In front of Savitz Hall, right by the Rowan Owl statue, like clockwork, two brothers wielding well-worn Bibles preached, hoping to save as many students as possible. Signs with Bible verses in bold black and red text towered nearby. According to them, the end is near, and God’s judgment is approaching. 

Later that day, by the traffic circle, a microphone projected a man’s voice. At his feet, a sign sat on one side and a speaker on the other. His name is Roy Nembhard, and he comes to Rowan once a week to spread the Christian faith. 

“I want to plant a seed, to get it out there so they may remember something I may have said…That’s part of how God opens the door,” Nembhard said.

These three men, and many others dotting the campus, aren’t tied to any major organizations or denominations. They’re united only by conservative theology and a profound desire to spread the word of God.

“A lot of students are outside of Christ,” Nembhard said.

According to Nembhard, college students are impressionable and open to ideas and concepts they may otherwise avoid with age. To him, Gen Z needs it more than anyone, having grown up with constant access to social media and the internet.

“When you condition a generation not to care…everything becomes hopeless,” Nembhard said.

As he preached, some students passed by and cursed, and others praised his work. To Nembhard, ignorance drives his critics, while those who praise him know the truth.

“You’re going to get some that agree and some that don’t agree… They criticize the Bible, but most of them have never opened the Bible,” Nembhard said.

But ignorance might not explain everything. Attacking a person’s lifestyle, regardless of ignorance, will bother them. Preachers preach homophobic ideas very publicly or outside LGBTQ+ events, compounding the prejudice many students already endure. 

“The problem with them is they make big signs with offensive messages but claim it’s an act of love from God. It’s ridiculous and irritating after a long day of class,” freshman John Connolly said.

Jay Turner, a senior geology major, found the preachers with megaphones and speakers noisy and disruptive. 

“The one with the megaphone is disruptive enough [that] I can hear him from my apartment since we keep the windows open,” Turner said. 

Claims that preachers single out and harass students are commonplace. And according to Dean of Students Kevin Koett, incidents of physical contact and threatening language, while rare, have occurred. 

As a result, some students seek help from Rowan’s administration.

“We want to hear their concerns…even if I can’t say that’s a violation of the law or that’s harassment or that’s discrimination, there might be things that we could do to help support students,” Koett said.

Rowan University is a public institution. Unless preachers issue threats, attack people, or disrupt university functions, they can’t be forced out.  

“People have the right to say what they want,” Koett said.

Despite this, a few students are openly disdainful, even aggressive, towards them. For example, the brothers by the owl statue had a student steal their sign and rip it in half on Monday. One student kicked over their sign, then power-walked away. Another thanked God once they learned that preachers aren’t affiliated with Rowan. 

“It feels like it could be perceived that they are attacking them,” said Ellie Grant, a senior computing informatics major. 

Grant is a Christian who appreciates their presence and the messaging, but critiques their intensity.

“Personally, as a Christian, I love seeing the word of God being spread on campus… but I think their approach could be refined in some ways in talking to students,” Grant said.

Grant doesn’t mirror all Rowan Christians. Sympathetic students shake preachers’ hands, bless them, and know them by name. And Grant remains supportive of their mission; she only criticizes their methods.

“In essence, I do believe it is wonderful that they are spreading the word of God, and trying to, you know, really connect with students,” Grant said.

But for students who have any feelings of uncertainty surrounding the campus preachers, there are resources provided by the school that may be able to help. Reporting any concerns and seeking support is encouraged, even if it doesn’t lead to legal action. 

For comments/questions about this story, DM us on Instagram @thewhitatrowan or email [email protected]