Mission Makers
Once a week, almost every week, for seven years, Officer Glen White of the Mountain Brook Police Department has volunteered his time to serve as the safety director for a small band of individuals called Special Ops. The mission of these Christians is to reach those sex-trafficked at local hotels and truck stops as well as minister to the homeless and addicted that they encounter on the streets- providing hygiene kits, Bibles, and information about how they can get help from various agencies.
Every Monday at 1p.m. the group meets, usually at the McDonald’s in Woodlawn, and commits to spending one-hour ministering on the streets. “I’m really just watching over people,” says White adding with a chuckle, “Sometimes that is like trying to herd cats.” Special Ops leader Lisa “Roxanne” Richardson describes White’s role as critical. “Glen can be quiet and reserved, as his training requires. But his sensitivity to the spirit the Lord is astounding. On so many outings, he’s felt prompted to go to new areas where we then encountered women in crisis, which is the goal,” she explains, adding, “He’s a tough guy, but he has allowed us to see how moved he is when someone accepts the Lord as Savior, and when a woman calls for rescue. He is deeply loved and respected by the Special Ops Team, and it’s possible we owe our lives to him.” Richardson gives an example from a recent Special Ops. “A very intoxicated, large and threatening man was using profanity and telling us he would ‘kill somebody.’ Quickly I contemplated how to drop to the ground swiftly as I saw the man reach in his back pack. For a moment thought I might be meeting Jesus face-to-face, earlier than planned! Glen immediately diffused the situation and called for the team to flee the scene. It’s those split-second judgment calls that make having a Safety Director like him essential.”
In January, a change in Officer White’s job responsibilities will no longer allow him to continue with Special Ops, but he is praying for a replacement. “The group can’t go out if an officer is not with them. My hope is that we can find an officer that is willing to put in the time to act as security for this most effective team. Although there is not monetary pay, the satisfaction of doing the Lord’s work is tremendous. Along with that I have a whole family of Christian believers that I can laugh with, pray with, cry with and hold as my own. These people are ones that I will hold dearly in my heart for a lifetime.”
–Laurie Stroud
