SPF
Members Arrested
Johnstown,
PA- Several members were arrested for their Open Air preaching
over the last week, in three different states, highlighting the
importance of, as well as the guidance of God in the timing of
the organization of the Street Preachers Fellowship. Both Eastern
District Directors were arrested in two different campus incidents
in the south, the very same week that Michigan State Director
David Ickes was cited for preaching on the sidewalks of atypical
small town Michigan.
In
the campus incidents, Cabinet Adviser and Eastern District Director
Greg Davis was arrested on the Arkansas State University Campus
in Beebe Arkansas. Evangelist Davis was preaching in the student
union area of the campus, an obvious public forum, when he was
interrupted by a female administrator of the University, Angie
Tetty and told that he had to fill out a registration form in
order to speak on campus. Brother Davis politely identified himself,
and advised he would be willing to do that when he was finished
with his message, or the dear lady could bring him one and he
would fill it out on the spot. Brother Davis advised he was in
the middle of a sermon, and had a good number of listeners, and
that he would be glad to fill the form out once he was finished
speaking. This kindness, and polite offer of cooperation was obvious
not the anticipated response expected, nor the intent of the Administrator’s
interruption of Evangelist Davis’s preaching. In response
to his agreeing to fill one out if she would give it to him, she
immediately called the police, obviously indicating that she just
wanted to stop Brother Davis’s preaching. A female Campus
police officer, along with a City of Beebe female officer arrived
and advised Brother Davis that “it is time for you to leave”.
In these two female police “person’s” arrest
report, they stated that the “complainant advised subject
was telling students they were going to hell. Complainant advised
subject was wearing a black T-shirt with a white button that had
‘No Homos’ on it”. Brother
Davis, being still the single man that he is arising from his
openly wise discernment in such matters arising from the typical
American female flight from Titus 2:3-5, politely advised the
officers that he would like to speak with a male officer, and
that he had the right to be there in front of the Student Center
preaching. It is rumored that Brother Davis accidentally referred
to one of the officers as ‘Sir’, which is being investigated
by the Fellowship’s Unassociated Board of Contradictors
as being the actual cause of the arrest, and not Brother Davis’s
preaching (see The Manual). If this is proved to be a fact or
a rumor, both will obviously be “cause shown” for
Brother Davis to fall considerably in reputation and esteem amongst
those that concern themselves with “whether it be right…”
(see Acts 4:19).
Nevertheless,
the Fellowship’s District Director was recorded in the arrest
report as being “well groomed in appearance, with a military
haircut, straight teeth, medium complexion and clean shaven with
quiet speech and a polite demeanor and a medium
voice.” He was subsequently arrested for Disorderly Conduct,
Resisting Arrest and Criminal Trespass. In effecting such arrest
the female officers asked him to place his hands behind his back,
and Brother Davis with camera in hand held them out in front of
him, and was immediately handcuffed in front, and his camera confiscated.
It is assumed, though not explained in the report, that Brother
Davis’s inability to tell his front from his back was the
justification for charging him with Resisting Arrest. However,
this pseudo-dexlicit Nineveh maneuver (see Jonah 4:11) enabled
Brother Davis to use his cell phone while riding in the prisoner
cage of the police officer’s car, to call the Fellowship’s
Director.
The
following day, District Director Jason Storms was arrested on
the campus of the University of Louisiana at New Orleans. Brother
Storms had been daily ministering the word of God on this campus
with good results, and attentive listeners, being in the area
since before Mardi Gras. The police officer that arrested him
gave Brother Storms no indication of any problem, complaint or
illegal conduct. The officer just walked up and advised Brother
Jason that “you are under arrest”, and took him away
in handcuffs, leaving his pregnant wife amongst the crowd. The
fellowship’s Unassociated Board of Contradictors and the
Sissies for Christ Association will undoubtedly rule Brother Jason
afoul of ‘The Manual’, for “wearing out his
welcome” in New Orleans. Brother Jason’s arrest in
New Orleans has already begun to cost the Fellowship money for
purchasing extra cheese to go with the SCA’s whine about
Brother Storms not going to jail for preaching but trying look
like Paul and Barnabas and “long time therefore abode they
speaking boldly” (Acts 14:3,28). After all, the Pro-life
Deep South Tour was over, Mardi Gras was over, Ruben Israel had
gone back to California, the Fellowship’s Director had gone
home, all the attending state directors had gone home, even Mark
Diener had gone home. All the preachers from New York were back
home. Al Rodriguez and the Texas boys had gone home. Everyone
went home...except…Brother and Mrs. Jason Storms. When asked
what Brother Storms was still doing in New Orleans, SPF Director
McRae replied, “Preaching!”
Being ordered to appear in court the next morning for his arraignment,
Brother Jason complied, and sat with his wife for all of the morning,
until everyone was gone but him. The court had no record that
he was ever arrested, had no reports from the police officers
about his arrest, and the court advised him that such happens
often, and the officers just don’t file anything, and the
matter is dropped. The clerk stamped his citation as having appeared,
and advised Brother Jason “if you do not hear anything more
from the court, just go on home to Wisconsin and forget about
it!” Not in this country!
And not to give the appearance that the Deep South is the only
place that persecutes preachers these days, the small town of
Dundee, Michigan cited two young preacher boys for preaching on
the sidewalks of the downtown area. The following Saturday, Michigan
State Director David Ickes was cited for standing where they stood,
and preaching the gospel. However, the local police do not consider
church people gathering on the sidewalks, carrying Bibles, passing
out gospel literature, singing hymns and expounding from the scriptures
as anything that would resemble “preaching”. And obviously,
neither do they consider such activity a Constitutional Right.
They cited Brother David Ickes for Disturbing the Peace. So as
per ‘The Sissies Manual’, See there, Brother Ickes
was not preaching! The police said he was being loud and boisterous,
and unreasonably disturbing people. He should have just stopped
when told to do so……that way both the Sissies for
Christ, their Manual, the Police officers, the devil and Brother
Ickes would then all be in agreement…He Really Wasn’t
Preaching……anymore!
“If
you cannot see the cowardly hypocrisy in that
bunch of nonsensical reasoning,
Do Not Apply for Membership to this Fellowship.”
- The Director