Homeless Stay Night at Drake’s Church

The scene at First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park on Saturday morning was familiar: The parking lot, as usual, was filled with homeless people who had slept in their cars or in an enclosed patio on the church grounds.

The Rev. Wiley S. Drake was spared a jail sentence Friday for allowing the homeless to live on the church property, but he was ordered by a judge either to move the group or build a structure for them that meets city codes. Drake said Saturday that, until that can be achieved, he doesn’t plan to ask anyone to leave.

“Law or no law, we are not going to kick people into the street,” Drake said. “Last night, we had 75 people who called this church a temporary home. This is the most we’ve ever had except when Buena Park asked us to house about 200 flood victims a few years ago.”

In July, a jury convicted Drake and his church of four criminal misdemeanor counts of violating building and zoning laws. He had faced up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine on each count. But the prosecution sought probation for Drake and a promise that he wouldn’t break the law again.

Orange County Municipal Judge Gregg L. Prickett sentenced Drake on Friday to 1,500 hours of community service, then declared the work already completed through Drake’s involvement with the homeless. He also waived a $100 fine.

Drake is expected to make reasonable efforts to comply with the law and was ordered by the judge to return to court Nov. 14 with a progress report. Between now and then, Drake said, he will ask the city for more vouchers so that more homeless people can stay in motels instead of the church.

He also plans to apply for a special use permit that will allow him to build a multipurpose building that could double as a shelter. And he said he wants to meet with city officials to request a waiver that would allow people to sleep legally on the church’s patio.

City officials seem inclined to let that scenario proceed. Gregory P. Palmer, Buena Park’s assistant city prosecutor, said Saturday that for now, no “drastic measures” will be taken against the church.

“They are under court order to make progress toward complying with the law,” Palmer said. “So we’ll let them make that progress.”

Many of the homeless staying outside the church expressed gratitude to Drake for his strong stand.

“We’re just grateful to God we have a place to stay and that the minister isn’t in jail,” said a 47-year-old woman who asked that her name not be used. “I know I can park my car off the street and feel safe. The minister is doing God’s work. It’s his church, and they shouldn’t harass him.”

Nora Rutherford, a 26-year-old mother of three, said: “I respect the man for putting his heart and soul into helping people. If it wasn’t for this place, I’d probably be sleeping under a bridge or in a Dumpster. I feel that this is the safest place to be at this point in time. We’ll all go to jail for the pastor ourselves.”

Others expressed the same sentiment. Jewell “Pops” Beasley--a 70-year-old double amputee--has been living out of his van in the church parking lot for the past four days and also lived there for several months last year.

“I won’t back down,” Beasley said. “If they threaten to haul [Drake] off to jail, they’ll have to take me first. He’s a good man.”