SUNY Oswego/Cornell/Ithaca College

[Miles Lewis]

So, I had a couple days off on Friday and Monday and decided to preach at some nearby campuses. It was wonderful to finally get back on some campuses and have some real meetings. It has also been so cold up here that is has really been impossible to do much.

On Friday we went to SUNY Oswego where a lot of the students have gotten to know me. When we showed up I went to the student center to let one of the admin know that I was there. He wasn't there so I told the young guy behind the desk to let Dr. Hughes know that Miles Lewis stopped in. He responded with, "Oh, you're Miles Lewis?!". My startled response made both of us laugh and off I headed to the quad.
It was pretty hot outside and there were lots of students but I just couldn't draw a crowd. After the class change calmed down I just sat on my chair and chatted with my friends until another student came along and we started conversing. We had some great discussions of presuppositions and then he had to go back to work. As we were talking a good number of students had gathered on a wall and on the steps right nearby. I asked the crowd if they were out here just to eat lunch or if they came for the preaching. They said it was for the preaching and then began to ask me questions. I pulled up my chair a little closer while the next class change was just getting underway and sat back and preached to a very civil crowd with lots of great questions. The crowd built up nicely and we were able to preach all day until 5pm. It was great. There were some Christians that were really encouraged and some that weren't so encouraged. We even had a guest appearance by THE Ben Amey. At the end of the day I gave away prizes to different hecklers and kept the atmosphere pretty light. After we were done, Ben Amey and another student friend of ours helped up carry all out gear back to the van. All in all, it was a good day. We gave away some bibles and gospel tracts, too.

Monday I also had off so we decided to go to Ithaca, NY and preach on Cornell with some friends, the Deferios, from down that way. I think it is a private college so I expected to get kicked off. We preached and preached but just just couldn't draw a crowd so we left at around 1:30 and went to Ithaca College which is totally private. I expected to get kicked out within 5 minutes so I didn't even bring the camera. Well we had one of the best meetings ever! I couldn't believe it. An officer showed up and said what I was doing was totally fine then a little while later an admin showed up and said I had to go with her so she could explain the solicitation policy and that I really wasn't allowed to be doing what I was doing. I told her what the officer said and she explained how he didn't really know the policy and then the crowd was like, "Let him speak! No... we want him to finish!"
It was classic.
So the admin said, "well.... if you guys want him I guess we don't want to quench that..." So she let me stay as long as I went to her office after I was done so she could explain to me the proper way to speak on campus. Praise God! It was awesome! Next time I would need a group to sponsor to us (which is usually impossible) but after I went outside there were Christians that were really encouraged and wanted to sponsor us next time we came. Praise God! They were from a group called AWAKEN. I really hope to get onto a campus before the semester ends. Unfortunately the only video we got was when the students shouted for me to be able to keep preaching. My friends may have gotten a picture of two also but I am not sure.

Blessings,

Miles

[Eli Brayley]

Miles, thanks for posting. Praise God! Haha, THE Ben Amey.

[Miles Lewis]

Here is an article from the Ithaca College newspaper:


theithacan.org/am/publish/news/200804_Preachers_religious_message_met_with_student_hostility.shtml



Miles Lewis, a member of the Open Air Outreach ministry group, preaches on the academic quad Monday. At one time, more than 100 students listened.



Preachers’ religious message met with student hostility
By Tricia L. Nadolny News Editor | April 24th, 2008
Two men visited campus Monday, preaching their Christian beliefs for nearly three hours until campus officials, citing the school’s solicitation policy, insisted they leave.
Miles Lewis, one of the preachers, stood above the crowd on the planter around the academic quad clock, addressing the students — upwards of 100 at one time — who gathered around him. Some stayed for hours, others just minutes, many responding with challenge and strong opposition.

“Racist, sexist, anti-gay, right-winged bigot, go away,” a student shouted from the crowd, attempting to start a chant.

A few joined in but then trailed off.

Lewis, a member of the Syracuse-based Open Air Outreach ministry group, was joined by Christopher Deferio, a barista from Ithaca, who said he also came to campus to spread a Christian message. Deferio spoke one-on-one with students in the crowd while Lewis chose to address the entire group.

Lewis, who described himself as a born-again, bible-believing Christian, said he had been on the Cornell University campus earlier that day but decided to come to Ithaca College when he was unable to draw listeners. Standing in the Ithaca College quad, he held a bible against his neatly pressed shirt and spoke loudly above the crowd. Students raised their hands with questions and Lewis called on them one at a time. At times, the questions were simply shouted over his message.

“[My goal was] to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ as Jesus commanded his followers to do,” he said.

At around 4:30 p.m., Sybil Conrad, assistant director of the Campus Center, came outside and told Lewis he would have to leave because his visit was not sponsored by a campus group. According to the college’s solicitation policy, any off-campus groups must be sponsored by an on-campus group in order to obtain a solicitation permit. Conrad said Lewis’ and Deferio’s actions counted as solicitation.

“I don’t really think this is a conversation as much as it is a rally for his cause,” she said. “[We have] nothing against his cause, or anyone else’s cause. It’s just that you have to go through the proper channels.”

Some students in the crowd, though, asked that Lewis be able to stay to continue the discussion. Conrad agreed to let Lewis speak for another 30 minutes. At around 5 p.m., she returned and asked Lewis to come with her so she could explain the solicitation policy to him.

Sergeant Bill Kerry arrived at around 5:15 p.m. and spoke with Lewis and Deferio. After lingering for another 30 minutes and speaking with a few students, they left campus.

Freshman Sara Koch said Lewis’ presence at the college was “absurd.”

“He clearly came to the wrong campus,” she said.

Freshman Sam Gould, however, said he hoped the college would have been more accepting of the dialogue.

“You figure at a liberal campus you’d have more open-minded people and less hostility,” he said.

Gould, a philosophy and religion major, said he enjoys discussing matters of faith and was disappointed with the response of his fellow students.

“I’m sure all of these kids, when you ask them ‘Do you believe in a person’s right to free speech?’ would say ‘Yeah, yeah, I believe in free speech,’” he said. “But then they’re getting very angry and hostile at someone who’s voicing their opinion. … Free speech only works if you let the person that you blatantly disagree with have their say as well.”

Senior Dillon Kondor said some of the questions presented by students were respectful but most were simply attacks.

“I feel like people just came here to have fun making fun of the religious guy who they disagree with rather than actually hear what he has to say and respect that he’s got a different viewpoint than they do,” he said. “It’s really actually made me lose a lot of faith in the school I go to.”

Their presence sparked smaller discussions among those in the crowd, as people shared their views with those around them. At one point, sophomore Ashley Morris separated herself from the group and stood on a wall a few yards away.

“We are all good people, each and every one of you,” she yelled, waving her arms in the air and receiving loud cheers from the nearly 20 students who had gathered around her.

Morris said she had come to listen with one of her classes. When her professor jokingly suggested that someone should make their own speech, she decided she would.

“It was a really good display of the Ithaca College support system … in that once I got up, a lot of people left what he was saying and came over to listen to whatever it was that I was saying,” she said.

Despite the opposition, Lewis said he was happy with the response he received from the campus.

“I really enjoyed the dialogue,” he said. “A lot of people were supporting what I said and plenty more that didn’t like what I had to say, so that’s what I come out here for — to talk to people who don’t agree.”

[4him]

Hi Miles,

That's great to hear about this experience ! (not that it sounds like it was all fun and games). It's a testament to God's power working through us that he can enable us to experience rejection, hostility and all that stuff, but can come through it with a sense of victory and joy.

God bless ya

John

[alan4jc]

Miles, this is a great report. Good to see you out on campus. May the Lord cause the students to consider the things you spoke of, and to repent and turn to Jesus Christ.

In Him; Alan

[Eli Brayley]

Great article! Sounds like it was a very good meeting.