Street preacher spreads 'the Word'

Some people call him Brother Larry. Others call him a nuisance. But Larry Faulkner simply sees himself as a man called to do God's work. The slim, clean-shaven 20-year-old said Thursday he has been preaching on the streets of Terre Haute and the ISU campus since this summer. Faulkner munched on a burger and fries in the Commons, then read his Bible and prayed before delivering his message from outside the south entrance to the HMSU. "I do not believe that (he) is God-led," sophomore cross-linguistics major Jaron Garrett said as he watched Faulkner Thursday afternoon. Garrett said that he did not believe Faulkner was having a positive effect on his audience. "He's turning more people away from God than bringing them to God," Garrett said. Other students lent their support to Faulkner. "Keep preaching buddy, I like what you're saying," a man shouted as he rode by on a bicycle. Junior radio/TV/film major Lauri Jansen said she simply ignores Faulkner. "It's a free country, but I don't know what his purpose is," she said as she drank coffee outside the HMSU. Police Woes One group of people that hasn't ignored Faulkner is local law enforcement agencies. Although Faulkner's evangelical efforts have landed him in hot water several times with the Terre Haute police, Bill Mercier, Director of Public Safety, said Thursday night that ISU police had not had any real problems with him. While there have been complaints about him, they have mainly been from people who are annoyed by Faulkner's message, Mercier said. In order for police to act on complaints, Faulkner would have to be, impeding pedestrian traffic, inciting a fight or riot, using an amplification device that disturbs a class, preaching inside a building or preventing people from entering a building. Faulkner's most recent troubles with Terre Haute Police occurred Oct. 6 when he was arrested while preaching outside of the Family Video store located at the corner of 25th Street and College Avenue. Faulkner said he was preaching against pornographic movies. According to police records, he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting law enforcement. The police report states that Faulkner was yelling at people as they walked into the store, and he created such a scene that people driving on 25th Street stopped to see what was happening. Family Video employee Carrie Coffman was not at work when Faulkner was arrested, but said Thursday that other employees told her that "he was shouting to whoever was passing by about how we rent out gay porn." Coffman said she heard customers inside the store talking about the incident and that she thinks it bothered some customers. Coffman noted that Family Video does not have a pornographic movie section. The report states that officers asked Faulkner several times to quiet down, but he continued yelling. The officers advised Faulkner that he was under arrest and attempted to handcuff him, at which point Faulkner resisted the officer handcuffing him, the report states. Faulkner continued to be uncooperative as he was placed in a squad car and taken to the Vigo County Jail. The incident was the third time Faulkner has been arrested for open-air preaching. The two prior arrests were for charges of disorderly conduct, and charges were dismissed on both cases. The current case with is still unresolved. Faulkner has requested a jury trial and the case is being transferred from Terre Haute City Court to the Vigo County Court System. Faulkner said that he is innocent and that he will continue to preach. Terre Haute Police Department Captain Joseph Brentlinger said he has seen a number of street preachers in his 39 years of police work. "We've always had someone like this," he said. Despite all the classes he has taken, Brentlinger said he still doesn't understand what motivates an individual to preach in the streets. But he said that as long as Faulkner does not impede traffic, entrance or exit of others he is perfectly within his rights, and police officers will respect him, Brentlinger said. "How does he have the balls to do that?" Brentlinger said, then added with a smile, "but I never could understand karaoke singing either." Education Faulkner graduated from Terre Haute North Vigo High School in 2001, then attended Tennessee Temple University in Chattanooga for 5 months during the spring semester of 2002. It was at Temple that Faulkner learned about "open-air preaching." He preached with his friends at the courthouse and in the streets of Chattanooga, where he found that he got the same type of responses to his message as other types of evangelizing. Open-air preaching requires a different approach, Faulkner said. "I'm already going to assume everyone walking by me has no knowledge of the Bible or the Savior Jesus Christ," he said. Faulkner said he prays every day about where to preach and looks for occasions on which to preach. Usually, he said, he starts on the ISU campus and goes throughout town. Faulkner is currently unemployed and lives with his grandmother. He said he had worked at Rally's but quit after he took a date there and was refused service. Faulkner said he has been praying about what college to attend and he thinks God is leading him to ISU rather than a Bible college. He hopes to enroll at ISU in the fall of 2003 as a history major. After receiving his degree, he plans to attend seminary and become a pastor. Faulkner said that when he starts classes at ISU, he won't preach on a daily basis as he does now, although he will continue to share his faith with others in some fashion. Message Faulkner, who describes himself as an independent fundamental Baptist, said he has many subjects that he addresses when he preaches on campus. Among those are recent issues such as student pornography, as well as dating, greek life and Christians who have not "secured their souls." "I preach against sororities and fraternities," Faulkner said. Faulkner said greek organizations promote alcohol and drug use as well as premarital sex. The philanthropy part of greek organizations is simply "to make up for all the booze binges they go on and premarital sex they have," Faulkner said. Faulkner was quick to add that he addresses other groups as well. "I preach to Christians, too," he said. His message to Christians is to read their Bibles daily as well as apply their beliefs in their daily lives. Faulkner said he has been able to convert two people to Christianity through his preaching. Others have simply been discouraged from sinning, he said. Bartenders do not like it when he preaches outside of their establishments, Faulkner said. "They lose business, but God gains business ... and I'm in God's business," he said. Faulkner was arrested outside of Sonka Irish Pub in June. Employees of the pub declined to comment Thursday night on Faulkner.