16 — Good News, etc. — July 2009 nc/sd
evan
ge
l
ism
“Your duty is to come and preach the coming
of the Kingdom of God to all the world.”
— Luke 9:60b (LB)
SECTION
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Atheists, Christians ‘jump on the bus’
Out of the ring and into the pulpit
Busses with atheistic slogans are nothing 30, went counterclockwise through Martin
By JOHN PHILIP WYLLIE
new. They have been touring the streets of Luther’s home country and ended in the
London and other European cities with the German capital on June 18. The atheist St. Paul Church of God in Christ assistant
message, “There is probably no God.” bus carried the slogan “There is — with pastor Tony Jefferson was born blessed
But this is new indeed: Christians in a probability bordering on certainty with substantial athletic talent. But as a
Germany have accompanied atheists — no God”. The Christian bus posed the teenager back in the 1980s he made some
on a 20-day nationwide bus tour. The question, “And if he really does exist...” choices that he would later live to regret.
red “atheist” double-decker and a white The Christian initiative, under the Growing up in a crime infested
“Christian” coach were often parked side auspices of Campus Crusade for Christ, neighborhood in Southeast San Diego,
by side or opposite one another. made it clear from the start that hostile Jefferson witnessed events that no child
Both vehicles made stops in 25 cities, confrontation was not their intention. should ever see. Then in high school he
where local Christians joined the bus They talked to the organizers of the atheist was given the opportunity to escape his
crew and spread the gospel message with campaign before the tour began. surroundings and attend La Jolla High.
songs, leaflets and personal testimonies. Both sides welcomed the opportunity for “I was living two lives when I was
Television, radio and the press covered an exchange of ideas. Despite the opposing attending La Jolla High School. At school
the unusual event. messages, atheists and Christians often I was a prominent football player with
The round trip started in Berlin, May helped one another. Christians took pizza several college scholarship offers. Every
and cake to the atheists. And when their morning I was bussed to La Jolla, but after
Tony Jefferson reaches out to community.
bus was covered in dirt, Christians helped school I would have to return to the ghetto.
Free speech allowed on campus
wash the vehicle. Unfortunately, the street life got the best of this situation I would change my life
The City College of San Francisco will They welcomed the chance to spread of me,” Jefferson recalled. completely and never come back.”
allow Jews for Jesus to distribute literature the Christian message. Thousands of tracts In Southeast San Diego there were plenty Almost immediately upon his release his
and express its Christian message on its — as well as flowers — were handed out. of things to get involved in and most of resolve was tested. He was out of prison,
campuses, following a lawsuit by the Approximately two thirds of Germany’s them were not good. but back in the same environment that
Alliance Defense Fund. 82 million inhabitants are at least nominal “There were gangs and drugs and spawned his unlawful behavior.
“Christians shouldn’t be arrested for church members. No more than six percent fighting. I had several friends that were in “I disassociated myself with the gang and
expressing their beliefs on public college worship regularly. Evangelicals number gangs. At first I was able to resist getting got myself involved with the church.”
campuses,” said ADF-allied attorney about 1.3 million. involved, but in time I became affiliated Then Pastor Henry Page came into his
Frederick Nelson of the American Liberties Originally, several organizations wanted with them. At one point I got shot in the life. Page took him under his wing and
Institute. “We are pleased the college will to display “No-God”-slogans on local leg in a random drive-by shooting. The developed a lifelong relationship with
allow free speech on its campuses in accord busses. But local authorities in 16 cities bullet tore through the main artery in my Jefferson as his spiritual advisor.
with the First Amendment.” refused. Their reason: The slogans would leg and it was nearly amputated.” About a year-and-a-half after his release
While distributing literature at the college’s upset customers, and the transport The doctors were able to save his leg, Jefferson began to box.
Ocean Campus in 2007 and early 2008, Jews companies could not afford to lose but the injury to it derailed his dreams of “I was about 19 or 20 years old when I
for Jesus employee Robert Wertheim was told business. playing collegiate football. started boxing. That was a wonderful ride.
he needed a permit to hand out literature. The round trip through Germany was “My dream was gone. My vision was I enjoyed every workout, drop of sweat and
When Wertheim returned to distribute an alternative option. With the help of smashed so what else could I do? I turned even every black eye. It was something
literature in April 2008, he was arrested and sponsors evangelical Christians were quick to the streets to make some easy money. I I knew and had a passion for. It came
handcuffed. The charges were dropped the to “jump on the bus.” got involved in gangs and drugs.” A few naturally. It kept me on the straight and
next day. – E.P. News – ASSIST News Service years later, I was on my way to prison. It narrow. I did it for about three years.”
was in prison that I met Christ.” Jefferson’s God-given ability was
This was not his first introduction to apparent from his first fight. Facing an
Christ. As a boy he had been raised in undefeated opponent, he spent hours
the church. “There was a seed that was training in the gym for his debut. His hard
planted in me when I was a kid. I had a work was rewarded when he knocked his
solid foundation in faith. In my case, it took opponent out in the second minute of the
a little time for that seed to grow, but once first round. From there his career took off.
it finally did, it changed my whole way of He rose through the ranks twice beating a
thinking. In jail, I became remorseful of all Golden Gloves champion along the way
the things that I had done and for all of the and he made it to the national qualifiers in
people that I had hurt. I repented.” Colorado Springs. At one point Jefferson
Jefferson was originally facing 16 years was just five bouts away from making
behind bars, but after nine months of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Team, but then he
incarceration and daily prayers asking for experienced a change of heart.
God’s intercession he was unexpectedly “My wife saw what my life was
released. becoming and didn’t want me to be so
“I promised Him if He would get me out deeply involved in boxing. She prayed that
Religion in U.S. declines
I would find my way out of it.”
A short time later, Jefferson came to the
In a 2008 study, 15 percent of Americans realization that his calling was to preach
said they had no religion. That’s an increase the gospel not battle in the ring.
from 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the “It still haunts me that I never got to see
American Religious Identification Survey how far I could go, but I don’t regret where
from Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. I am today. I don’t regret the promise that
“Americans are slowly becoming less the Good Lord has made to me or the work
Christian. The challenge to Christianity that I have done shaping kids lives and
does not come from other world religions helping them to make better decisions. I
or new religious movements, but rather have worked through the years in a number
from a rejection of all organized religions,” of schools that were totally gang infested. I
said the report. have talked to the kids there about gangs,
In the latest survey, three out of four about what it is to be a man, how to treat
Americans called themselves Christian. In women, teen pregnancy and making
1990, the figure was closer to nine out of 10. wise decisions about education and other
Some evangelical analysts are choosing to things. They knew that I was real and that
see a silver lining in this cloud. “This report I had been there so they accepted me and
is mostly good news,” said Glenn Stanton, trusted me. That ministry has helped me
director of family formation studies at out in so many different ways it is almost
Focus on the Family. “ – E.P. News unimaginable.”
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