In the free speech area across from The Union, Michael Venyah shouts to the students to wake up and repent before they spend eternity in a fiery hell.
For weeks, Venyah has spent his days preaching to Mississippi State students, and now he has started his own campus organization.
Venyah said he turned in the paperwork to start a campus ministry called “Soulwinners,” named after his own ministry, and that over 100 students have expressed interest in joining it.
Although he does not have a set length of time that he plans to stay here, he says that he will leave when God calls him someplace else.
Venyah is a minister and said he was called to preach at colleges and universities all over the country.
Almost every day, students sit down with Venyah on the stone fountain at the free speech area to study or debate. As often, other students shout their disapproval at the fire-and-brimstone preacher.
Venyah said he understands that people want to know why he shouts.
The campus is on fire and everyone is asleep, he said; his job is to wake them up.
“Students, faculty, casual readers, please stop all of your sin and selfish living or it will send you to hell,” Venyah said. “Please live to love, obey and serve the Lord Jesus Christ for all your days, for only this is pleasing to God, will save you from sin and hell and will grant you eternity with Christ in Heaven.”
Venyah said that people are only here on earth for God’s pleasure, so everything people do should be for God’s glory, and not for their own selfish pleasure. People must realize that, he says, or they will be cast into hell.
Christopher Herring, a student that passes Venyah several times a week, says that he admires what he’s doing, but thinks that the way he’s going about it is wrong.
“I’m glad he’s saved, but I’m afraid he will turn away more people than bring them closer to God with his methods of testimony,” he said.
Leslie Dean, a graduate student who passes Venyah about three times a day said that it gets a little depressing to be condemned to hell every time he walks down the sidewalk.
Herring and Dean said that Venyah’s words sound more like insults than warnings.
Venyah said he is not really affected by students’ negative reactions. He said he does have a small following of students who applaud his cause.
He said that he was asked to return several times by students and faculty who said they admired what he was doing.
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Campus evangelist preaches, creates student organization
Mollie McAlpin
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October 11, 2004
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