While members of Greek Life were at their tables campaigning on behalf of homecoming royalty candidates Monday, they were given a glimpse into their eternal futures.
There was a common destination for many people: hell.
A man who introduced himself only as Brother Matthew from the Consuming Fire Campus Ministries in Missouri walked throughout the crowd that had assembled on the Union Mall in front of the east entrance of the Elliott Student Union to take part in the festivities leading up to homecoming.
Brother Matthew was at UCM on a mission.
“Calling sinners to repent, representing the Lord, preaching the gospel,” he said.
In a few minutes, he’d compiled quite a list of people destined to spend an eternity in hell.
“Buddhists are going to hell,” Brother Matthew said. “Catholics are going to hell. Jews are on their way to hell.”
People who make specific lifestyle choices are destined for the flames as well.
“Fornicators, sodomites, drunkards, masturbators,” he said. “Liars, potty mouths — that means profanity — rock and roll idolators.”
Brother Matthew accused one group of students, including senior political science major Natalia Gunderson, of being Antichrists.
Josie Anglin, a senior digital media and production major and a member of Greek Life, said while Brother Matthew didn’t directly address her group, she felt he was trying to provoke them.
Anglin said her sorority intentionally did not participate in any exchange with Brother Matthew. She said she felt that made them more of a target to him.
“Our sorority, in general, we were told to not engage with him and to just kind of stay out of it,” she said. “I think that’s what he didn’t like. So he would try to get us involved. I don’t remember exactly what he was screaming, but he would just look at us while saying stuff about how being in Greek Life is not good, and if you do this you’re ignorant.”
This is the second time this month the UCM campus has been visited by people claiming to have been sent by God to impart a message of damnation.