| Open-air Preaching |
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]] Open air preaching is the act of preaching to people in public places, primarily on the street corner where there is a crowd of people. It is also done on college campuses by students, and in parks and other public areas where there is a crowd. It is the most traditional way of preaching a religious or social message, and has been used by many cultures and religious traditions but is usually associated with Christian Fundamentalism or Evangelicalism . It differs from the door-to-door evangelizing associated with Latter-day Saint ( Mormons ) and Jehovah's Witnesses as open-air preachers, though known to confront individuals on a one-on-one basis, do their preaching in public and open spaces. Many street preachers, regardless of the topic, also hand out Tracts or leaflets to passersby. The famous Christian Evangelist Charles Spurgeon often advocated and performed open air preaching. OPEN-AIR PREACHING WITHIN CHRISTIANITY in New Orleans, Louisiana ]] One famous ) Others include the Sermon On The Mount in Matthew 5-7 and Paul 's speech to the Athenians in Acts 17. Open-air preachers take the command from the Gospel Of Mark , which says: And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. The word "preach" means ''to proclaim publicly''. Therefore, the biblical method, lining up with how Jesus and his disciples preached throughout the Gospels and the Book Of Acts , is to communicate the gospel to crowds of people in the public forum. The practice of open-air preaching remains controversial within many churches and denominations due to negative perceptions of belligerence of some open air preachers (and most not willing to engage in the practice due to fear). An often cited verse by opponents of open-air preaching, from the Discourse On Ostentation in the Gospel Of Matthew , is: And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say unto you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. Defenders of open-air preaching counter typically respond with three arguments: 1) that Jesus was condemning those who sought to glorify themselves by their preaching, 2) that in fact Jesus was explicitly talking about prayer, and 3) that he made this statement while open air preaching himself. Many modern open-air preachers state that they expect ambivalence to hostility from much of their audience, and cite or Flamboyance to attract their audience - and occasionally to compete with other street preachers in the same area. These tactics are sometimes taken as self-glorification by opponents of street preaching, or even other street preachers who prefer to attempt to speak in a spirit of love. Actor Kirk Cameron , as part of his " Way Of The Master " ministry with evangelist Ray Comfort , often engages in open-air preaching. The related ministry of The Great News Network , headed by Darrel Rundus , trains members in evangelism and includes open air preaching. OPEN-AIR PREACHING AS PROTEST Street preaching frequently takes on a form of political or social protest at public gatherings. Among today's best known practitioners of preaching-as-protest are Operation Rescue , Westboro Baptist Church Of Topeka, Kansas , and Bob Enyart . The tactics of these groups range from peaceful Civil Disobedience to flamboyant taunting of their opponents. OPEN-AIR PREACHERS IN HOLLYWOOD The Stereotypical street preacher of countless Hollywood films and television shows is usually depicted as male and carrying or wearing (such as a " Sandwich Sign ") a large sign with a message stating "REPENT! The end is near!", or words to that effect. They frequently appear in scenes of Disaster as a gag or Stock Character . The John 3:16 Guy Even more frequently encountered as a Hollywood cliché is a person in the crowd at a sporting event holding a large sign that reads simply '''", an eccentric American street preacher. ROADSIDE RELIGIOUS DISPLAYS Religious messages displayed can be displayed on signage ranging from roadside Billboards to crude handmade signs to elaborate Outsider Art projects, including a Replica Of Noah's Ark . They can be encountered anywhere, but are often associated with the American South . Roadside messengers rarely turn to outright Vandalism to distribute their message, though a simple Spray Paint ed "JESUS SAVES" was a common sight under bridges in the United States in the 1970s and 80s . See this NPR article for an overview of "roadside religion". SEE ALSO EXTERNAL LINKS |
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