ISEMA Newsletters
South Padre can’t stop pamphlet distribution, judge rules
from the Corpus Christi (TX) Caller Times
The town of South Padre Island has no right to stop a Christian group from distributing literature on the beaches during spring break, a federal judge said Thursday.
Outreach ministers sued the resort town after a town official sent them a letter advising that distribution of tracts would violate an anti-soliciting ordinance.
U.S. District Judge Balemon Vela, however, advised the town Thursday that “the public beaches are a public forum” and that handing out religious literature is protected by the Constitution.
Kevin Pitt of Brownsville, Jerry Davis of Conroe, and Davis’ Street Reach Ministries filed the federal suit here Tuesday prompted by a letter they received from town Public Works Director Gary Becher.
In the Feb. 3 letter to Pitt, the public works director wrote, “I interpret preaching the word of God as soliciting and therefore falls under these ordinances.”
Town officials on Thursday agreed to leave the ministry alone as long as it did not solicit funds on the beaches, said Paul Cunningham, town attorney.
Attorney Jay Sekulow, representing the Christian group, said, “It’s unfortunate that it did have to come to court, because frankly all that was involved was the distribution of free religious literature and sharing Jesus on the beaches of South Padre Island.”
Outreach Reports
Mardi Gras, New Orleans
by William Pahl, Holy Ghost Repair Service
After working here in Hollywood, I thought I’d seen just about every kind of debauchery the reprobate mind could invent. I almost suffered culture shock, however, when I was blessed with the opportunity to minister at this year’s Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Walking amidst the stench of booze, pit smoke, vomit, and other aromas, I saw people inhaling laughing gas and staggering in front of the many bars, strip joints, gay bars, transexual bars, and orgy parlors that line Bourbon Street. I saw people drinking alcohol while driving (it’s legal there). People exchanged “love beads” while others stripped their clothes off (even though the daytime high was barely 40).
A couple blocks off of Bourbon Street people mocked God and Christians. They crucified pizza on crosses and held up spatulas as they chanted “Flip your life over for pizza, and your sins will be forgiven.” Others dressed as priests in diapers, proudly hailing banners which read “Frog croaked for your sins.”
In contrast to all the diversities (perversities) of the devil’s way to have fun, there were approximately 1000 on-fire Christians, burning with the love of the Lord and a true burden for the lost. The army of God was proclaiming salvation through Jesus in many ways. Some used tracts as a tool to open conversations; mime and drama groups depicted the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ; street preachers proclaimed the Word of the Lord boldly. We gathered a few hundred strong for praise and worship rallies. Our ministry was climaxed one evening with a march in which we were 4 abreast and 200 long. We marched right through the sea of people on Bourbon Street, singing “Oh, the Blood of Jesus” and “Amazing Grace.” By the end of Mardi Gras, Christ for the Nations and Scott Hinkle’s team, which we joined forces with, had prayed for over 800 salvations and over 1355 people were prayed with for rededication, healing, or other needs.
South Africa Outreach
by Sondra Berry Young
We took 700 pounds of gospel tracts and went on the streets 3-4 days a week. We linked up with the Rhema Street Ministries of South Africa, directed by Peter Rahmey. A group of us with Peter would take a cross out in the city square of Johannesburg and begin to sing and praise the Lord. A crowd would gather and Peter would preach and we would pass out tracts. Sometimes he would have an alter call and pray for the sick. Then we would have another meeting in the same location. An interpreter would interpret each message as there are about 17 different languages spoken there. We needed many different kinds of tracts because of the various backgrounds. About 50-150 people would answer the alter calls each day. I will be returning to South Africa for another outreach this April.
Coming Events
MAY 25-28 INDIANAPOLIS 500 OUTREACH $15-40. Contact No Greater Love Box 263, DuQuoin, IL 62932, (618) 542-4503 or Christ in Action, Box 41848, Chicago, IL 60641, (312) 736-1400.
JUNE 14-AUGUST 16 OUTREACH TO UTAH AND MORMON MIRACLE PAGEANT $460 incl. food, travel, housing. Contact Mission: Utah, Box 511124, Salt Lake City, UT 84151.
JUNE 17-AUGUST 26 VINEYARD INSTITUTE OF URBAN MINISTRIES Evangelism training and practical application. Contact Michael Flowers, Box 1127, San Francisco, CA 94101, (415) 558- 9900.
JU;NE 21-25 LOMPOC FLOWER FESTIVAL OUTREACH. Contact Box 554, Lompoc, CA 93438, (805) 736-3964.
JUNE 18-JULY 2 BASIC TRAINING CAMP $150. Training in evangelism, discipleship and Christian living. Contact BASIC Institute, Box 431, Kiln, MS 39556, (601) 255-9251.
JUNE 29-JULY 5 SOS-HOLLYWOOD Contact Holy Ghost Repair Service, Box 1590, Hollywood, CA 90078, (213) 469-3027.
JUNE 30-JULY 1 ST. LOUIS V.P. FAIR Contact No Greater Love (address above.)
JULY 1-5 CHICAGO OUTREACH ’89 Contact Rev. Fred Franks, Ill. Youth and College Ministries, Box 225, Carlinville, IL 62626, (217) 854-3261.
JULY 6-8 EAST ST. LOUIS OUTREACH Contact Rev. Fred Franks (address above.)
JULY 8-15 JESUS LOVES YOU-NEW YORK Contact Abounding Grace Ministries, 1912 Richmond Terr., Staten Island, NY 10302, (718) 816-6626.
JULY 13-22 TWIN CITIES FOR JESUS, MINNEAPOLIS/ST. PAUL Contact Forerunner Ministries, Box 1537, Redlands, CA 92374, (714) 886-1171.
JULY 21-27 TIMES SQUARE CHURCH SUMMER EVANGELISM WORKSHOP Evangelism training and witnessing, New York City. Contact Don Wilkerson/Summer Outreach, 1995 Broadway #203, New York, NY 10023, (214) 963-8626.
JULY 23-AUGUST 6 MINERS DAYS, BIG BEAR LAKE,CA Contact Forerunner Ministries (address above.)
AUGUST 7-19 SOS-SAN FRANCISCO Guests include Chuck Girard. Contact SOS Ministries, Box 27054, San Francisco, CA 94127, (415) 552-2300.
FORWARD EDGE OUTREACHES (partial listing, contact them for complete list) Box 4976, Eureka, CA 95502, (707) 443-6315. NEW YORK CITY June 15-23 (with NY School of Urban Ministry and Francis Anfuso) $395; VIETNAM June 23-July 10 $2295; LEON, MEXICO CITY July 20-31 $895 ROSEBUD, SD SIOUX RESERVATION August 19-27 $395.
Ministry Needs
Last February, I received a call from Rev. David O’Dell that the town of South Padre Island had told them they couldn’t witness there and they would have to cancel their planned outreach. I told him that they could not legally prohibit their group from witnessing and distributing tracts and suggested he contact Jay Sekulow, a Christian attorney in Atlanta who had won a case in the U.S. Supreme Court giving Jews for Jesus (and all of us) the right to distribute tracts at airports.
As you can see from the above article, Mr. Sekulow was able to help them get a court ruling that they could conduct their outreach. While our part in this process was small, this shows one way in which ISEMA can help evangelism ministries. The purpose of ISEMA is to provide a vehicle through which we can help one another. Every year, new outreaches are starting and we are all learning from one another how to be more effective in outreach and how to involve the local church in evangelism.
I want to encourage you to order the new “1989 International Street and Evangelism Ministry Directory.” This directory lists over 400 street and evangelism ministries, almost 100 of which are in other nations. A brief description of the ministry is included with most listings. I believe that this directory will help facilitate contact between evangelism ministries, and help Christians who want to get more involved in evangelism outreach.
This month’s “Tape of the Month” is a message given by Mario Murillo at the ISEMA Evangelism Conference in Denver, “The Next Move of God.” This month we are also offering FREE to everyone who joins ISEMA or renews their membership in ISEMA (deadline July 1) the four-tape series by Chuck Girard-The Army of God: a Vision for End Times Evangelism. This is a powerful series of messages, emphasizing the role of worship, intercession, and spiritual warfare in evangelistic endeavors, featuring a sample strategy for taking cities. We are living in difficult times, but God desires to raise up a mighty army to proclaim His Word in these last days.
Yours in His love,
Larry Rosenbaum
