The Resolution: Wednesday April 30, 2008

Well, there has been a resolution in regards to the situation we encountered last Wednesday when we were asked to leave the Canal Park area by a federal employee of the Marine Museum (see last post for details). The last week I have been EXTREMELY busy contacting the City Engineer (basically she develops/lays out the street plans, right-of-ways, property ownership, etc), LT of the Duluth Police Dept., the City Attorney, and a Lawyer from Mount of Olives Baptist Church.

My first personal mission was to locate the City of Duluth Ordinances (found on the website...the internet is down right amazing!). I wanted to find out the exact ordinances for what I wanted to do. I suggest if anyone is planning on going out witnessing in their town, look over your city ordinances so you are familiar with them. I have a copy of the appropriate ones in regards to our purpose. I will carry this with me whenever we go out, just in case.

My first plan of attack with the city was to contact the City Engineer and find out IF the Canal Park/Marine Museum area was indeed Federal Land, off-limits to us. The City Engineer was VERY helpful to me in the past when we were trying to figure out where we could and could not stand in regards to the UMD campus. In fact, I thought it to be almost "weird" how helpful she was in the past.

So when I first contacted her, I explained the situation and asked if she would be willing to let me know exactly where the federal land is located and where the city land is located. I told her I didn't want to break any laws, but I wanted to be proactive for my rights. She said, and I quote, "You are doing more than that....you're spreading the WORD OF GOD. What could be better than that?" My heart about dropped! She's a believer!! The importance of that is HUGE! Everyone and anyone goes to her to determine land ownerships, public right-of-ways, etc. Now, she was not biased in terms of where was legal and/or illegal for us to stand, but it does help that she was FOR our cause and not against it. I knew she wouldn't try selling some "you can't stand there" message because she was NOT a believer. It gave me a sense of confidence to know a believer was working for us. God is so good!

My next step was to contact the Duluth Police Dept. and inquire as to my rights within that area. I sent out an email. The next day I received an email response informing me that my email was forwarded to the Chief of Police. Wow, that's big time! It doesn't get any higher than that! A few hours after receiving that email, I got a call from the LT of the Duluth Police Dept. letting me know he had received my email and is looking into the land ownership etc...VIA THE CITY ENGINEER! Oh really! God is so good!

To make a long story short, the City Engineer was AMAZING. We corresponded over several emails and a few phone calls. She sent me aerial photos of the area, plat book maps showing land ownership, and even contacted the City Attorney and LT of the Police Dept. When it was all said and done, she went above and beyond my expectations. Maybe that is what is required of her by the City, but I can't help to think that just maybe, she did a little extra work for us for the cause of Jesus Christ. God is so good!

We now have aerial maps of the area showing where we can legally stand. In fact, if I had stood only a few feet from my original position, I would have been perfectly legal...which is good. The place where we are going to stand is the BEST place to stand in that park area. It's a funnel that will bring thousands upon thousands of people past our signs, voices, and tracts in the next several months. God is so good!

After determining where I could stand, my next plan of attack was to contact the City Attorney and the LT of police to determine what I could legally do (hold the sign, pass out tracts, open-air preach, etc). When I contacted the City Attorney, he was well aware of who I was because the City Engineer had already contacted him. He went right into what I could and could not do. Instead of giving me legal mumbo jumbo, he spoke very clearly in regards to what my legal rights were. In the end, what we wanted to do is EXACTLY what we CAN do! In terms of our legal right of free-speech, YES, God HAS blessed the USA. God is so good!

I am still waiting on a response from the LT, however in an email I received from him last week, he explained our behavior is well within our legal rights. He also said he determines where we can legally stand based on the City Engineers plans. Oh really! God is so good!

So to say the least, I am VERY CONFIDENT when and if someone approaches me asking me to leave "their" property. I am also very confident if a police officer approaches me asking me to leave. I have all the necessary documents from the City Attorney, City Engineer, and LT of police stating that what I intend to do and where I intend to do it is WELL within my legal rights.

We MUST fight for our rights. Think of the hundreds of thousands of soldiers who have fought and died so we can exercise our freedom. We should take advantage of this (with thanksgiving) as a christian. I find myself so mad/shameful at times when I am "scared" to proclaim the gospel. Yet, some 18 yr. old kid is willing to hold his ground FOR HIS COUNTRY AND FELLOW SOLDIERS, while being fired upon by the enemy knowing that he may die doing it. And we think we are "brave" when we pass out a tract!

May God give us the boldness to exercise our free-speech, proclaiming the gospel to a lost and unregenerate nation where persecution is almost non-existent.


Acts 4:29-31
Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus." And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.