GREENFIELD — Wearing tan boots and a hat, a striped shirt tucked into jeans, Christian evangelist Shawn Zybach’s Texas drawl echoed through the town’s square, above passing cars and honking horns, as he preached from a pavement pulpit on the Common.
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,” Zybach said, quoting from the book of 2 Timothy in the Bible, his voice booming from a small black amplifier.
The outdoor preaching event, titled “Raw Christianity,” was described in an information sheet as “a rotating panel of lecturers in the field of Theology” tackling “various topics centered on religious texts, false prophets, gods, unity, truth, and love.”
“Every word has been inspired, and confirmed to us by the miraculous,” Zybach continued.
A few people sat around picnic tables or on park benches listening. One person stopped to talk with Christian Joyner, a California native who now attends Greenfield Church of Christ, a local nondenominational church that organized the event.
“We get a few people who come along every so often,” said Pat Potter. She’s been attending for 30 years or so, and was there Thursday to support her church. “It’s not easy in this area,” she added.
“We have a variety of different preachers, mostly from southern states, to have a lectureship and conversation about the Bible, and about the genuineness of the Scriptures,” Joyner said, holding “Steps of Salvation” tracts, barely audible above the loudspeaker. He noted that the group took out a permit for the event.
Other preachers with Zybach were David Minson of Texas; Craig Keel, also from Texas; Pat Mannon of Arkansas and Mike Hall, who is from Oklahoma. The group isn’t tied to any particular organization, Joyner explained. Rather, the group travels to speak on a variety of topics, to many different people, as they’re invited to do so.
Hall said he came to “share the word of God, and the life changing power it has to change problems of today. This venue provided an opportunity to speak with people who wouldn’t normally listen.”
The group was invited by Joyner for a three-day event starting Thursday at 2 p.m. with a second lecture from 7 to 9 p.m. Preaching will take place on the Common at the same times Friday, and on Saturday it’ll happen from 8 a.m. to noon.
Lectures covered topics like “how can we find unity,” another, “does Christianity even matter,” and “who is Jesus and why should I care?”
Joyner noted that holding such an event, rare in the Pioneer Valley but more Common elsewhere in the country, was inspired by a changing spiritual landscape. Especially within the Christian church.
“The Bible is no longer believed in as sole authority for man. We have introduced a variety of other documents, creeds, dogmas. No longer are we following the Bible, we’re following the traditions of man,” Joyner said.
“What we’ve noticed in New England, a lot of people are out on the streets — so we thought, ‘we’ll bring the gospel to them, and take advantage of that opportunity.’”
For more information, visit greenfieldcofc.org, or call 559-329-9629. The Greenfield Church of Christ meets every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. at 341 Conway St.
You can reach Andy Castillo
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