As a teenager, 57-year-old James McDonald hitchhiked on the streets, trying to find his purpose in life. Now he's preaching in the streets.
Amidst some shouting, unwillingness to listen and even laughter, a group of five evangelists from Rochester and Buffalo, N.Y., preached the Bible outside the HUB-Robeson Center Wednesday.
"We prefer to call ourselves street preachers or Bible preachers," said McDonald, who has been preaching for seven years.
To attract passersby outside the HUB, Marvin Holmes, another preacher in the group, held a sign that read, "Thousands of ex-homosexuals have experienced the life-changing love of Jesus Christ."
There was positive and negative feedback in response.
"The sign is to attack homosexuality as a primary goal, and to preach religion as a secondary goal," said Brandon Novogradac (senior-environmental soil science), adding that, at the same time, he supported the preachers' right to free speech.
Another preacher, Kevin Daniels, said the sign should not be thought of as bad.
He added no one gave him a legitimate argument in rejection of the sign.
"People automatically repel any message we present that touches on homosexuality," Daniels said, but added he was happy people were responding.
"Most people say that it's bad to get people worked up," he said. "But many times in these cases, the person may be under the conviction of sin and may be rebelling."
Resentment and anger were not the only sentiments expressed by the crowd.
"These people are more fun than Gary [Cattell], the Willard Preacher, who I usually argue with," Tobi Veselich (senior-physics) said.
Veselich added he thought there was less tension at the HUB Wednesday than outside of Willard on any given day.
McDonald said he feels that by preaching, he can help others find Christ.
"Through the foolishness of preaching, it pleases God to save man," Daniels paraphrased from the New Testament in an attempt to explain the group's goal.
Holmes, a seasoned member of the group, was an alcoholic before his conversion experience, he said. Now he is the pastor of a Baptist church in New York, he added.
He has gone as far west as Utah and as far north as Detroit to preach, he said.
The group traveled here following Tuesday's presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C., where they were spat on and mistreated, McDonald said.
Being in Washington on Tuesday was ideal for the group, McDonald said.
"We go wherever lots of people go," McDonald said.
