Issue date: 2/5/09 Section: News

Media Credit: Jeremy Northum Travelling evangelist Brother Jed Smock preaches in front of the Sul Ross Statue Wednesday afternoon. He visits college campuses throughout the country as a part of his organization, The Campus Ministry USA. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jeremy Northum Brother Jed Smock sits Wednesday in front of the Sul Ross statue in Academic Plaza. Smock drew a crowd of students, many of whom disagreed with his methods. [Click to enlarge]

Media Credit: Jon Eilts Freshman general studies major Pete Hess and freshman nutrition major Daniel Hayden eat dinner with Brother Jed Smock Wednesday after he was done preaching in Academic Plaza. Brother Jed was preaching as part of his nationwide college campus tour. [Click to enlarge]

"You Deserve Hell" was the message Jed Smock, a traveling evangelist, displayed on a sign on his three-day visit to Texas A&M.

One student became so angered with Smock that he walked up to him, shoved him backwards and walked away with his sign. When he retrieved it, he was met with a shout from the crowd, "Jesus said to turn the other cheek."

"We're out to evangelize and preach the gospel on college campuses and I've been doing this for 34 years," Smock said.

Freshman kinesiology major Dustin Reeves agreed with Smock's message, but not with his tactics.

"Well I think he's probably got a little bit going on mentally, it's not there; I think what he's trying to say is right but I think the way he's doing it is wrong," Reeves said. "Like the poster, it says 'You Deserve Hell,' that's not the right way to do it."

Reeves said Smock overstepped the boundaries of free speech with his sign.

"It [the poster] says 'You Deserve Hell,' it may be true but a lot of people don't understand what he's saying."

Kaley Spell, senior interdisciplinary studies major, disagreed with Smock to the extent that she stood opposite him in Academic Plaza on a bench offering a different message.

"I just want to be out here to tell people that what he's saying is not the true message of Christ, the Christ that I know, he's preaching a message of hate and name-calling and the Christ I know loves, and I'm going to stay out here as long as he's out here and as long as I can to show people that though he hates sin, he loves the sinner and he died for all of us," Spell said. "This guy, I believe, is misguided and misconstruing the scripture and I believe he's leading people astray, I just want to be out here to support what I believe."

Several people stood around and spoke with Spell, though their numbers were far less than the crowd of about 40 around Smock at the time.

Spell watched a student attempt to give Smock a hug only to be rejected on account of Smock's "reserving hugs for family." In response, she decided to stand outside after her classes to give free hugs of love because she loves everyone because Christ loves everyone.

Although many students disagreed with his style, they did not call for his removal from campus.

"I feel that he has the right to talk wherever he wants, I feel if someone wants to counter message, that's fine by me as well," said freshman physics major Ben Becker.

Smock does not disagree with the numerous complaints about his preaching style.

"Well [my message] is harsh, that's true, and I am accusing them of being unfaithful to God and living selfishly," Smock said. "I'm calling them to repentance, to turn away from sin and follow Jesus and acknowledge he died for the sins of mankind and rose again and they can have their sins forgiven and receive the gift of God, which is eternal life."

Around dinnertime, two students decided to invite Smock to dinner in Sbisa. Pete Hess, freshman general studies major and Daniel Hayden, a freshman nutrition major, invited Smock so they could speak on a more personal level with him. Smock said that he very much appreciated their invitation.

"It was interesting to listen to him and to keep talking to him just because sometimes the mental challenge is fun and some of the stuff he was saying I agree with," Hess said.

"Everybody was arguing with him and I figured if we invited him to dinner that maybe we could actually talk to him instead of having a huge argument with him," Hayden said.

Hayden said he felt Smock knew exactly what he was doing and that he was succeeding.

"Really, he's trying to provoke thought in a lot of people which whether or not they know it, it is because they're arguing with him about certain facts that he's saying and stuff but it's going to make them question if there's a God," Hayden said. "I think that [his preaching methods] are a little bit on the attacking side, but at the same time that's what's drawing people to him and that's what also going to provoke thought."

Smock plans to travel to New Mexico for a similar event on New Mexico State University's campus next week.

He is the president and founder of Campus Ministries USA and has a bachelor in social studies and a master's in U.S. history, both from Indiana State University.

Smock's message closely fits the name of "confrontational evangelism," which often meets much opposition and while many agree with the message, most disagree with the tactics.

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