119 thoughts on “Really Making An Impression”

  2. Here’s a philosophical question: If you’re yelling and nobody’s listening, can you still claim to be “preaching”?

    1. I think it’s kind of like a tree falling when no one’s around. Except that the tree is less offensive.

    3. Would you call me standing on my street yelling, “The British are coming! The British are coming!” preaching?

      Same thing… makes about the same sense.

    4. But seriously, what’s the difference between yelling on a street corner with nobody listening…and yelling behind a pulpit with nobody listening? 😎

    5. I don’t really think he was preaching. More of quoting. Preaching to me would imply some input by him. He just spouted verses.

  3. Second!! . . . again!

    I found this video really kind of sad. This guy’s approach is “full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.” I guess there’s a place for street evangelism, but you have to know your audience to be able to connect with them. He obviously doesn’t.

  4. Honest question: does this guy not realize that he is wearing a Nazi haircut? While yelling at a predominately black audience?

    2. John – I don’t think it really matters how you dress when you are talking to someone about Christ. Its more about the humility in which you approach them. In the D most of the pastors wear thousand dollar suits when they preach or minister to their congregation. I can’t imagine that someone would be offended or impressed by this pastors outfit from JC Penney.

      1. I have no idea what a Nazi haircut is. I’ve always thought of Nazis as perpetrators of the holocaust, not so much barbers.

        I find his pleated pants and poorly fitting shirt way more off-putting.

      3. And this guy isn’t approaching anyone much less in humility. He’s just yelling which I always personally find off-putting.

        If I were going to street preach, I would stand on a box or get a podium in case someone wanted to stop and listen. The way he’s wandering around it’s as if he’s not really expecting anyone to listen. It’s like he’s going through the motions.

        1. You’re right. He isn’t approaching people with humility. My point is that it doesn’t really matter what you are wearing. You don’t have to dress like your homeless to talk to the homeless.

    3. I had him picked as a fundy independent Baptist until I realized he was wearing a Mohawk haircut. Neither the indy Baptists nor the Nazis would find that acceptable.

    1. It’s just a prop.

      That’s why Fundies would never have a Bible on a Kindle or e-reader – you couldn’t tell what it was. It could be some other version, or worse yet, some worldly text.

      1. I use my Bible app on my Android phone every Sunday in church. I have all the “non-fundy approved” versions on it. 😀

  7. Ok…the more I think about this, the madder I get.

    1. Why don’t you dress a little more common than looking so corporate in a destitute part of town.

    2. Detroit is depressed and many of these people are down on their luck. Why in the HELL are you going to shout at these people with an “in your face approach”

    3. Jesus fed the hungry and mandated the disciples to clothe and feed the homeless, orphans and widows. How about opening a shelter and ministering to these people’s needs and showing the heart of Christ instead of taking your Bible and your attitude and beating them over the head!

    Did this guy ever read the gospels to learn about how Jesus ministered? Oh right, his Bible is a prop. 😯

    1. The video description says something about “feeding and preaching to the homeless”

      I suspect there may be food being given away to the street preacher’s left. Which may be why so many folks coming back from the direction are carrying cups and bags.

      Either way, his preaching still doesn’t seem to be doing much.

      1. at least they are doing something right….why on earth wouldnt he just evangelize one on one??? Yelling at them is not doing any good

        1. Fundies rarely like to acknowledge anyone else’s humanity, and just screaming when people are around is pretty effective way of dehumanizing them.

    1. Where did you go to fundy u at? Mine was in Oklahoma City, OK and we had a group that liked to do this type of thing.

        1. Stuckinfundieland…when did you go to Ambassador Baptist College? I had family that went there.

        2. I was there in the early 90s but lived in Shelby until 2000. When was your family there?

  10. I find it really interesting that this street preacher is not really doing anything but yelling Bible verses about salvation, sin, and our response without any logical order to it. He is all over the place. Can you imagine the apostle Paul preaching the gospel in such a discoherent manner? This has to be the absolute worse street preaching and presentation of the gospel that I’ve ever heard. Even worse than Jack Chick Tracts. At least they have a story arc to it (albeit a really lame one)!

    Its almost as if he spews bible verses off the top of his head, hoping that “the word of God will not return void” and someone will be miraculously be converted from it……

    1. There are lots or preachers who do the same thing in this area. It used to be called homeless row. There were hundreds of people that would live there. They used to set up tents and stay in the shelter when it was cold.
      The sad thing to me about this is most of those people grew up in a church. They “know” what he’s talking about.

      At certain times of the day there are groups of Muslims in the same area practicing the call to prayer with the homeless that live there.

      On Saturdays several dozen churches from Detroit come down and evangelize but unfortunately most of them are prosperity gospel.

      Even though I no longer serve on the west side, I am so thankful for the things I learned for the homeless there.

  11. I love this post! I used to feed the homeless here. This video was taken at MLK/3rd Street. It’s located in Cass Corridor. Pretty dangerous area in Detroit. I was there one Sunday about year ago and a woman was crying, I asked her why. She told me that a man who came to hand out food and help people was beaten to death about an hour before I got there. Its right about the same place that this guy was standing. I would say he’s either brave or naive. Probably the latter…

    I know this isn’t a positive post about the city but I love Detroit! I live on the East Side and it was the best decision I ever made.

    1. Kristin – at the begining of this video I thought that was exactly what was going to happen (the guy being beat to death). Detroit is a tough place (I’m sure you know that better than I do) and I just don’t think it’s wise or productive to go down there and start yelling at folks.

    2. I’ve heard of Cass Corridor. Knew someone from Michigan who always used to tell me if I ever came to visit, he’d show me Cass Corridor in Detroit after dark. AFTER he’d tell me how he once had to (literally) shoot his way out of a situation there.

  12. To me this just seems like style over substance. He can claim he spent the morning preaching the Gospel (aka shouting random Bible verses aggressively).

    Detroit needs real help, not people preaching AT people. What if he actually stopped yelling long enough to talk to the people, ask them their names, and hear their stories?

    2. I know two families associated with Acts29 who recently left another state to move INTO Detroit. They’re living in Detroit itself, have their children enrolled in a charter school in the neighborhood, and are getting to know their neighbors. They’ve started a Bible study in their home, and spent all last weekend working with neighbors cleaning their street and having a BBQ afterwards. How much do you wanna bet the man in this video goes back to the suburbs after he’s done “preaching”?

        1. They are on the other side of the city from where I am. Just a solid crew of people over there. I go to a church on the east side and we are doing the same thing.

        4. I applaud anybody doing inner city ministry in Detroit. I lived in Toledo for 7 years and Detroit is one tough city.

  15. This one made me so sad for so many reasons. First of all for the people he is yelling his “Gospel” at. (Gospel is supposed to be GOOD NEWS, not a brick over the head…) and second for how completely out of touch with reality HE is. I knew many young men who stuffed themselves into that mold. It also felt like he was doing it to achieve the goal of having gone street preaching, not of actually interacting with anyone there. So pointless.

    1. Yeah. That’s how it came across to me too: like it was all about him going through the motions but not really caring if he was reaching anyone. After all, if they heard him and rejected him, it was THEIR fault.

      1. Exactly! And then he in all good conscience can fill out his activity report with the amount of time he spent “Street Preaching” and all is well with his soul. I used to lie on mine {Gasp!} because there was NO WAY I could find people every single week to connect with. (I guess I could have just screamed at them on a corner, but that really wasn’t my style) Its a good thing he got someone to video it of course. Just in case he is challenged about it, or {hope against hope} FAMOUS someday!

    1. Bullhorn guy looks like my old Pastor.

      Also, it reminds me that people have been hating Rob Bell for years… Todd Friel mocked him years ago without really considering what was being said here. I’ve never seen the Rob Bell video until now.

    1. Do you ever feel nobody really cares? WELL GOD CARES! He knows all ABOUT you.

      (Read those and speak the bits in bold angrily to get an idea of what the video sounds like).

      Also, I love how he says “wuuuurdd of Gaaaahd”.

  19. I’m from Michigan. I’m SHOCKED we’re not witnessing this guy being beat up and left for dead. Everyone here KNOWS you don’t go to places in Detroit where you do not belong. Has NOTHING to do with racism and EVERYTHING to do with COMMON SENSE! Oh, silly me, we’re talking fundies here!

  20. He’s planting a seed!

    Seriously, those people sure look like they could use help. Let’s feed their bodies first, out of love as Jesus commands, then worry about sharing the Gospel.

    Preach at all times, and if necessary use words.

    1. Why not, they’ve already fed their bodies with narcotics.

      (“That ain’t right, Lord I apologize for that right there and be with the starving pygmies down there in New Guinea there, Amen.” — Larry, The Cable Guy.. and Natalie)

  23. Reminds me of that great old Gospel song “You Must Open the Door”.
    “He’s done all he can do, now it’s all up to you:
    Yes, you must open the door!”

    Second point: He would rather preach to the air that talk to people one on one.

  24. Cheap polyester shirt: Check
    Kackis with belt: Check
    Bad high-and-tight: Check
    Homiletics: No Check

  25. Makes me cringe!

    Reminds me of my sophomore year of College at OBC & I. (Oklahoma Baptist College and Institute in Oklahoma City, OK, Dr. Jim Vineyard.)

    We “Preacher boys” had to preach on the street three sermons a week. We would literally stand at intersections and preach at cars zooming by. No one heard us, and we looked like fools. We got our three sermons in, though! Oh the memories.

    1. Tony, Shortly after my husband and I left fundamentalism we were taking a trip to OKC (he had training there with the FAA) so we decided to visit Jim Vineyard’s church. JV was the bus director in Hammond when we were in college there and we just thought it might be a “fun” experience. (LOL)
      As soon as we were in the door, one of his ‘preacher boys’ accosted us and was trying to witness to us. My husband said that we were visiting but we had a church already (We had just started going to another church (not the fundy one) and were also travelling) and the preacher boy asked the name of the pastor. My husband’s mind blanked and he stumbled about a bit and said he couldn’t remember the pastor’s name. The boy’s face was PRICELESS! It was like, “AHA! I caught you in a LIE!” I am surprised he didn’t whip out a pad of disciplinary sheets and write us up right then and there. It was FUNNY! My husband was super embarassed though. I told him he should have just made a name up. It isn’t like the kid has heard of every pastor in the universe. (or has he?)

  26. True story: last summer in my small town, a weird guy started street preaching on various corners, wrapped in a sheet. He would just scream damnation down on everybody as they drove by with their windows rolled up. People started asking around, “Have you seen that street preacher? Who is he?” One day, my dad was at work and someone was discussing a recent sighting. Someone spoke up and said, “Oh yeah, that’s my neighbor. He’s not really crazy, but he’s wanting to get declared insane so he can get some kind of welfare check. He thought street preaching would be a good way to get committed.” No word on whether or not his plan was successful!

    3. If it’ll stop these dopes from doing this, I’d gladly support just giving them the crazy checks or disability or whatever it is.

  27. Been there, Done that!

    Distributed tracts at busy street corner. Check. City made us pick up most of the tracts that had been thrown on the ground.

    Did the bulhorn thing. Check. no results.

    Came back with a gospel team. Check Somehow, a group of young white suburban kids singing “It’s me oh Lord, Standing in the need of prayer” didn’t get any results, other than the leering at our female teenagers.

    Soup kitchen combined with conversations. Check. However after six months of serving food with zero conversions, the church decided God was not calling us to feed the hungry.

    Somehow, through all this nobody had the good sense to explain to us that at least one out of every two homeless people out there should really be in a mental institution, but because of no money they end up on the streets.

    Bottom line: less than half of the homeless on the streets can even make an adult decision for Christ.

    Visiting the sick, the homeless, those in prison, feeding the poor are tasks in themselves that we are ordered to do, not to be confused or mixed with preaching.

    1. Exactly. And, this is the belief in fundyland, that people just need to get saved and that’s all they need. I’m sorry, but its not.

      People have a need of love and acceptance and care. Every single person. I don’t care how cold and mean they have become, or how much they say they don’t need it. They do. Everyone does. It’s just human need.

      So, when a person offers a little kindness to someone, in whatever form, you’re feeding the soul of that person, something that Jesus did and taught to do.

      And something fundies will NEVER get.

  28. I’ve been in Detroit with street preachers. I was embarrassed to death. I couldn’t stand being there and am glad I never went back.

  29. In Australian culture, this sort of ‘evangelism’ is pretty much non-existent-even among Fundies.
    It looks suspiciously like a reasonably common phenomenon though: the resident, mentally ill homeless guy having a psychotic episode. The passers-by respond in the same way in both scenarios.

    1. Not where I am from 🙂 Parramatta every weekend, and Sydney when we felt particularly adventurous, as well as major events. I don’t live in Australia anymore, but I imagine they are still down there every Saturday 5-7pm Parramatta (that outside walkthrough bit up from JB Hifi, near BurgerKing/HungryJacks).

      Most people did one on one, but I did the street shouting, because I wanted to yell random insults about muslims and the pope so I could get some war stories for my sunday night preacher boy sermons.

      1. Meh. Sydney is an oddity when it comes to Australian Christianity-they have their own miniature Bible Belt, not to mention Peter Jensen and Hillsong too.
        Perthites are more concerned with the state of their bank accounts. Even the hanky heads drive new cars.

        1. Hillsong probably isn’t as bad as you think, and this from someone who (almost) preached outside of it (I don’t remember why I didn’t make it to street preaching that night). I also covertly filmed them from the inside… their youth sermon was pretty crud (very totally radically extreme dude), but the other stuff isn’t too bad. I find they have little discernment over visiting guests (ie, Joseph Prince is awesome, but then they have someone like T.D. Jakes).

          Peter Jensen is like the John Calvin of Sydney (I don’t know who the Servutus would be.. Fred Nile maybe 😛 ). He is worshipped by the Sydney Anglicans. However, as a whole, Sydney Anglicans are pretty stable evangelicals, but as with most Calvinist groups, are highly critical of anyone and everyone that does not identify with them. Even the Baptist Union get picked on by them (and misrepresented – as a sydney Anglican growing up, I was always told the baptist union churches were wrong because they taught baptism as a requirement for salvation, which was a bold face lie).

  30. I was actually saddened watching this. This guy is oblivious to the fact that everyone is oblivious to him. He’s being ignored worse than a world-class violinist playing in a subway station. The resulting cynicism on the part of the people taking the food (assuming Darrell’s assumption is correct) is even worse: what kind of opinion are they forming about Christians? About Christ?

    1. Not true. He is well aware noone is listening. It’s their own fault in his mind. He is also well aware he is being filmed, and this will be put on youtube, and people will say “Amen”, “Keep preachin da truth” and “This is how it’s done folks”.

      It’s not about the people, it’s about him and how great it is that he has the “boldness” to preach in a tough area of town. He gets the glory. Check the channel comments.

      I speak from experience.

      1. And now that I think about it, his fundy standing would have increased a hundredfold if he HAD gotten beaten nearly to death, right? Suffering for Jesus and all that?

        As my new non-fundy pastor says, “There’s a difference between suffering for Christ and suffering because you’re a jerk.”

      2. I like how you base your own experience to judge the motive of his heart. Perhaps you could study up on judging righteously.

        😀 😆

        😛 😥

    1. meh… i know all of those verses just from awanas. it’s not like he was firing off one flawless verse after another… seemed like he was kind of struggling to think of what verse to upchuck next. and he repeated at least one verse which tells me he was running out of material pretty quickly.

  33. I guess I will stand alone here. But this is the best street preacher that I have seen recently. I have watched a lot of YouTube street “preachers” that have harassed their audience with antagonizing rhetoric. Not so with this man… one Bible verse after another… very well done! How could any Christian have anything negative to say about him?

    1. I was thinking I might teach an English class in the future to a section full of 5th graders. I figured quoting random lines from assorted Shakespearean plays might make a good lesson plan.

  34. No one is listening to him because he forgot the tie and sport coat. People aren’t going to take the gospel seriously without the preacher being properly dressed.

  36. Can someone turn this video into a country rap song?

    “Just a Swing’in” comes to mind.

  37. Is it just me, or does he sound like Vizzini (from The Princess Bride)? Added a comic tinge that otherwise shouldn’t be there.

  38. Awww, he’s “ministering” to the poor. I can’t wait until a seminary decides to start offering vocabulary classes.

  39. Those druggies all around are like…dang white boy is tripp’n on some good stuff…can I get some of that crack

  41. This man is playing a role, and it is not the role of a soul-winner. Soul-alienator, yes; soul-winner, no.

  43. Yelling “The Bible says” to people who disbelieve the Bible, in King James no less, is like preaching in King James to the Swahili without a translator. Oh wait, they probably do that… 🙄

  44. This young man is trying to tell others that there IS a life after death and that is either heaven or hell and if they don’t trust Christ as saviour (get saved) then they will spend eternity in hell. Sad but it’s true, that’s straight from the Bible. It’s So heart breaking to see people “ridicule” this preacher for telling the gospel. Maybe it’s not exactly the kind of preaching you like, but you need to be careful with judging. He’s trying to tell others the gospel and maybe they will get saved..that’s what it’s all about.

    1. Is he REALLY trying to reach those people though, or is he just doing something that LOOKS like he’s trying to reach them? Paul said that he became all things to all people. Is the best way to reach people in downtown Detroit to wander about in the middle of the sidewalk yelling Bible verses?

      Honestly, I LOVE public speaking. It would be very easy for me to do what this man is doing. On the other hand, I personally find it very difficult to get to know people, to talk to them one on one, to listen to their complex issues, and to try to come up with a way to help. For me, if I wanted to feel good about going through the motions of witnessing, I could do as he is doing, but if I wanted to actually reach people, I’d have to actually talk TO the lost instead of AT them.

  45. Perhaps the youngman, instead of dressing like a pompus rich ass, should just put on a good ole pair of jeans and atmost a colored polo shirt. Ive done a few non scientific polls, but Ive found that when you have a guy doing what he does in the video- almost NO ONE really pays attention to him. But almost everyone i talked to personally said “yea man, if he had (the mindless preacher) had done what you are doing (talking to us in person 1 on 1, or 1 to a few friends walking through) we might of atleast stopped to listen or chat……..

  46. So I take it that you just try to talk to them and also cuss and everything like you did in your previous post. That’s not somebody that I would want to try and talk to me about where my eternity is going to be spent…..Agian, as I said in my previous post, maybe it’s not exactly the style that you like, but you need to be careful to judge. It’s all about people being saved. And I have known people where this approach (street preaching) did certainly in fact work and they ended up being saved because they heard the gospel. And just because it seems like people arn’t listening doesn’t mean they don’t think about it later when they are by themselves. I’ve known and heard of people where this exact thing has happend.

    1. What’s with the recent influx of people who think cussing is an indicator of your soul’s condition? Must be the full moon.

      “It’s all about people being saved.”

      Really? And you determined this … how, exactly?

      1. Also I wouldn’t call that cussing…. It’s not great language, but cussing to me implies anger. Just an opinion. Also, I agree with Mark.

      1. Perhaps the youngman, instead of dressing like a pompus rich ass, should just put on a good ole pair of jeans and atmost a colored polo shirt.

        2. ‘Ass’ is a perfectly acceptable word, as evidenced by its use in the KJV. Also, perfectly placed in the context in which it was used. So, really, no cussing. (I really knew the answer to my question, I was just being an ass :mrgreen: ).

  47. From the Holy Bible….(KJV)
    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotton son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
    John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
    Roman 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto SALVATION to everyone that believeth ; to the jew first and also to the greek.”
    Luke 16 19-31..talks about the story of the rich man who had everything he could possibly imagine but he died without being saved and went to hell.
    Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”
    Roman 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”
    And as far as cussing goes James 5:12 ”

    But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation,”
    Psalm 10:7 “His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and fraud: under his tongue is mischief and vanity.”

    1. From the Holy Bible….(KJV)

      as opposed to…. what?? The unholy Bible (NIV, ESV, NASB, CEV, NKJV…) ?????

      See that is one of the things we home in on really quickly, and we are not KJV bashers… we are KJV-“Only” bashers.
      You lead off with a pickled herring that we find rather offensive. Your lead sentence is a passive agressive statement that we have heard over and over: The Holy Bible… The one! The only! Give it up for-r-r-r the KING JAMES BIBLE!! **arrrh** the croud goes wild! Can I get a Honolulu! *i wanna go there*

      In fact if you are up to the challenge, go to http://www.biblegateway.com and look all those proof texts up in several different translations. You will find the truer meaning behind each verse that way and it may suprise you. 😉

      And btw, we are glad you are here and we do want your input. If we seem a little heavy handed today we may still have a little troll patrol left over from yesterday. 😯 😀

  48. I’m not trying to argue, really i’m not. It’s just I was asked “And you determined this…how, exactly?” And I determined it from the Bible (God’s word). So i picked out some verses to show that yes, it’s all about being saved. There’s no other way to heaven.

    1. Many if not most of us here would agree with you about the absolute necessity of putting one’s faith in Christ and Him alone. Those are beautiful, awesome promises in the verses you quoted – I’m so thankful for God’s amazing grace.

      However, it’s not ALL about just getting people saved. Jesus commanded us to go into all the world and make disciples. That’s a much larger investment than simply getting someone to pray a prayer. It requires getting involved in their lives and living life together as the body of Christ.

    2. And I’ll just point out that none of the verses you threw down says anything to the effect of “It’s all about people getting saved.” Yeah, all those verses mention it (except the one from James; way to make me chuckle), but not one says “Salvation is the most important thing in the world!” At best, you have to assume it’s all about “getting to heaven.

      1. I just looked up the James 5:12 verse. Wow. Swearing in that verse does not have anything to do with cussing. You can make a case that cussing is wrong (although it’s kind of a stretch), but you can’t do it using James 5:12

        1. Dang it. Oh well. Should read to the end first next time. 😳

    3. Audrey, you are right when you say there is no other way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus’ work on the cross. But pastor’s wife is bang on when she says that we are commanded to make disciples. We’re not required to go out and see how many people we can get saved in one weekend. Simply put, anyone can go out and yell the “gospel” and more than likely someone will get saved, it’s MUCH harder to make a disciple. Making a disciple involves having a relationship with that person, coming along side them, getting to know them and moving them in their walk closer to God.. A lot fundy churches are great at getting people saved, but extremely poor at making disciples.

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