Willing and prepared for battle

A pastor was sitting in his car in the mall parking lot, scrolling on his phone, when a knock on his window startled him. As he rolled his window down, a young lady asked him for a ride. Aware of the potential risks, he began to ask questions to try to understand her situation – and determine whether he should politely decline her request.

Though her story was elaborate, he wasn’t quite sure what to believe. What he did know was that she was young and vulnerable, and he didn’t want to abandon her with the night approaching.

Prompted by the Holy Spirit to help her, he decided to break his rule of being alone in the vehicle with a non-family member of the opposite sex. He took her to a store to get some necessities and then to a local shelter.

Rather than drop her off and drive away, he took the time to ask questions and make sure she would be safe and her needs would be met. However, a worker at the shelter told him that the facility would not open its doors for a few more hours, and the lady would have to stay outside until then. Noticing a few adult men lingering around, the pastor sensed she could be in danger. He asked for additional options and was given contact information for other organizations, but each denied her – either because they had no available beds or because she did not meet their admission criteria.

Finally, the shelter gave him the number to Transformation Garden (transformationgarden.org), a Christ-centered restorative home for adult female survivors of sexual exploitation and sex trafficking. Transformation Garden representatives immediately dispatched a car to pick up the girl and bring her into the safety of their home.

“Upon arrival [at the shelter], our team immediately noticed three men circling the young girl,” said Haley Chapin, program director for Transformation Garden. “Two of those three men were known traffickers in the city who were posing as individuals who were homeless in order to prey upon and groom vulnerable girls or women. The pastor’s decision to ensure a safe handoff to our team was the right one. He saved her life.”

Fastest-growing crime

The Mississippi Coalition Against Human Trafficking states, “Human trafficking has been named one of the world’s fastest-growing criminal industries. It affects every country in the world and every state in the nation. Mississippi has been called a ‘hub’ for trafficking due to the intersection of Interstate 55 and Interstate 20 in Central Mississippi, linking some of the largest cities in the southeast U.S.”

In an article titled “From Trust to Trafficking: MS Survivor Shares Story of Being an ‘Invisible’ Victim,” the Roy Howard Community Journalism Center reports, “Over the past five years, human trafficking has been reported in all 82 counties of Mississippi, according to the Bureau of Investigation.”

In recent years, there have been more than 60 human trafficking operations, over 600 law enforcement officers trained to combat trafficking, and more than 400 victims recovered in the state of Mississippi. Yet despite these significant strides, the battle continues.

Therefore, it is imperative for churches to learn how to actively participate in the fight against human trafficking. One way to do so is through education.

The importance of educating

In early February, a free government-led human trafficking summit was held in Mississippi, and various churches and other entities attended. Participants learned how to identify and report sex trafficking, heard survivor stories, engaged with individuals actively combating trafficking, and gained insights from those supporting survivors on their path to recovery. More than 20 organizations that serve, prevent, respond to, and fight against human trafficking were on-site to connect with attendees and provide guidance on how to equip their communities.

Chapin, who was a panel speaker at the event, said, “This is a big deal and a true testimony of unity in our state between the political realm and the faith-based community. Our government is recognizing that faith-based organizations can respond quickly, produce life-changing results, and that our God specializes in true healing. I’m excited … to educate ourselves and our churches, while also celebrating each organization’s strengths as we break barriers and come to the table together for one common purpose – ending sex trafficking in our state.”

She added, “Our churches are filled with doctors, nurses, law enforcement officers, teachers, store clerks, and more. [These are] people who need to recognize the signs of trafficking. Many in our pews have been affected by trafficking and may be suffering silently. We need to know how to minister to them effectively and share the gospel. We cannot continue to turn a blind eye. Our citizens need to know where to refer victims, and our churches must be prepared to handle difficult situations.”

The church’s responsibility

Chapin recalled a recent incident in which a young girl walked into a local discount store wearing mismatched shoes, tattered clothing, and had visible bruises. Unbeknownst to the clerk, the girl had just escaped a trap house – a place where young women go seeking drugs, only to be locked in by dealers and told they must pay for the drugs with their bodies.

Noticing that something was wrong, the clerk asked the girl if she was OK.

“I’m fine,” she replied.

Unsure how to handle the situation, the clerk said, “I don’t know how to help you, but I know a church that helps girls like you.”

The very next day, the girl walked into the church, approached the secretary, and said, “The girl at [the store] told me you help girls like me.”

With a smile, the secretary said, “We sure do.”

That young girl’s life was forever changed because the church was willing and prepared for battle.