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By Guy Page
A 150-year-old church in downtown Burlington is ‘under siege’ from a small army of homeless people, drug-users and their dealers, and mentally ill people, a church spokesperson said today.
The United Methodist Church in Buell and South Winooski Avenue, across from the Marketplace parking garage, is famed for its beautiful, historic stained glass windows and its extensive ministry to people in recovery. And both the church property and its ministry to 27 12-step recovery groups meeting onsite are threatened by the large crowd of people who gather outdoors and on the steps, buy and use drugs, leave needles on the ground, and sometimes enter the church and commit acts of theft and vandalism, Office Secretary Pam Fenimore told VDC in a phone interview this morning.
The problem started several months ago, Fenimore said. As WCAX reporter Ike Ben-David reports, a triangle of almost perpetual homeless/drug-users presence has developed between the church, the Marketplace garage, and the First Congregational Church across Buell Street.
Accommodations for Burlington’s homeless are overwhelmed and have been for years. In late January, the City removed homeless encampments along Battery Street and elsewhere. Homeless people tend to migrate from the library, to City Hall Park, and to the triangle.
Burlington police come when called (usually). “The police have been trying,” Fenimore said. “They come when we call them, most of the time.” An August 7 WCAX news video, “Burlington pastor says church ‘under siege’ from drug users, homeless,” shows BPD apprehending and arresting a man shooting up outside on church property.
Other government officials, however, have not yet shown much support.
Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak has not yet responded to any of the three letters sent to her by Pastor Kerry Cameron, Fenimore said. Only one city councilor, Democrat Mark Barlow, has come over to visit.
Fenimore expressed exasperation at judges who simply release people who damage property and make threats – people like Patrick Ibbotson, 37, who before he was arrested for interrupting Mass at the St. Joseph’s Cathedral three blocks away had already become persona non grata at First United.
“He made a statement here…’I could kill everyone in this church,’” Fenimore said. “We tried to get a restraining order out. But that didn’t go anywhere.”
This morning, BPD issued a press release noting that Ibbotson was arraigned in court August 14 and – the proverbial umpteenth time for someone with more than 250 police interactions – was released on conditions. One of the conditions is that he not trespass at First United Methodist.
As of this morning…. So far so good, Fenimore said. Yesterday she had to chase 15 people off the steps, but as of 9:30 AM there was no-one there.
“We have to remove people from the lawn when they’re sleeping here. We have to remove needles from the lawn every day. It’s been a terrible situation,” Fenimore said.
Financial problems
Damage to the church – such as the recent theft of the copper rain downspouts, and someone smashing the sanctuary steps because they were looking for drugs or heard voices – is covered by the church insurance policy. However, there’s a $100K deductible and ‘we have so many claims.’
The church’s response
After considerable discussion and pushback, the congregation voted to put up no trespass notices.
Fenimore said the congregation “didn’t want to be unwelcoming. They were afraid that if we put up the signs, people wouldn’t want to come here.” Especially people involved in the many 12 step groups held on church property. But as it turns out, the people in recovery also don’t like to see the needles, etc. on the lawn. They back the decision.
The church may also install surveillance cameras and build a fence off the back steps fronting Orchard Terrace – a frequent gathering space for drug dealing and shooting up. The Orchard Terrace residents like that idea, too, Fenimore said. They’re tired of seeing people shooting up, nodding off, and passing out.
‘Holy ground’
Fenimore was asked what advice she would give other churches facing this situation.
“I would suggest the churches show compassion,” she said. “We do have a Share meal. Every Sunday night,” people in any situation can enjoy a meal and conversation with the pastor and others.
But….
“You have to protect your holy ground,” Fenimore said – echoing words from Rev. Cameron on the WCAX report. “This is holy ground. We don’t allow drinking, Weapons. Drugs in the church. So we try to protect our church” – especially for the ministry recipients, people in recovery. “They are trying to get on the right road.”
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Categories: Burlington, Drugs and Crime, Faith
Was going to say send the Liberal mayor to the church. But seems she received three letters and didn’t respond. Either she can’t read, don’t know where the church is, glad to see the good people invade, must be on vacation, doesn’t have a liaison person acting on her behalf, too busy sipping wine at lunch time, trying to recruit more such people, has a flat tire, and, and, and, and and—-The church is in her rear view mirror. Ah, the dedicated, what do you expect for such low pay?
As the saying goes, “WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GET GOING”.
the drug users and home less need to camp out on the vermont state house lawn/// that is public property//// give the lawmakers a view of another part of vermont////
All it takes is some food (candy) and a van to drive them there….
That was done a few years back during Covid. The pod development began to materialize in the wake. It really is too bad, the funds spent on the homeless during Covid, couldn’t have been invested into more permanent housing solutions. Check out Community Supported Shelters in Oregon. https://www.communitysupportedshelters.org/ They have city corner lots filled with 30ish Conestoga units, a predecessor to pods, but similar footprint. One setting for Veterans, one setting for those with disabilities, and another for those contending with rehab scenarios. The community service people work with them to help find alternative employment and housing scenarios within a year.
One such shelter was built in Vermont and very adequately withstood 4 years of Vermont winters. It was heated for $50/mo, too. Nice and cozy when it was 23 below, too.
I agree totally and have thought of this many times. Not only is the grounds of the state house public property but the state house itself. Let’s spread this good news to the homeless as I feel certain our legislators will have no problem offering this space during the hours it is open. The Capital Food Court could be giving free meals as well to the homeless who cannot afford to pay. Here is information directly from the state house website
The state house is open during the summer months Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and During the legislative Session, the hours are:
Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. AMENITIES The Capitol Food Court is public. You may purchase sandwiches, salads, hot entrees, beverages and more. The Food Court uses Vermont purveyors and utilizes what is seasonally available. You can enjoy your meal in the open and airy cafeteria dining area
Let’s spread this good news to the homeless in our state.
Thanks to the Burlington City Council and to the Chittenden County States Attorney Office(Sarah George) and to the Liberal Judges sitting in our District Courts this is possible. This is spreading all over the state of Vermont and soon will be a statewide norm.
When Montpelier becomes Sacramento and Burlington looks like San Francisco we will know that we’ve arrived at the breakdown.
Of COURSE the mayor “city councilors” don’t respond….the entire GOAL of Communism is to create chaos, fear, & eventual total reliance upon an authoritative government which fully controls the masses. And one of the more effective methods, or so it is thought by these power grabbing, power mongering destroyers of freedom, is to obliterate “God” (as if that’s remotely an option) and religion and faith and thereby houses of worship from the citizenry.
These Karl Marx goons are destroying this once-free society with INTENT and the masses are still allowing it playing by the OLD rules that once just relatively recently governed law & order instead of the NEW rules employed by this out-andout coup!!!
Rebuke. Resist. Repel. And NOT just on forums which still embrace freedom of speech & independent thought.
Right on Kathleen!
Very true Kathleen!
I do feel pity for the Pastor but I don’t like his response. It might have been more appropriate had he said ” Yes Jesus does love YOU but not your sin and those drugs are a sin. Give up the sin and come here to be loved.
Great point! The entire “do not judge” is regularly used by non-believers especially to try to “guilt” believers to feel they have no right to call out sin & allow unrighteousness. In fact, it is not merely a Christian’s right to judge the sin, but their duty & responsibility to do so as per the scriptures. Judge the sin, not the sinner – as no one can see a person’s soul but God, but ALL can see the sin. Confront it!
I’d like to wade in on this a bit.
If we read the bible, what have we found Jesus doing? 95% perhaps 99% of the time he is healing, healing the sick, feeding the hungry, and perhaps most importantly driving evil spirits out of possessed people.
Who did he judge? Did he judge the prostitute? When he said let, he who has not sinned cast the first stone? Then what happened?
Jesus scorned and was livid with those who professed to be righteous, above others to judge others, when if we are all a bit self-reflective, we discover the very sobering truth that we are all flawed, all sinned, all missing the mark, no not one of them is righteous.
These people have been lied to, they have been deceived, and in some ways our government has been complicit in the lies.
I don’t pacify my anxiety with alcohol or drugs, but I have very much so in the past done this with food. And I’d like to suggest Americans as a whole are in there with me. So while I may not be on street corner, passed out from tranx or fentenyl, my waist grew to 40″ plus and I ballooned to 250lbs due to anxiety and the using the wrong methods to cope with my stress and problems.
These people have chosen a different method to deal with stress, and as many of us know it’s a snake and entraps you at one point when you are no longer in control.
If you are down on your luck, having made some bad choices in life, despite the lies pushed by those in Montpelier, Vermont is the worst place to get back on your feet. Can’t find housing, can’t get jobs….can’t be self-employed when I say can’t I mean practically speaking…so you fall back in with the buddies who give you a roof over your head and income, aka drug dealers.
Should we allow this behavior on church grounds? No, not really.
Should we have compassion? Most definitely.
We are no different. To think we don’t suffer the same problems and issues is perhaps a bit short sighted.
If we are to be more like Jesus, we’d be working on spreading the truth, using timeless wisdom, we’d be helping to heal our brothers and sisters. We’d have compassion for them, because we too could be homeless in a blink of an eye and “solving our problems” with things that aren’t true.
Do you think any of them want to be addicted to drugs?
They were looking for love, acceptance, relief and solutions in all the wrong places.
Jesus sets us on the correct path.
Jesus won’t lead you astray.
TGBTG
my 2 cents for discussion
Brian is correct, he came so that we could be free of sin, such that we won’t be trapped in it, being a continual hot mess our entire lives. There is no sin he can’t forgive, we may have to live with the consequences, be he came to heal us and free us from sin. Thank you Lord!
When we allow, when we listen, when we walk with the Holy Spirit that he sent to comfort and guide us through this broken world, life is much better.
Jesus rules, this is true.
What is the result of hanging out with the Holy Spirit? Walking with J.C.?
You become more loving.
You become more joyful (see Mennonite women photo on this publication)
You become more at peace
You become more patient
You become more kind
You become more gentle
You have more self-control
And there are other perks….all good.
Rahm Israel Emanuel, ex mayor of Chicago, ex Whire House staff under Obama often said “never allow a good crisis to go to waste when it’s an opportunity to do things that you had never considered, or that you didn’t think were possible”
This is the basis of the Dem mentality in VT. It’s like “create a crisis and then take advantage of it, the Dem’s advantage” VT is in a crisis. and the Reps are too slow to react, if at all.
Welcome to Burlington, the progressive cesspool, you let this happen and now you want pity, Burlington has clowns in charge, they let this happen and refuse to take any responsibility, and the citizens pay the price !!
So let’s see Burlington’s new Mayor, needs a food handout to help her family survive,
after taking on this position as Mayor, I guess that her background as a community organizer did get her ready for running a city, but then again you voted her in, but why ?? Oh yeah, she’s just another DEI hire !!
Burlington the circus is in town and the ” clown bus ” is full………… wake up people.
The Church is a microcosm of the greater problem in Burlington. They have initially welcomed members of the “vagrant community” and made them feel welcome. One normally expects a Church to be a welcoming place, especially for the needy, but the kind of “needy” that progressive leadership in Burlington has welcomed are not the typical church-going type, who will be happy to contribute when they are able. They will congregate wherever they are comfortable and are allowed to be, regardless of whether the venue is private or public. A Church is for worship. A library is for accessing published material and wifi. A park is for wholesome recreation including by families with young children. The Fletcher Library, City Hall Park and the yard around the United Methodist Church are places you really should think twice before bringing young children that you care about thanks to progressive leadership in Burlington. And Mayor Emma Hyphen thinks that the way to reduce homelessness is to provide even more resources for the unhoused…
Wonder where Sarah George’s lawn is. Bet it’s big…..
I visited the Fletcher Free Library polling site on Primary Day, many people clearly struggling with drugs and mental health on the College St block. It was past unsafe, more like dangerous.
We have a leadership problem. It will continue to get worse until Vermonters realize progressive “leadership” is the root of that problem and vote for change.
A friend who visits Fletcher Free Library several times a week to read has noticed how many mentally ill and homeless folks congregate around the library and its parking lot.
When the progressive mayor avoids the progressive pastor who is falling over herself crossing T’s and dotting I’s as correctly as she possibly can without harming any oppressed feefees…
I visit Buell St often and 10-20 homeless hang out at the Congregational Church at least half the time.
The daughter of a neighbor visited from Florida with her husband and 2 year old. She used to live in South Burlington before she got married, etc. On a sunny day they went to Battery Park in Burlington and her husband wandered off a bit so she appeared alone with her son. Two guys came up to chat. Then one moved in front of them and the other in back of them. Alarmed, she turned to look in the direction of her husband who happened to be looking back at her and saw her worried look and rushed back. The two guys ran off. She later exclaimed to her mother, “Wow, I did not realize how dangerous Burlington had become.”
Burlington hyphenated, pierced and inked progressives would describe the two men as “goodwill ambassadors”. They would give the men the benefit of the doubt, and make anyone who might suspect them of being malevolent out to be “intolerant right wingers”.
And the fools will continue to elect other fools like martine gulack, zuckerman and phil baruth and wonder why things aren’t any better. The article above on who is funding them is eye opening, check it out.
So, don’t be fooled, these men and women know exactly what they are doing. They are not stupid, they are cunning. Please do not be deceived, what is happening in Vermont is planned, the result is exactly what they expect and want.
See, it’s subversion. Handy little video below. Sun Tzu, describes this as the highest art form of war.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gnpCqsXE8g
It’s worth the time to watch this video.
Neil Johnson: Jesus actually did not spend 99% of His time healing people/driving out evil from those possessed & in fact, the Gospel writers’ plainly state that only a mere fraction of what He did & what He said is including within their texts. In fact, Jesus Himself became vocally angry at times including overturning tables within His own ‘Father’s House” against those using the temple as a place to conduct financial business. There are examples of Him disobeying His parents, and using harsh words when reprimand was necessary towards His own apostles. He used many parables throughout the New Testament, as was commonly utilized in those days to instill & to teach lessons, in His role or title of “Rabbi”, as is used today taken from the Hebrew definition of “teacher” or “religious master” – not “healer” or “miracle worker” – though there is specific language for those as well in Hebrew & Aramaic.
Anger itself is a natural human emotion which every single human possesses and when required expresses – and though Jesus was never known to injure anyone in rage, once one concludes that He is the creator of all humanity & therefore human nature itself, we can then know that this emotion was given to us by God Himself to be used, as He used it, with some discernment but with assertiveness & a degree of personal control. To never express anger or to judge another’s actions as “wrong” or “amoral” or “dangerous”, etc. is indeed a failing, as disciples of the Messiah, on our part. Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus tell His followers to ignore or permit sin. What God imparts over & again, is to remind us that we are never the judges of another’s soul or their fate in the afterlife, which I already distinguished in my earlier post.
But as far as not judging those who sin & hurt others – that is an obligation we are given and need to employ as we are also our brother’s keeper – not merely in proving “food” when they are “hungry” but in providing the knowledge of Christ’s mission as in the Book of Mark when he tells us: “Go into all the world and preach to all creation”.
In fact, in the book of Timothy 5:20, it is expressly written: “As for those who PERSIST in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear”. In Ephesians, we learn: “Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead, EXPOSE them!” In Timothy again he states elsewhere: “Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season – reprove, REBUKE, and exhort – and then he reminds us to be patient while teaching.
To tell others, as but one example, that abortion is but murder and that it is a grievous sin against God, that it destroys the life of an innocent and perhaps the soul of a mother isn’t being self-righteous but revealing the truth. It isn’t anyone condemning the fate of another to the abyss of Hell for only God can do such but allowing them to learn that such a destiny may await them for committing atrocity. Telling someone that what they are doing is evil, injurious to themselves or others, etc. doesn’t ever absolve me from my own sins, of which I have engaged in plenty, but it does make others aware that their decisions have consequences for themselves & others and that another choice is certainly obtainable, not to mention that God is always prepared to forgive and provide mercy once an individual has committed to “sin no more” – which is precisely what Jesus said to the prostitute in the parable you refer: “Go now and LEAVE your life of sin”. He never suggested that she continue to go about her merry way continuing to “sleep around”.
Anger can be expressed in a healthy manner as adaptive or assertive anger – and should never be expressed in any pathological or illegal way. To never express it is to repress it, which is often not healthy. Likewise, to teach others or condemn bad behavior, or to not tolerate violent or dangerous acts isn’t “judging” the state of someone’s soul. It is actually necessary in spreading the mission of Christ. “Let the thief no longer steal, but teach him to labor – doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with someone else in need”.
Yes, I certainly do become enraged particularly in matters of abortion or in the taking of any life for the sake of simply destroying what God alone has created, not us. I should be kind & patient while still speaking out against what I perceive to be eminently wrong and evil. I do see that & do try and fall again & again & again. Yet I also know that allowing offence to go unchallenged neither helps me or anyone else and so, with God’s help, we continue on correcting errors & mistakes and helping others to recognize their own in the process.
He was healing us from sin…..with love, the highest demonstrable form of love. Love changes people, criticism rarely does. Forgiveness not only for those for being forgiven but most importantly for yourself in forgiving others.
What is the fruit of the Holy Spirit? that is the answer.
If you are angry, you are not in control, the person making you angry is in control. Our leaders know this, we are easily manipulated because of this.
We can end abortions easily. Not be legislation, not by picketing abortion clinics, but through telling the truth and love. They are told lies. We are not allowed to speak the truth.
Sex is sex.
Love is love.
Lust is lust.
We are not even talking about these things today, nobody is….it’s a major problem. They instead are teaching, lust and sex are love, that’s one of the first lies and it’s massively propagated to the detriment of society.
None of us have nor probably ever will be able to keep the 10 commandments, that was clearly outlined by Jesus Christ. Which is why he came, to head us in the right direction, to forgive our sins, and we all are guilty. Jesus showed the woman compassion, mercy. He also let her know she was forgiven, and all the other men were also guilty of the same sin to one degree or another.
Jesus is always ready and willing to work with repentant sinners, regardless of sin and for how long. He wants us all home.
These women cannot face what they have done, for if they did, they would be crushed with guilt. This is also a defensive mechanism, telling somebody they are a murder, when they were told by almost all of society that they were doing what was right, will not endear people, nor open their minds to the possibility that they did something massively wrong.
Vermont is a classic example, look at how reasoned arguments did in our state, it brought the most oppressive sexual legislation and put it into our constitution for God’s sake, that is a massive failure.
Love is kryptonite to marxist thought and practice.
Perhaps saying “You are forgiven for what has been done, you were told massive lies” might be a better segway….what has happened clearly hasn’t worked.
You’d have compassion for somebody who didn’t believe in the law of gravity, this is really no different.
I wonder how many of the white unmarked busses that are picking up illegal immigrants at our U.S. borders are ‘church’ busses? Just curious….