A pair of Christian street preachers say they love what they do – even if they do face abuse and occasionally violence.
Born-again Christians Arnie and Dawn Martin are a regular sight in the centre of Yorkshire where they play hymns through a speaker and hand out leaflets with Biblical references.
Dawn, 55, from Barnsley, and Arnie, 78, originally from Oklahoma in the USA, have been spreading their message across Yorkshire and further afield, having visited 32 countries including India, Israel, Nepal, Mexico and the United States.
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A former teacher who used to live in Japan, Dawn gave up work to become a full-time evangelist, surviving alongside her husband on a modest pension. She enjoys talking to people – even the doubters and the critics.
“We get a lot of persecution every time we preach,” she says. “The Bible said we would be persecuted. Jesus was persecuted.”
Dawn says a lot of people are interested in what they have to say and she says: “Street preaching works. The church is in decline – that’s why we are coming to the street.”
She doesn’t dwell too much on the negative reactions, but revealed that she had been physically assaulted on two occasions, both while preaching on the streets of Barnsley. She says one culprit was a drug user, the other a football fan on a match day.
Dawn said she became a Christian 18 years ago while living in Japan. She had witnessed and survived several natural disasters and suddenly had a feeling that she had been saved by God. At the time she was living in Japan, she was working as a teacher and was, in her words, “doing alcohol and fornicating”.
After surviving disasters including a major earthquake, a flood and a typhoon, she had a lucky escape from two almost identical car accidents. One night, standing on a beach, she began to weep and came to the realisation that she had been saved by God.
She and Arnie now live in Penistone, South Yorkshire, and visit Huddersfield every week to hand out leaflets and play hymns such as Amazing Grace and Just as I am. They always stand outside the Yorkshire Building Society, Yorkshire Live reports.
“There are a lot of people who are very responsive,” says Dawn. She says Arnie once had a two-hour conversation with passerby while street preaching. “That’s why we love people. We care about where people will go for eternity,” she added.
It is fair to say not everyone likes being approached in the street.
Dawn said: “I asked a man if he was ‘born again’ – he went crazy, he went nuts. He said ‘what gives you the right to ask me such a question’. A very angry guy.”
Dawn thinks Yorkshire people are ‘pretty hardened’ and not so easily convinced by her arguments. “But once they (Yorkshire people) get saved they are very passionate”.
She adds: “We love all of Yorkshire and I am proud of coming from Barnsley.”
Arnie says they take negative comeback in their stride. He adds: “We don’t take offence when people come against us, (or are) angry and curse us.”
The couple also have views on the ‘last days’ of Earth and about ‘digital currency’ and the move away from cash. They don’t agree with digital currency.
Towards the end of the interview, Dawn says that I am now more ‘accountable’ to God because of what she and Arnie have told me.
“Because you have heard a lot today you will be more accountable to God. We warn people, God warns people,” she tells me.
Dawn says she and Arnie are giving up their own time to help people. “We give up our time to do this because we love people. We want as many people in heaven,” she said. “Sometimes when I am on the mic I cry because people are hurting themselves by keeping away from God.”
