Maybe you’ve seen Gene Krieg singing and preaching on one of our local street corners
over the last few days. I had the opportunity to talk with him and find out a little bit more
as to why he does what he does. First of all, let me let you know that he and I both
received some funny looks from passers by! Mind you, I get those already, but one little
lady almost ran into a parked car while trying to satisfy her curiosity! I think they call it
rubbernecking.
Anyway, it was a real treat to converse with this fellow pastor and receive the
encouragement that seems to naturally overflow from him.
Bro. Gene has been in Coleman visiting his good friend Bro. Don Northway, pastor of
Bible Baptist Church.
Bro. Gene, who lives in the Ft. Worth area, has been a pastor for over 20 years and
currently works as a street evangelist. He lost his wife of 36 years, Teresa, last January
to cancer, but says that he looks forward to meeting her again in the life to come. They
have four grown children, three boys and a girl, and one son pastors Faith Baptist
Church in Cisco, Texas.
Bro. Gene says that he does what he does because God has called him to do it, and
that time is short in this phase of life before we enter into eternity, so he hopes to bring
as many as he can with him into the life to come. Some people make fun of him, some
give him mean looks, and some even harass him. One day one of his friends asked him
how many cars got saved that day. He just replied, “I don’t know how many got saved,
but I DID have a car once that needed resurrecting!”
You know, I have never really had much conversation with street evangelists before, but
they are regular people, just like you and I, only they have a passion to serve our Lord,
and to reach people for Christ. Are they normal? No, not really, but then again doesn’t 1
Peter say we Christians are a peculiar people? I really appreciate Bro. Gene’s boldness
and commitment to the Lord. He filled this young pastor with much encouragement and
exhortation. So the next time you see Bro. Gene, or any street minister, stop and say
hello to him. You’ll walk away encouraged!
Oh, and uh…look out for the little lady with the long neck!
|
|
