Whatever Happened to the Street Preacher?

[DAII]

Thank God, Bill Wilson, took the Gospel to the streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Today he has one of the largest Sunday schools in the world.

Wilson's mother abandoned him on a streetcorner in Pinellas Park, Florida, at age 12. She said, "I can't do this anymore. You wait here." Bill stayed on that street corner for three days, but his mother never came back. Dave Rudenis, a local mechanic and committed Christian, found him there and took him to his home. Rudenis offered to pay this young man's way to a Christian summer camp. It was during this camp that the 12-year old Wilson committed his life to God. While he was a teenager, young Bill Wilson was given a job at his local congregation. After his high school graduation, Wilson was encouraged to attend a seminary.

After graduating with a degree in Bible and Theology from Southeastern University of the Assemblies of God, Bill Wilson returned to his home church and pioneered one of the first bus ministries in the United States. Each week, Wilson and his team picked up thousands of children from the projects of St. Petersburg, Florida and presented a weekly program that included games, music, puppets and a weekly message. After years of success in Florida, Bill Wilson was invited by Tommy Barnett to replicate this ministry in Davenport, Iowa. Within four years, Barnett and Wilson helped create one of the largest Protestant churches in America.

[edit] New York
In 1980, Bill Wilson moved to one of the roughest areas of Brooklyn, New York – Bushwick. Armed with a bull horn, a station wagon and a Yogi Bear costume, Wilson created Metro Ministries. Once again, Wilson’s concept of a bus ministry became extremely successful. Even with multiple weekend services, his congregation outgrew the former brewery that serves as his church in Bushwick. With no more room to house any new visitors to his Church, Wilson decided to take his Church to the streets. He created the idea of a Sidewalk Sunday School, in which he converted trucks to serve as portable stages from whence his team of ministers could share their message. This concept became highly successful and these collective congregations now number more than 20,000 in attendance each week.

Word of Bill Wilson’s success in New York spread to other Churches and inner city ministries. The concept of a bus ministry and Sidewalk Sunday School has now been replicated in cities and towns all over the world. In an attempt to remain in touch with the people attending his congregation, Bill Wilson still lives in a building adjacent to his Church. He continues to walk through the often dangerous neighborhoods of Bushwick in an effort to carry on his work. Over the years, Wilson has been shot, stabbed, beaten and hospitalized numerous times. Yet he remains committed to the work of Metro Ministries. Regardless of his success or where he travels, Bill Wilson insists that he still drives one of the hundreds of buses utilized by his ministry each week.

Metro Ministries in Bedford-Stuyvesant (Brooklyn) is the largest Sunday school program in America, reaching an average of more than 20,000 children aged 12 and under each week. The curriculum that Wilson designed is used in over 1,000 cities around the world. In 1992, Wilson was the only ghetto resident appointed to President George H. W. Bush's National Commission on America's Urban Families. On Sunday, December 16, 2007, television pastor Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas talked about Bill Wilson's story in his nationally televised program.

Wilson is the author of several books, including Jesus Doesn’t Live in Brooklyn, The Blind Guide Chronicles, Christianity in the Crosshairs, and his bestselling autobiography, Whose Child is This? His newest book, entitled "One Eyed Kings" is due out in March 2009. In addition, Wilson is a popular speaker who travels extensively around the world in an effort to raise funds for his Church and mission in Brooklyn, New York. He has been a featured guest at numerous conferences, television talk shows and news programs and in Churches around the world.

Matt Maddix has a great pic with Pastor Wilson on FB.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by DAII

Thank God, Bill Wilson, took the Gospel to the streets of Brooklyn, New York.
Today he has one of the largest Sunday schools in the world.






Matt Maddix has a great pic with Pastor Wilson on FB.

That's a great story. But is street preaching for every community? Is street preaching something every minister should be doing? I'm all for it when it works. However, when it doesn't it often severely hurts a churches message and ties to a community. Is it really worth this risk in most situations?

[DAII]

Originally Posted by jfrog

That's a great story. But is street preaching for every community? Is street preaching something every minister should be doing? I'm all for it when it works. However, when it doesn't it often severely hurts a churches message and ties to a community. Is it really worth this risk in most situations?

Just like we say in the teaching profession ... the method is as good as the teacher ....

I think knowing your target community's demographics ... social dymanics and environment ... play an important way in which methodologies to implement.

As a person born and raised in New York City ... I can see how if implemented the right way ... this type of ministry would have a great impact ...

Scaring folks with wild expressions of worship on a street corner ... dressed in 1950's attire ... or hell and brimstone preaching ... as opposed to Wilson wearing a costume and befriending the kids in the community who are very mistrustful of strangers and would not go to a storefront church otherwise ... is "smart" evangelism.

There .... many people don't talk to their neighbors much less open a door to a stranger ... or commit to a home bible study.

In contrast ...
The pedestrian traffic and social dynamics of a big city New York are different to a big city like Houston ... that is geographically spread out and.... although there are parts where there a large pockets of population .... doing a street service doesn't make much sense.

Urban vs. suburban is also a different animal.

[Sam]

Bill Wilson is unique.
He is a genuine man of God.

Why can't more of us see that God is alive and well and at work outside of our little circle?

[DAII]

Originally Posted by Sam

Bill Wilson is unique.
He is a genuine man of God.

Why can't more of us see that God is alive and well and at work outside of our little circle?

What a wonderful testimony ....

Very inspiring .... I would love to see him in action .... knowing the very streets he ministers on ... I can tell you ... he is courageous and bold!

My city needs more men like him.

[jfrog]

Originally Posted by DAII

Just like we say teaching in the ... the method is as good as the teacher ....

I think knowing your target community's demographics ... social dymanics and environment ... play an important way in which methodologies to implement.

As a person born and raised in New York City ... I can see how if implemented the right way ... this type of ministry would have a great impact ...

Scaring folks with wild expressions of worship on a street corner ... or hell and brimstone preaching ... as opposed to Wilson wearing a costume and befriending the kids in the community who are very mistrustful of strangers and would not go to a storefront church otherwise ... is "smart" evangelism.

The pedestrian traffic and social dynamics of a big city New York are different to a big city like Houston ... that is geographically spread out and.... although there are parts where there a large pockets of population .... doing a street service doesn't make much sense.

i agree! i think such models are probably alot more successful in high density population areas especially as long as there is more to them than just preaching at people in streets.

I remember last year i went to daytona beach FL. There was a church doing some street preaching there. I'm not sure what kind it was but they definately didn't look apostolic. There was a big high school graduation going on in one of the buildings there. These people were by the street near that building. I thought the whole thing was pretty rude. Not that they were interfering with the actual graduation. But preaching at people going to and from a graudation just isn't very considerate IMO. I think the whole thing probably hurt how most everyone perceived that church...

[DAII]

Originally Posted by jfrog

i agree! i think such models are probably alot more successful in high density population areas especially as long as there is more to them than just preaching at people in streets.

I remember last year i went to daytona beach FL. There was a church doing some street preaching there. I'm not sure what kind it was but they definately didn't look apostolic. There was a big high school graduation going on in one of the buildings there. These people were by the street near that building. I thought the whole thing was pretty rude. Not that they were interfering with the actual graduation. But preaching at people going to and from a graudation just isn't very considerate IMO. I think the whole thing probably hurt how most everyone perceived that church...

Agreed. Not smart. But some in their business and day to day affairs would be offended nonetheless.

[TJJJ]

You have me very interested in this thread now.

Very informative posts. Thanks guys.

Let me ask this question from some such as Aquila and others.

If you were going to do some street evangelism, how would you do it?

[Aquila]

Originally Posted by Brother David

I agree. And I was involved in just about evey type of "street ministry" and evangelism that we could come up with.

We could sometimes talk a couple of folks along the way into coming back to the church and getting baptized, or using the city fountains for a baptism; but I never once saw anyone ever "pray through" or be added to the church in over 20 years of trying that approach.

Instead, when we did see church growth it was through people actually coming to a service in the building. The worship and music would be powerful and they would give themselves to God then. But for some reason, the "powers that be" seemed to hate having an established church ministry and doing the few things that we could do successfully. So, it was back out on the street where we'd beat our heads against the wall and see no results.

The main thing however was that we could brag about what "radicals" we were. We'd go to camp and some of our guys would boast about how noboady was doing anything but us. Then I'd turn and notice that the other churches had new saints, whereas we had the same old crew.

Now, for some reason that church doesn't even really exist anymore.

Do you think your motives were pure?

I’ve been involved with street ministry efforts too and had a similar experience. It was the church where I was first saved. We’d go out and we had a speaker, handed out tracts, had music, handed out bottled water with our church information on it. We also never added any real members to our church.

But you see, that was the problem. We were just looking to add members to our church. We weren’t preaching the Gospel for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

When the Gospel’s preached, things happen. There are things you say that will forever impact the lives of many of your hearers. In fact, everyone who hears you will be impacted by what you tell them…even if they don’t heed it, because at the judgment they will stand having heard and that is very important. You see, you might feel led to talk about the value of prayer and repentance. There might be a Baptist believer listening in who’s been dabbling in drugs. Your words may convict him and be one of the many factors God is using to bring him around. He might drop the drugs and recommit to his church as a result of your anointed message. Or perhaps a young girl is considering abortion and while preaching on the streets you touch on the value of life. She feels conviction because of your words and chooses life. You saved a life. Maybe someone was about to abandon hope and end their own lives. Maybe your words reminded them of a church in their neighborhood they could turn to in their darkest hour. Yes, some may repent of sin, be baptized, and go their way… however, you’ve helped them begin their journey.

What is your motive when preaching? Is it to add numbers to a man made kingdom (read organization or institutional church)? Or is it to impact lives and advance the Kingdom of God? You’re not out to herd people in under your man made banners. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about numbers. It’s about the necessity of the Gospel being preached. It’s about the Kingdom.

Would you preach if you knew you were only sowing seed and wouldn’t reap the harvest? Most churches don’t feel like sowing unless THEY reap the harvest. But friends…this is the Lord’s harvest.

[pelathais]

Originally Posted by Aquila

Do you think your motives were pure?

Me? As the wind driven snow! LOL.

I was as naive as they come. I actually believed all the stuff we preached. And there were many others of like mind as well. I was also many years younger than the core of the group so that tended to blind me to a lot of things as well.

The cynicism that you read in my words today (many years after the fact) came about after my "education." After the fact, I learned that the leadership and his circle of "radicals" were mostly motivated by pride and an "in your face" style of Antiestablishmentarianism. There was one exception who remains as naive as I was to this day.

But, the majority were motivated by this "Acts 2:38 or hell" attitude coupled with a "we really mean it this time" fervency. It was a recipe for disaster.

Originally Posted by Aquila

I’ve been involved with street ministry efforts too and had a similar experience. It was the church where I was first saved. We’d go out and we had a speaker, handed out tracts, had music, handed out bottled water with our church information on it. We also never added any real members to our church.

But you see, that was the problem. We were just looking to add members to our church. We weren’t preaching the Gospel for the sake of the Kingdom of God.

Yes. But to continue to facilitate an on going outreach you need a base of support. We never really achieved a solid consistent base. We'd get the numbers up and then the pastor or his wife would become convinced that it was time to "get the church cleaned up" with holiness standards or there would be some sort of painful fall out from an ill conceived publicity stunt and we'd be back to the beginning all over again.

I agree about "the Kingdom." I remember at one camp meeting I counted 22 people in another church's choir that I had either won myself or who had been won by someone I had won (family etc.). I remember a thought crossed my mind, "What if they could have stayed with our church?" Then I realized that they were doing very well right where they were. Then I sort of envied them.

Originally Posted by Aquila

...
What is your motive when preaching? Is it to add numbers to a man made kingdom (read organization or institutional church)? Or is it to impact lives and advance the Kingdom of God? You’re not out to herd people in under your man made banners. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about numbers. It’s not about numbers. It’s about the necessity of the Gospel being preached. It’s about the Kingdom.

Would you preach if you knew you were only sowing seed and wouldn’t reap the harvest? Most churches don’t feel like sowing unless THEY reap the harvest. But friends…this is the Lord’s harvest.

Now? You betcha (to quote your favorite politician!).

Then? I was under a lot of pressure from "the powers that be" that I foolishly allowed to drive me in the wrong direction at times. I had to watch and experience failure over and over before I began to have faith in my own thoughts on the subject. The desire to be "under submission" and to just trust your "elders" was powerful for me. It took a long time to shake free from that.