(1/3) I served a church in a small and rural town in Illinois. Three times I was approached by police while serving...

1. Coming into the church too early and the officer felt I didn’t belong there.

2. Visiting members in a nursing home. Another visitor called and said

(2/3) that there was a large black man going in and out of the rooms taking things from the patients. When leaving the nursing home I was pulled over and held for well over an hour.

3. Leaving the church one night an officer pulled into the parking lot and asked what (the hell)

(3/3) I was doing at this church at this hour. When I told him I was the pastor he placed me in cuffs. A white pastor from the church across the street had to verify who I was.

I told the deacons about each incident, they told me to listen to the police and not to mouth off.