Mere Missions

64 • M ere M issions : M oving F orward to M ultiply

forgiveness of our sin. Later, I would bury one of them; one went to the psychiatric ward; one was sentenced to life in prison for triple homicide; and one went into the ministry. He became the first youth pastor of Bethany Inner City Church, my first church plant in partnership with Pastor Jonathan Villalobos. “Go down to the Community Center to the meeting that is taking place tonight.” The violence was drastically escalating in our low income/high crime community and there was a gathering of concerned people. My family lived here so it made sense to attend and voice my concern. It was a late-night meeting and when I walked into the center, I realized this might not be the best place for me to voice my concern as a white person, even though I lived here. The meeting was organized by the Nation of Islam. I couldn’t see anything good coming out of this scenario. “Are you sure about this Lord?” Immediately, I was surrounded by two “sergeants-at-arms.” Using some very choice expletives, within inches of my face, the two asked what I was doing here. As I was explaining that I was a pastor who lived in the community, a friend of mine walked in and stepped between them and said, “he’s with me.” Tony (not his real name) was once a Black Gangster Disciple but was now a Jesus Disciple. His is an amazing story of redemption that I had the joy of discipling as a follower of Jesus. Though the two sergeants-in arms relented their verbal assaults and potential physical harm, I was commanded to “shut your mouth” and to “stand in the back corner.” Tony represented our concerns as community members and Christians. I was in South Central Los Angeles, doing “contact evangelism” when I noticed a group of African Americans dressed in camouflage, gathered in a corner park. The leader was speaking loudly but I was unable to understand what he was saying. As I drew near, I realized it was the Black Hebrew Israelites, a radical militant group. They were street preaching their antisemitic and anti-white hatred. “Go over there and share the Gospel with that group of