June 2002    

 

Dear Saints,

 

We thank you for all of your prayers pertaining to Sister Bonnie’s pregnancy.  She has done quite well thus far and is due to deliver in less than two weeks. 

 

Please mark your calendar for June the 16^th through the 22^nd as “Unshackled” is set to air my testimony that week on some 1470 stations across the globe.

 

Some body has been helping us pray regarding the University of Indiana Pennsylvania’s most vicious attack against us.  Shortly after our last newsletter, the Trial Court Judge conducted a conference call between the District Attorney and my Defense Attorney.  First, it is rare for a Judge to initiate a conference call.  Secondly, it is even more rare for the Judge, after he has initiated a conference call, to tell the Defense Attorney that if he, the Defense Attorney, would file a Motion to Dismiss the charges against me, that he, the Judge, would carefully and cautiously consider the Motion to Dismiss.  The Trial Court Judge used other language to indicate that he did not want this case to come to trial in his Court Room.  We filed the Motion to Dismiss back in April, and to date, the District Attorney has not even taken the time and effort to respond to it.  Please pray that the Trial Court Judge will rule in our favor and dismiss the charges before the trial even takes place.

 

Preaching on campus this past year was truly a pleasure, even with the increased police presence due to September the eleventh.  The increased joy arises from the fact that I was able to start out the school year, last August, preaching with Bro. Donnie Morris and I ended the school year preaching with Bro. Matt Bourgault and Bro. Gary Bowman. 

 

I ended this past school year preaching in Oklahoma.  I opened up Cameron University in Lawton, Ok.  Pastor Matthew Vance was as good as anyone that I have seen in keeping the campus security at bay, as well as, witnessing to the students.  Pastors Steve Moore, Aaron Brock along with members from their churches came out to Oklahoma University in Norman, Ok. in order to help witness for the Lord.

 

I returned to Tahlequah, Ok., where, back in the eighties, I was arrested twice, and acting as my own attorney, I beat North Eastern State University in the famous daylong jury trial where I had then Pastors Ralph Cox, Thomas Smith and Gary Hampton become character witnesses for me.  Ever since I beat NSU in Court, I have enjoyed hassle free preaching…until last month.  I started preaching and within thirty minutes a young, rookie, campus security officer arrests me.  Bro. Gary Bowman is there, capturing all of the police action with his video camera.  I am driven to City Hall where I post my bond.  Attorney James Elsman faxed his famous lawsuit-threatening letter to the Vice President’s office within a minute of my call to him.  I then returned to campus where I met with the Vice President and the Chief of Security.

 

I tell the V.P. and Chief that this is the third time that I have been arrested on their campus, thus showing a pattern of hostility towards me.  I tell them that I just came from Oklahoma University where I have never had any problems with the administration or security.  I make two demands, that they drop all charges and return my bond that day.  I offer to play my audiotape for them to which they consent.  The four of us walk to the V.P.’s office. 

 

I play the tape of the arrest for the V.P. and Chief.  After they hear the tape their demeanor changes and they state, "We will drop the charges and see that your bail is refunded."  The chief admits to me that the arresting officer is "a rookie" with less than one year of experience.  I have mercy on the young pup, but I do file my first ever complaint on an officer.  For you see, after he had cuffed me, he interlocked his right arm through my left arm at my elbow and brought his right hand up to my shoulder and applied pressure to my shoulder and elbow.  In my now 31 arrests, I have never had an officer do such to me, as I have never resisted.  I told the officer to stop strong-arming me, but he only increased the frequency of the pressure.  As I continued to tell him to stop strong-arming me he stated, "If you do not stop resisting then I will throw you to the ground."  As he said this, he brought me into himself a little just to let me know how easy that it would be for him to throw me to the ground while using that arm lock technique.  The Chief, arresting officer and myself have a meeting and the arresting officer admits that he not only put me in that arm lock but also that he made the statement regarding throwing me to the ground.  The Chief could not have treated me any nicer from that time on as he personally drove me back to City Hall in order to drop the charges and then all around the campus.  I returned to campus and began preaching again around 3:00pm that same afternoon.  My greatest satisfaction came when the Chief posted the arresting officer as a guard for the duration of my preaching that week!!!!!

 

We thank you for your love and prayers.

 

Brother Jim, Sister Bonnie, Aaron, Gabrielle and???