July 24, 2000
Lufkin youth group encounters neo-Nazis at church
___By Ferrell Foster
___Texas Baptist Communications
___GLAUCHAU, Germany--The roar of motorcycles announced their arrival. Dressed in black, they streamed into the church building and sat on the back row. A large, black Rottweiler accompanied them.
___Fear and excitement rippled through the Texas Baptist group that was leading a one-day youth camp at the Glauchau church June 24. There was fear of what the group of 10-12 Germans might do and excitement regarding the opportunity to witness for Christ.
___The unexpected guests identified themselves as neo-Nazis when they spoke with Nolan Duck, pastor of First Baptist Church of Lufkin. Duck was part of a 10-member praise and worship team from the East Texas church. They were on a two-week mission trip in Glauchau, a town of about 30,000 people in an area that once was part of East Germany.
___The "skinheads" were a "frightening-looking group," said Steve James, minister of music at the Lufkin church. "We didn't know what was going on."
___In the midst of that uncertainty, one member of the mission team used a church telephone to call her mother in Texas and ask for prayer. Phone calls, e-mail messages and even a Christian radio station in Lufkin quickly passed along information about the situation; but as the story spread, some of the details became exaggerated.
___What actually happened is this: The youth camp was nearing its end, and Lufkin layman David Hearne was presenting the plan of salvation. When Duck heard the motorcycles, he went to the door and let the group in.
___"They told me they had come because they heard there was going to be food served after the meeting," Duck said.
___It was learned later that one German girl at the church had invited one of the skinheads.
___While Hearne spoke, the neo-Nazis lost interest in the meeting, Duck said. They began to "file out one by one to drink beer in front of the church."
___After the meeting, Duck went outside to talk with them. "I noticed that they did have semi-automatic guns, knives and night sticks in their possession, but no one ever threatened us," he said. "I tried to witness to them, but they were not too interested in hearing."
___The skinheads came back into the church for the meal, and some of them even helped move chairs afterward as the church prepared for an evening service.
___They "behaved rather well for neo-Nazis," Duck said. But they did not leave. A youth leader at the German church became concerned about the skinheads' intentions and considered canceling the service.
___Not wanting to cancel the service, Duck asked the Lufkin team to gather on the stage for prayer. The skinheads also were in the room. "I prayed pretty loudly," Duck said. "By the time we lifted our heads, they had all gone."
___After the service, a group of "leftist" teens waited outside, thinking the neo-Nazis were inside. Bachmann told them the skinheads had gone. "We found out later that the two groups did meet and had a fight a few blocks away from the church," Duck said.
___In retrospect, Duck said the incident "frightened some of our team members, but the Lord was in control all the time. My main concern was that Satan would not intimidate us into calling off the service.
___"Sure enough, he didn't."
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