“”The Gospel means ‘good news,’ but we have to show the bad news first,”” independent minister Shawn David Holes said to a small crowd by Heritage Hill Tuesday.

This week, Holes traveled with independent street preacher Jeff Rose and Orlando, Fla., schoolteacher Scott Smith to the UA campus to preach the gospel to college students and hand out complimentary gospel pamphlets to passers-by and students.

“”I love young people, and I love students. They’re very respectful,”” Holes said when asked why he visits college campuses all over the country. “”When I was of college age, no one shared the gospel with me.””

Rose agreed that the UA student reaction has ultimately been a positive one.

“”We’ve had a good experience here and received pretty positive dialogue,”” Rose said.

The preachers believe that college students have a need for their information and perspective.

“”This is a respectfully controlled campus,”” Smith added. “”College is a time when students are trying to figure stuff out, so we give them another set of thoughts and help them learn what they’re living for.””

When asked if he knew of well-known campus evangelist Brother Jed Smock’s direct approach to preaching, Rose said that he did not agree with Smock’s delivery.

“”I don’t know him, but our motivation is to proclaim the gospel in respecting others. We’re not here to call names or degrade,”” Rose said.

Both enjoy not only talking about the gospel but listening to students.

“”I think it’s important to have all opinions available to students on campus,”” said Keri Martell, an English language and linguistics graduate student. “”You can’t excise faith from the human psyche. There’s even faith in having no faith.

“”I like them to be able to speak for themselves,”” Martell added.

Their talks include personal reflections and stories.

“”We all deserve God’s wrath,”” Holes said. “”Before I was saved, my sex outside of marriage and pot smoking was sending me to Hell. Jesus Christ is the only way out.””