By VALERIE METREJEAN

Staff Writer

Tech's free speech area between Tolliver Hall and the Student Center was full of angry, passionate and vocal students April 27, with the arrival of Matt Bourgault.

"Many students at Tech are not awakened to their sins," Bourgault, an ordained minister from Florida with Consuming Fire Campus Ministries, said. He said he was a preacher of the gospel, citing commands from the Bible to "go out into all the world and preach the gospel."

Several members of his audience believed part of what he said, however, his approach was received as well.

"He had good intentions, but when you yell at people you are just going to make them angry," Lacy Pynes, a junior biology major, said.

Many spectators did become angry as Bourgault condemned fornicators, drinkers, smokers and homosexuals all to Hell.

"You are not going to get through to college students by condemning; you've got to show them love," Zak Ferhman, a freshman marketing major, said. "He is pretty much ruining what any campus ministry is trying to do."

The crowd was mostly there to debate what Bourgault had to say. Several Tech policemen were there to hold the peace.

"It is not uncommon for [Tech Police] to come out and give extra control," Tech Police Chief Stephen Quinnelly, said.

Quinnelly said over the three hours, Bourgault had from 10 to 100 onlookers at any given time. Students continued to listen even though they were unhappy with the message he was giving.

"He is exercising his right to free speech, and people have the right to listen or not to," Quinnelly said. "It does not just include speech you agree with."

Kyle Leibenguth, a freshman chemical engineering major, said Bourgault was trying to get a reaction.

"I think people have a negative image of him now," Leibenguth said. "He had the gall to judge other people and other religions, but he refuses to judge his own religion or self."

Bourgault did eventually let one Tech student share the "pulpit." John Aaron Matthew, the president of the United Campus Ministries and a senior family and child studies major, gave his testimony.

"[Bourgault] does not represent what [Christians] believe," Matthew said. After ending his testimony in prayer, the crowd clapped and about half left saying there was no need to continue listening.

But Bourgault continued.

As he criticized smokers, many students began sharing cigarettes.

"He is preaching all the points that make people not want to be a Christian; he is driving people away," Chip Soulie, a freshman general studies major, said. "I think they should take him away."

Throughout Bourgault's preaching, Soulie said he even claimed drinking alcohol as a violation of the sixth commandment, which is "thou shalt not commit adultery".

Cassandra Williford, a freshman elementary education major, said she got a chance to calmly talk with Bourgault after the crowd dwindled.

"He said he is an Arminianist and believes you can lose your salvation," Williford said. "He twisted words that people threw out and took many Bible verses out of context."

Williford said she was not angry with Bourgault for his speech but instead felt sad for him.

"My heart is broken for this guy because he really believes what he says," Williford said.

In spite of the students' reactions Bourgault said he has been traveling for five years and believes "preaching with love is not the answer." He said he sees "a lot of fruit" from his usual campus visits.