Mike McDonald - Jerry's - First Impressions and Memories

I first visited Jerry’s in the fall of 1971, sometime in late October. In the spring of that year, I had given my life to Christ at the local Assembly of God church in Anderson. I had recently moved back to Anderson after living in Greensboro, in Henry County during my high school years. As a young hippie I had felt welcomed by the AoG church, but was very out of place. The church was all factory workers and church kids. I couldn’t relate to them, and they couldn’t relate to me. As a result, I had drifted in and out of church all spring and summer. By the Fall I was hungry to find a place I felt a part of, and knew I needed fellowship of some sort. I just didn’t fit into the local church scene, nor did I really fit into the Solomon’s Porch / Fishermen group scene.

Several days before visiting Jerry’s I had been at a small church in Pendleton, where the Fishermen sang and preached (I can remember Ray Renner singing “The Lighthouse”). The Lord did a powerful thing in my life that night. After the meeting, as I went outside a young woman was handing out “Smile, God Loves You” cards, Jerry’s calling card with his address and phone number. The next day I called the number, talked with someone (I found out later that it was Myrtle Street, Jerry’s mom) and asked what did they do, and could I visit. I was warmly invited to come and see.

That night I drove out to 53^rd street, found the house, and made my way in. Inside the door I was greeted by Jerry’s Mom, Myrtle, who put her arm around my waist, hugged me, smiled and said “You must be Mike”. We walked through the house and into the living room. One of my first impressions was “Wow, you could choke to death on the cigarette smoke”. Almost everyone was smoking! I had recently quit smoking and was a bit surprised at a “Christian” gathering were so many people smoked cigarettes.

Jerry was seating in his customary place, in the corner of the living room, Rickenbaker guitar in hand, singing. The first thing you would notice about Jerry was his really big smile, and his laugh. He also looked older than his early thirties. He also didn’t look like a hippie, or any preacher I had ever seen. The second thing I noticed was that the room was full of people like me, hippies, freaks, however you wanted to call them. They were my kind of people. I felt at home, if somewhat taken aback by the smoking.

I sat down on the sofa with several others and just watched and began to take in what was happening. Jerry would sing for a while. Quote a few scriptures and preach a bit. People would pray. There were lots of “Praise God’s” and Hallelujahs. At times everyone would gather in a circle and all arm in arm pray out loud shouting and exclaiming. Jerry would always be praising God and laughing for the shear joy of what was happening. Sometimes a person would fall on the floor in an ecstatic expression of worship.

I know that many of us had different experiences at Jerry’s. My experience was influenced by my having come to faith before I met Jerry. I clearly remember sitting on the sofa that night and the Holy Spirit speaking to me “be careful, there are some strange things here”. Being really Biblically ignorant, it took me a long time to figure out and discern some of the issues.

What were some of those “strange things”? Jerry preached that the Scriptures taught that if you had faith, you would never have to physically die! Jerry was anti-church, not just anti-religion, but anti-church, or at least his limited understanding of church. Anderson Indiana was a center for the “Holiness Movement”, and many churches were very conservative and lacked love, but in retrospect, Jerry threw the baby (the church), out with the bathwater (religion). There were other controversial teachings during those years, but they can be discussed at a later date.

In my opinion, and I know that others disagree; Jerry never preached a clear salvation message in those early years. Many young people came through Jerry’s. Many were touched by what happened at Jerry’s, however I believe that many were never born again and never made a real, solid decision to follow Christ as a disciple, because Jerry being theologically ignorant and an anti-intellectual couldn’t really teach us the basic foundations of the Christian life.

If Jerry would of had a good theological understanding of the Church, and how to disciple young people, he could have been a leader on par with some of the best in the Jesus Movement. He was a genuine man with very little ego. He never manipulated us and he never took advantage of anyone or sought financial gain from his work.

Jerry’s was an interesting time and place. It met the needs of many who would never have darkened the door of a traditional church. Jerry and Myrtle Street had a love for young people and accepted us just as we were, sometime to our detriment. Jerry Street had a profound impact upon my Christian life. To this day I still deal with some of the things that happened in those nearly two years. I have often wondered how my life would have been different if I had never met Jerry Street. God alone knows the answer.

If you were one of those who took part in what was “Jerry’s” I would love to hear from you. Tell me what you remember and what you think about what I have written.

Michael McDonald
Editor