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A pensioner street pastor scoots into action |
Pastors on patrol in search of those in danger on our streets
Pensioner on disability scooter offers help to the ‘lost, homeless or drunk’
WRAPPED up warm, a pensioner makes her way along Upper Street on her disability scooter.
This may not seem unusual but it is 4am on a Saturday and the woman is one of the first recruits to Islington’s new street pastor scheme.
The borough’s streets will be welcoming two firsts in the coming weeks – the first team of street pastors to patrol Islington and a Word4Weapons scheme, where youths are offered Bibles in exchange for weapons.
The latter, devised by police constable Michael Smith, offers rucksacks packed with information, a Bible and a comic with a moral to young people who give up their knives – no questions asked.
In the next few weeks, knife bins will appear in Islington, emblazoned with a number to call if youngsters want to get hold of a Bible.
The street pastor scheme, run under the direction of Pastor Lewis Ecker of Upper Holloway Baptist Church, involves teams patrolling the streets at night looking for people who might need their help.
Although they are backed by police, who advise where best to go, the street pastors stress they are not acting as informers.
Pastor Ecker, who came to Islington six months ago from Florida, said: “This is a new venture to mobilise people to get outside the walls of the church and help people.
“They are looking to be of service to people out drinking and partying, people who may be vulnerable, lost, homeless, drunk.
“They’re trained for a multitude of possibilities – drug awareness, issues with teenagers and children, general psychology.”
He added: “When people ask what’s a street pastor, I tell them what we’re not first and that makes them less wary. We’re not street preachers or police informants. That makes people more at ease that we’re not going to arrest them.”
The street pastors are all volunteers, members of local churches for at least a year, and must have references from a minister, pastor or vicar. They work mainly from 10pm to 4am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Pastor Ecker said: “We have a lady, a pensioner in her 70s who uses a disability scooter. You can’t hold her back – there’s nothing less threatening.
“We’re putting our faith into action, to reach out and care for people. We don’t force ourselves on anyone. We’re not standing out there handing out Bibles but if someone asks, we have them available and when it’s appropriate we might pray for someone but we’re not trying to scare people.”
He added: “Society is great at picking people up when they fall off a cliff and splat in a ravine and that’s an important job. But we’re trying to be preventive, to be at the top of the cliff building a fence.
“We’re not crime- fighters or superheroes but maybe there’s some spiritual work there.”
Inspector Richard Stacpoole, of Islington Police, said: “It seems to work elsewhere in lowering tensions on a Friday night. It’s another layer.
“They are well-intentioned. They are there so they can give people advice.”
Pastor Ecker is looking for more volunteers. If you think you can be one, email islington@streetpastors.org.uk |
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