OCMA begins truck stop ministry

Photo by: Henoc Kivuye

Oklahoma Christian University’s Modern Abolitionists [OCMA] are working to add a new ministry to campus, focusing on fighting prostitution and human trafficking at truck stops.

Tuesday night OCMA held a truck stop ministry training night to teach students who are interested how to safely and effectively become a part of this ministry.

“Tuesday night, we met to talk about if they go out as a group to conduct this sort of ministry, this is what it will look like, here is what you do, here is our strategy, these are the kind of people who you talk to, here is what you say and that sort of thing,” Michael Mitchell, Oklahoma Christian’s Modern Abolitionists’ sponsor and director of admissions and recruiting, said. “They are sort of working on creating the ministry right now.”

Last school year, OCMA focused on raising awareness of the prostitution problem at truck stops, but now they are taking awareness a step further by creating this ministry.

“It’s something that we’ve already got some people already doing and it’s all about raising awareness for human trafficking,” Mitchell said. “It’s something that I’ve been doing for a couple of years and it’s just one of those things I think students in OCMA are interested in doing and so I’m trying to facilitate it in any way that I can.”

During Tuesday night’s meeting, attendees were informed about what a typical ministry would be like and what students could expect from these truck stops.

“This ministry is just about talking to these truckers and having conversations with them,” Mitchell said. “We just try to politely stop them and ask them some questions.”

According to the OCMA training brochure, the majority of truck stop prostitutes are trafficked against their will. OCMA seeks to inform truckers so that they will report  any related suspicious activity.  Asking the right questions is key to getting this information.

Some of the questions students were informed to ask include asking if they have ever seen prostitution occur at any truck stops they have been at, what kinds of girls come to the truck stops, if there is a protocol for someone looking for commercial company and if there is any more information the truckers can provide.

“After we ask them a few questions then we can have that conversation geared towards preventing further prostitution,” Mitchell said. “We also give them a sticker to put in their truck with the number to a hotline so that if they see something suspicious or actually witness prostitution, they can call and let somebody know.”

The new ministry is something that many Oklahoma Christian students support. Some students are excited to see the future of this outreach ministry to the campus.

“I think it’s a great ministry for raising awareness to human trafficking, especially since it is such a big problem in the Oklahoma City area,” senior Amanda Mawson said. “I have done some work with OCMA last year and a bit this year. I haven’t ever gone to any of the truck stop visits but it seems to be pretty effective. They pray as well as try and make some of those people aware.”

And while the idea of going out to truck stops may seem to be the cause of concern for some, most students aren’t worried.

“I know that they go out in groups of three or more and there is always at least one guy in every group,” senior Hayley Fisher said. “I do see where some people could have concerns but I’m not worried about anything happening to those who go out and participate in this ministry.”

Mitchell agrees.

“If I’m going to be a part of this, I want to go out with small groups and teach them how to do it safely,” Mitchell said. “It’s not dangerous, but it’s also not real safe if you’re stupid about it. I’ve never felt threatened, I’ve never been followed home and I’ve never been confronted. My goal is that if they want to do this ministry, let me come out with them a few times and help walk them through it.”

During the training, students learned that the truck stop outreach is not a rescue mission and were given guidelines on how to stay safe and how to conduct successful question-and-answer sessions. They also learn not to assume that truckers are bad people and that just because they show up to a truck stop does not necessarily mean something bad is going on there.

This is a problem that people can help with a solution by coming together for this cause, and it seems as though OCMA is accepting the opportunity to be a part of this outreach ministry.

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