Self-proclaimed evangelist riles up Jackson State Community College students

JACKSON, Tenn. — A group received mixed reactions Friday afternoon at Jackson State Community College after delivering a fiery message to students.

A crowd of Jackson State students listened to evangelist John McGlone speak on campus. The demonstration caused a strong reaction from students, causing some to question why they were allowed on campus.

“Chaos, confusion, that’s all it was,” Minister Mason Doyle said. “I don’t believe it represented Christ very well.”

“Maybe it will help somebody, but as for me and this generation, I think an aggressive approach is kind of a scary approach,” said student Kyle Nevels. “For him to come in like that with a group of people saying ‘you’re going to hell,’ it just kind of flared tempers. That’s what it did the most.”

Students say the evangelist was outside for about two hours telling the crowd they were all sinners.

Student Caitlyn Malone recalled what she says was part of the evangelist’s message. “Anybody who’s a homosexual, transgender or anything like that is going straight to hell. Which everybody threw off course then, and everybody started yelling and having a fit towards them.”

Although students weren’t happy about the group on campus, administration says they had that right.

“He made a request to come on campus, and with freedom of speech we allowed that to happen,” Interim Jackson State President Horace Chase said. “They felt that if he could express his, they should to be able to express their opinions, and they did so.”

Many, however, believe the demonstration may have done more harm than good.

“Very saddening to think that there are some students that are going to go away from the message of Christ just because someone else is being hateful,” Doyle said.

“If it seems like they’re doing false things, again, I’ll tell everybody just to leave and don’t give them a show cause that’s all they are wanting,” Malone said.

Interim President Chase says they will take future requests from the evangelist group under consideration.