as you can say aneurysm or stroke, I was no longer 10 feet tall and bullet proof. My wife, Vickie, stood by me and to tell you about her grace and strength would be another entire story. After brain surgery I found myself scared for the first time in a long time. I went back to my telemarketing job. Yes, I was the guy who called you up on the phone to tell you how better your life would be with TV Guide and other magazines. After I got saved I could no longer lie to people on the phone. But God gave me another position in the same company in customer service. Praise the Lord!
And how did I get saved? While I was still in the hospital waiting to be transferred to a rehab center to learn how to walk again, my wife’s uncle came to visit me. The only thing I really remember is his advice that when I get out of rehab and back home to find a church to attend. Prior to my stroke we had gotten into the habit of only attending church 2 or 3 times a year. After my wife, two daughters and I returned to Marietta, GA, we started going to church at Open Bible Tabernacle. The pastor was Eugene Holder, a man of God. But I was still smoking tobacco and drinking alcohol. I was a total mess. But God spoke to me one day and told me how people were praying for me. He asked me why I wanted to hurt everyone. So I decided to quit going to church with the family. I was going to hide from God. My heart was so full of sin that I would not let my Jesus in. I call those my dark days. Then one Sunday I went to the evening service. I had every intention of not ever going back, but Jesus had other plans for me that night. When the altar call was made, I went down. I can’t remember why, but at that little country church I got filled with something better than booze, sex or drugs. Praise the Lord; I was filled with the Holy Ghost. Life from that moment on has been different. My wife knows what happened to the sinner who went to church that night and never came back. She has no complaints.I first started knocking on doors and inviting people to church service. Then one Sunday in 1996, a college campus preacher came to speak at our church. As I listened to his stories the Lord spoke to me and I did not run this time. He said to me that you can do what this man does - be a street preacher. Then this preacher issued an invitation to everyone to come join him at Little 5 Points in Atlanta, GA, a very, very tough part of town. I raised my hand and said, “I will go with you, preacher!” I was the only one in church who went the next Saturday. I had my first taste of hard core street preaching as I traveled to Atlanta with John Duncan and his wife, Ellen. I discovered every evil that I had heard about Little 5 Points was true and then some. From 1996 – 2000, I went everywhere passing out tracts and witnessing to everyone who would listen. I was even asked to speak at a church in Loganville, IN. But getting around was hard. The stroke left me legally blind, diabetic and walking with a limp. I also had a plate in my head and fluid on the brain. I could not drive, so I ride the bus to Atlanta which is about 40 miles round trip. No sweat! I was on a mission from God. I did this on the weekends while working during the week.
One day John Duncan told me I needed to meet his brother-in-law DCwho had a ministry in the projects of Atlanta. How weird because 3 months later who do you think I met at church – one of the best brothers a man could have DC He had this trailer ministry called JAM Street (Jesus and Me). Well this is becoming a book, so let me wind up the making of a street preacher. Bro. DC and I did JAM Street every weekend until the projects shut down. THAT ministry is another story about open air preaching.By the grace of God in 2002 I became a full time open air preacher. I have traveled with Brothers Ruben and DC to many different states to preach at various events. I have preached for four years at Mardi Gras and at three Super Bowls. Other places I have traveled to have been to Washington, DC on Easter day (Bush era) to protest again the homo protesters Family Pride at the White House, many different Bowl games, gay pride parades, sports events and rock concerts. I have seen hundreds of people come into repentance unto Christ over the years.
In closing I would like to thank those who have had a positive influence on my growth as a street preacher throughout the years: John Duncan, the late Eugene Holder,DC, Ruben Israel, Mark Cahill,Pastor Brooks, Chap and many others. Today I am a full time open air evangelist in Downtown Atlanta and I still do events, gay shame, rock concerts, etc. It is still a 40 mile a day mission trip, but it gives me time to talk to the other bus riders about Jesus or drop me a line at gospelmessengerchurch@gmail.com.