Story number 2 for 20 Nov 2002

(USA)–Elsewhere, an Indiana Evangelism Explosion team was recently working in a local park, when authorities stopped them. As the team from Lebanon’s Grace Baptist church fought to claim their First Amendment rights, the issue was forced to a lawsuit. We spoke with E-E team member, Charles Hodges. “I think this is a matter of a growing culture in our country of church persecution; not that we are persecuted in any way, shape or form, like people are overseas. I mean, good grief, we have freedoms that other people can only dream about today. But, those freedoms are being infringed upon and gradually eroded by people who really have not been elected.” The park board is holding an executive session tonight, followed by a public meeting with a vote on the ‘free speech zone’ issue. Hodges asks people to pray. “Pray for our city government, and pray for our park board and our church. Actually, God has been blessing our church throughout the whole process of this-we’ve been seeing people come to know Christ as the result of our Evangelism Explosion. But, we really do want to see our freedom preserved.”