The Compass: Student space or preachers’ pulpit?

Jack Glagola, News Editor

The Compass, located at the epicenter of campus, features all sorts of speakers and events; from university club promotions, protests against the war in Gaza and housing petitions to religious sermonizers.

The sermonizers have proved controversial in the past. Some students accuse them of espousing homophobic and bigoted messaging under the guise of religious discussion. Last year, students formed a crowd to play music over and heckle the speakers, according to a previous article by The Commonwealth Times.

Several religious messengers show up on campus. Some go around asking if people want to come to church with them. Jehovah’s Witnesses offer literature for passersby. Some hold signs offering a “free test” for whether or not one is “going to heaven.” Another gives sermons on the sidewalk through a loudspeaker. Others in the past held hateful signs decrying groups of people who were “going to hell,” including LGBTQ+ individuals, nonbelievers and atheists.

Nick Johnson and Nathan Bigelow belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon Church. They can be seen strolling around campus, conversing with students to gauge their interest. Bigelow said their job is to “invite people to come unto Christ” and see how he can help.

“We go around just teaching and talking and inviting people to church so they can come and see,” Bigelow said.

Johnson said he tries to find common ground with the people he chats with and extends an invitation to them.

“We try to build that unity, and that’s what Christ would do — invite them to church, check out more if they’re interested — and if not, great, just build a good conversation with them,” Johnson said.

Johnson said they come to VCU because so many people come by.

“You have 30,000 students walking through one central location every hour. What more could you want if you’re trying to talk with everyone? That’s pretty much the golden egg,” Johnson said.

Neil Collins is one of the preachers. He, along with Ron Walsh, another preacher, alternates between holding a sign that reads “Are you going to heaven? Free test” and giving sermons to passers-by.

Both men are VCU alumni and belong to Grace Bible Church, a non-denominational church that “exists for the primary purpose of glorifying God by proclaiming His saving gospel to every person” through fellowship and “bold evangelism within our community,” according to their website.

Collins said he comes out not to convert people, but to communicate what he believes is the truth.

“We offer that truth to people to decide for themselves,” Collins said. “Whether or not you believe or don’t believe, we want to give you the information, because that’s what we feel like education is.”

Collins said his goal is to be respectful even if people disagree or heckle. He was at the epicenter of the “ruckus” last year, which he said began when a student heckled and yelled at him, drawing a crowd.

“There was never any violence. The kids were singing and chanting, they’re not violent — they’re fine. It does happen, they heckle us. We understand, that’s part of it,” Collins said.

Collins admires how VCU is open and respects free speech, even for groups that he disagrees with, he said.

“We really appreciate the fact that they allow us to come on campus and any other groups that come on campus as well,” Collins said. “We don’t agree with them, but we’re at least glad they have the right to be here.”

Andrea Booher, a first-year chemistry student who is Catholic, said she respectfully declines missionaries’ invitations to go to church.

“I have some friends that are Mormon and have to do their missions, but I think it’s interesting how they take their approach on the VCU campus,” Booher said.

James Hayes, a third-year political science and philosophy student who is atheist, said he thinks there is a double standard regarding how the university treats expressive activities — punishing or ignoring student protests and “coddling” religious messaging.

“What bothers me is it just feels like there isn’t anything being done to address what they do, which can be very, very distressing; very, very harassing, but there are multiple efforts done for more innocuous elements of the pro-Palestinian crowd,” Hayes said.

Hayes said some religious messengers use religion as a disguise.

“I do think there’s a lot of cases where people tend to hide behind a faith or a religion, and it lets them get away with abhorrent things, more broadly speaking,” Hayes said.

Hayes tries to avoid interacting with missionaries and people handing out fliers, as he thinks they just waste his time for a reaction.

“I’m not a fan of being approached for things that I believe they already know I have no interest in, and they just want a reaction, or attention or something,” Hayes said.

Ryan Sullivan, a fourth-year political science student who holds no religious affiliation, described a time when a heckler sang parody songs over a preacher’s loudspeaker.

“I loved it. I was out working a table for a fundraiser and then that guy decided to just make my whole day,” Sullivan said.

Sullivan said he thinks many religious messengers already know most students won’t be convinced and merely seek to make “provocative statements.”

Olivia Pinkman, a third-year art education student who is Anglican, said she is not a fan of “street preaching.”

“It seems like more of a scare tactic, in a way, and I don’t agree with that at all. I don’t think that’s what the religion is about in any way,” Pinkman said.

Pinkman said it is interesting that while bullhorns are not allowed on the Compass, religious messengers use them with no repercussions. Both the old Reservation and Use of Space Policy and the new interim policy prohibit amplification above sound limits or audible indoors.

“And then people who do other ways of activism that don’t interfere as much are told they can’t do that,” Pinkman said.

Loren Vincent, a third-year health sciences student who is Protestant, said she finds the loudspeaker sermons distracting and not good for students’ perceptions of religion.

“It’s very distracting, and when people are just sitting around and giving an audience, then people are going to talk bad about it and they’re going to see Christianity in a bad light,” Vincent said.

Michael Porter, associate vice president of public relations for VCU, stated in an email that the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, which owns both sides of Cathedral Place, prohibited amplified sound on the adjacent sidewalks last spring.

“Staff at the Cathedral informed VCU that it has prohibited amplified sound and expressive activity in that area of its property; they have asked the VCU Police Department to notify individuals violating the prohibition that they are trespassing and to take action accordingly,” Porter stated.