Coming Events
(Outreaches subject to change. Call (510) 282-5629 a few hours before the outreach to confirm)
Friday May 3, 10, 17 5 – 8 PM Witnessing in San Francisco neighborhoods.
Sat. May 4 5th St. and Market SF 12 – 4 PM.
Sat. May 11 Fisherman’s Wharf SF 11 AM – 4 PM Jefferson St. near Mason.
Sat. May 18 Union Square SF 11:30 AM – 2:30 PM Powell and Geary St.
How SOS Ministries Got Started – Part III
Dear Christian friends,
The first SOS-San Francisco outreach in 1980 was the combined effort of several churches and ministries in Northern California. After this outreach, we felt that God was directing us to establish an ongoing ministry to San Francisco. At the time, the SOS steering committee consisted of twelve people: 1. Ron Woodruff. Ron and Wayne Conley founded Shama Sound Ministries, Inc., which became the corporation under which SOS Ministries first operated. Ron and Wayne purchased a large PA system and began doing evangelistic concerts in the East Bay. In 1981, Ron moved to San Francisco to work with me full-time in SOS Ministries. Ron met his wife Jennifer at our 1984 outreach, and she became the SOS secretary. Together, Ron and I oversaw the work of SOS Ministries. We are very different in our gifts and temperament. Each of us tends to be strong in areas where the other is weak. For the next 10 years, we went through many struggles learning to work together. In 1990, Ron left SOS to work with Land and Sea Missions. 2. Michael Brodeur. Michael grew up in the Castro district of San Francisco as a “hippie child.” Several years after he was saved, he came to San Francisco with a team from Gospel Outreach of Eureka, California. He worked with Ron and me organizing outreaches for several years before SOS Ministries was started. Michael was Pastor of Promised Land Fellowship in San Francisco for many years. Michael met his wife Diane at our first SOS-San Francisco outreach. 3. Darrell Walker and 4. Brad Byrum. Darrell and Brad were the leaders of Agape, Inc., a dynamic street ministry in San Francisco, affiliated with the Assemblies of God. They preached on the streets of San Francisco almost every day for several years. They also did a lot of outreach in the Tenderloin (skid row) district of San Francisco and operated the Candle coffeehouse (started by David Wilkerson) for many years. Darrell was killed in a car accident after our 1981 summer outreach. After that, Agape, Inc. became Agape Fellowship, a church fellowship that met in the basement of our house. In 1985, Brad took a leave of absence from ministry to go to school and Ron Woodruff became pastor of Agape Fellowship. 5. Gary Goodell. Gary was pastor of Faith Fellowship Foursquare Church in Oakland for many years before leaving in 1985 to pastor a Foursquare Church in southern California. Gary greatly helped us by providing wise counsel and in getting pastors involved with us. 6. Randy Sager. Randy was founder and pastor of the Fellowship of the Living God, Castro Valley. Randy taught us about the importance of praise and worship in evangelism. The worship group from his church led many of our worship rallies. The Fellowship reorganized as New Life Christian Church and their second pastor, Dennis McNally, has been involved with SOS to the present day, serving on our Board of Directors. 7. Doug Shearer. Doug was founder of TAV Evangelical Ministries and founder and pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship in Sacramento. Doug has a tremendous ability to motivate Christians to witness for Christ. He regularly brought teams of Christians to San Francisco and the New Hope worship group led worship at many of our rallies. TAV Ministries grew out of relationships that began in SOS. TAV was a Jewish outreach that established dialogues between top Jewish and evangelical Christian leaders and joint Jewish-Christian worship services involving over 1000 Jews and Christians. The gospel was openly proclaimed at these meetings. 8. Richard Paradise. In 1980, Richard was the pastor of the Russian River Christian Fellowship in Guerneville, CA. At the time, he brought teams from his church to witness with us in San Francisco. Richard continues to lead monthly evangelism outreaches with New Hope Christian Fellowship in Sacramento. 9. Scott Crawford. Scott has been an evangelist for 50 years, first working with Resurrection City, a church founded by Mario Murillo in Berkeley. As Scott traveled around the country preaching, he met many other street preachers. Every year he went to New Orleans to witness at the Mardi Gras. A number of other Christians also went there, and they started a joint outreach. Scott`s experiences there gave him the idea for a weeklong outreach to San Francisco, and he also gave us the name “SOS-San Francisco.” Scott also started a Christian house in San Francisco where Ron Woodruff, Michael Brodeur and I lived, which became the first headquarters for SOS Ministries. Scott is now living in our Oakland ministry house and witnesses with us, as well as at outreaches in other cities. 10. Gary Lukas. Gary was pastor of North Beach Christian Fellowship, a church located on Broadway Street, a tourist area that features topless bars, male strippers, and female impersonators. Gary preached on that street faithfully for seven years, in addition to witnessing door-to-door, and at street fairs and parades in San Francisco. Gary is currently doing street outreach in Texas. 11. Dan Russell. Dan was a pastor at Calvary Community Church in San Jose. He helped us organize our first SOS outreach and led a Youth With a Mission base in San Francisco for about a year. 12. Larry Rosenbaum. Everyone else was involved in another ministry besides SOS, so I ended up being the director of SOS Ministries, largely because I had the time to give to it.
On the Streets
On Jan. 4, we held our first outreach of 2019 at the Metreon Entertainment Complex, 4th St. and Mission. Cal witnessed to Robin. She understood the gospel but was mentally disturbed. She said she could never forgive her dad. After Cal ministered to her about forgiveness, she changed her mind and said she would bring the matter to God and forgive her dad. I spoke with Edwin, whom Cal and Alex had led to Christ in December. He had spent 35 years in prison and had been homeless. He now had a job, had a place to live, and was doing well spiritually. Cal continues to minister to him.
The next day, we witnessed at 5th and Market. Mike witnessed to Jamar, whose wife left him because he was using drugs. He was trying to get into a drug rehab program.
On Jan. 11, we witnessed at Powell and Market. Dave witnessed to Marina, a Chinese woman born in the US who had no knowledge of the gospel. He shared the gospel message with her, and she was quite receptive. Mike witnessed to Kagami, from Taiwan, who had a lot of questions, and Dion, a young man who realized there was a Heaven and Hell, but was not saved.
The next day, we witnessed at 5th and Market. Cal and Mike witnessed to Brian, who had a lot of philosophical arguments against Christianity. He grew up in a Christian home, but rejected the gospel. Dave witnessed Roger and Felix, both 14, who were Catholic. He asked if they were going to Heaven and they said they didn’t know.
On Fri. Feb. 1, we witnessed at Powell and O’Farrell. This is our rain location, since it has a large awning and lots of people pass by. However, most people are in a hurry, so it is difficult to get people to stop and talk with us, or even to take tracts. Dave and Alex witnessed to Victor, from Brazil. He is Catholic, but had never read the Bible. He said, “I want to know how to get right with God.” After Dave shared the gospel with him, he said “I’m going to invite Jesus into my life tonight.” Dave encouraged him to download a Portuguese Bible app for his phone.
The next day, we witnessed in downtown Berkeley. Dave witnessed to Adrian, a Catholic priest from the Philippines. He did not understand the gospel and thought he was saved by his works. Dave shared with him about the new birth, the cross, and how he could be forgiven for his sins. He said, “I’ve been a Catholic priest for 19 years and I needed to hear this.” He was crying when Dave shared how he could be sure of eternal life.
On Fri. Feb. 8, we witnessed at Powell and Market. Mike ministered to Cenet. He had been in prison for 8 years and was addicted to drugs and alcohol. He said he wanted to be free. Dave witnessed to Alberto, a young man who said the only reason he doesn’t commit suicide is that he fears going to Hell. He is very aware that God is a just judge, but Dave encouraged him to see God not only as a judge but as a good Father.
The next day, we witnessed at 5th and Market. Mike witnessed to Zac, a Syrian with a Muslim background. He asked about the Christian view of homosexuality. Dave witnessed to Jen, a Cambodian with a Buddhist background. As a teenager in Cambodia, she attended church services and Bible studies with a Christian friend.
Ministry Needs
Thank you for your prayers and financial support for this ministry.
We have reached an agreement with the Park Department regarding permit fees and Dolores Park permits. We will now pay $143 for each permit. We had been paying $80 for each permit, but they wanted to charge us $365 for each permit. We also are getting two permits a year at Dolores Park for 2 1/2 hours each. Last year they didn’t give us any permits there. So our cost for permits is going up, but not as much as it could have. And we avoid the uncertain results of going to court. Thank you for praying for us about this.
The good news is that we still have the freedom to preach the gospel openly in San Francisco and Berkeley and that we can get permits at reasonable prices. The bad news is that few Christians are willing to take advantage of OUR freedom while it lasts.
I hope many of you will join us for an outreach this next month.