If you’ve ever walked through Red Square on Western Washington University’s main campus during peak instructional hours, you’re probably familiar with the man holding the sign on the edge of Fisher Fountain.
It’s more likely that you’ve heard his booming voice before you even get a chance to catch a glimpse of him. John Savage, a Western student, is well known for his cardboard sign, in-your-face proclamations and holier-than-thou attitude.
More commonly, he’s known as the Red Square Preacher. Savage has built up quite the reputation for himself since taking up street preaching during winter quarter and is already notorious for engaging in heated discussions with passers-by.
“I put a sign in my backpack and once I get out of physics, I street preach,” Savage said.
His goal is to spread the word of God to as many people as possible, regardless of the social consequences. He prefers to project his voice rather than have one-on-one conversations, though he says both methods are effective.
“All I can do is spread His word and bring them into confrontation with the ideas of Jesus for them to accept or reject,” Savage said.
Opinions on his actions are vast, creating a divide in student culture. The people who tend to see no wrong in his actions are typically other people of faith, while opposition comes from secular or non-Christian students.
“He’s not getting violent. He’s not berating anybody,” said Ethan Alexander Perez, a Western student and member of Viking Catholic.
Western is known for being a progressive school, and though his actions are not illegal, they bring feelings of uneasiness and tension to an otherwise welcoming campus.
“When I mentioned being Jewish, he still kept on explaining Christianity and Jesus,” said Tamra Wegner, a first-year student at Western. “He was definitely trying to convince me to go to the other side.”
His unwillingness to cede to those with different beliefs and opinions is the root of many people’s frustrations.
“If you do not have a personal relationship with Jesus, I do believe that means you’ll go to hell,” Savage said.
Engaging with him is not productive, even if the conversation is respectful on the surface. It encourages further unnecessary disruptions to campus life, unlike protests that serve a purpose and call for legislative action or university policy changes.
“A lot of these people are just looking for a reaction. If that’s what you give them, then they’re gonna keep going,” said Duncan Gallagher, another Western student and a witness to Savage’s preachings.
Though his preachings are physically harmless, that is not the case psychologically. The version of Christianity that Savage preaches is not inclusive of the LGBTQ+ community. He doesn’t shout this particular belief from the fountain-side, but he makes no effort to hide it, either.
“God has a tremendous amount of love for them … but I do believe that there is a better way to live, and that is the way that Jesus preached, which is heterosexual relationships,” Savage said.
Queer students should not be subjected to homophobic ideology, however disguised, while traveling across campus. His tactics are not easy to just simply ignore.
Shouting at people tends to bring forth negative reactions. Among the heckling and middle fingers are personal attacks, none of which Savage takes personally.
“I’ve had personal insults. Somebody called my hair greasy one time,” Savage said.
Other religious groups are known to have booths in Red Square as well. Having an official booth is a more socially acceptable way to spread your message and avoid potential backlash. Bypassers are free to approach and learn more if they choose to instead of being bombarded with Bible verses.
“There’s Christianity and performative Christianity,” Wegner said. “A lot of performative Christianity is people trying to make themselves look better than they are.”
Resonate Church sets up shop right next to where Savage preaches at Fisher Fountain. He does not bring them any negative attention, though the free hot chocolate they offer definitely dissuades any potential naysayers.
“We want to bring the good news of Jesus,” said Kenna Burns, church manager and administrator for Resonate.
Unfortunately, like Savage, there is harmful messaging disguised by the ‘good news’ they’re spreading. The free hot chocolate and welcoming demeanor is a thinly veiled attempt at masking the homophobia that is prevalent within Christianity.
“What we believe about sexuality is not what this world believes about sexuality, that’s true,” said Burns.
Fortunately, there are more progressive versions of Christianity that are welcoming of queer people. Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church goes above and beyond to not only be accepting, but affirming of the LGBTQ+ community. The rainbow flag included on their website and on the outside of their church is not performative in the slightest.
“A lot of people have experienced a church saying all are welcome, but that can be coded language,” said Reverend Lindsay Ross-Hunt, the associate rector and campus chaplain for Saint Paul’s. “It means you might be welcome to walk in the door, but not as your full self.”
The loudest and most aggressive voices tend to define the conversation around Christianity, which she said makes her job harder than it needs to be.
“Good news is no longer good news if it’s forced upon other people,” Ross-Hunt said.
Ross-Hunt is a pioneer in the church community and has been in a leadership position for more than 20 years now, seven of them being at Saint Paul’s as an Episcopal priest. After much exploration, she ultimately decided to stay with the Episcopal church because they’re fully affirming of women and queer people in positions of leadership.
“There’s nothing that we can do to separate us from the love of God,” Ross-Hunt said. “Which feels really different than, ‘you better sign on to X, Y, and Z statements, or otherwise you’re gonna go to hell.’”
She acknowledged that the church has done more harm than good for the LGBTQ+ community and understands why some members feel reluctant towards exploring Christianity. She said she is proud of the fact that Saint Paul’s is actively working to heal that divide.
“If love of neighbor isn’t happening, then we have to suspect that love of God,” Ross-Hunt said.
Saint Paul’s has an Episcopal campus ministry for college students that meets every Sunday at 10:30 a.m and 6 p.m. at their Walnut Street location. Ross-Hunt is also on campus on Thursdays, where she can be found at Zoe’s Bagels and is available for discussions with students.
“It feels counter to the gospel … There is a vein of Christianity that sees the good news in terms of heaven and hell, and typically street preaching comes out of that vein of thought.” Ross-Hunt said.
At the end of the day, Savage feels that he has a duty to spread the word of Jesus, whether people want to hear it or not.
“My end goal is not for you to believe in God … My goal is that people would know Jesus Christ personally,” Savage said. “Nobody’s too far gone, and even the person who hates God the most could encounter the spirit of God, and in that moment give their life to Jesus.”
One thing that both sides can agree on is that people tend to bend the rules of Christianity to better fit their own beliefs. It’s what you choose to do with that knowledge that defines your character.
“It’s a very human thing to interpret things the way that feels best to us. I think we all do that to some degree,” Ross-Hunt said. “But when we’re confronted with our lack of love, I hope that we have the strength and the courage to own and make amends for that.”
Raleigh Nolan (she/they) is an opinion reporter for The Front. She is a Journalism major and a Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies minor. Raleigh is originally from Michigan and has lived in Bellingham since 2021. Since then, she has made many wonderful friends and adopted a sweet/evil kitty named Olive. Some of her favorite spots in Bellingham are Rumors Cabaret, Avellino Coffeehouse, and Colophon Cafe. You can reach her at raleighnolan.thefront@gmail.com.
