What does a modern day abolitionist look like?
What does a modern day abolitionist look like?
A couple years ago I had my first conversation with a woman who had been trafficked.
She stumbled into modern day slavery… in my city.
Minneapolis is one of the major hotspots for sex trafficking in the country. Thousands of people are being treated as property down the street from where we live, work and worship.
A year ago God stirred the hearts of a group a people and a family on mission was birthed. Captives Free is a missional community with the mission to “love the victims of human trafficking in our city in the name of Jesus.”
They are modern day abolitionists.
This crew of people have spent the last year looking to see how God is moving to bring freedom in our city and they are joining in!
There is no road map in how to participate in loving those oppressed in this way, especially on a local front. So they began to pray and to step towards anything that seemed like God moving.
On a summer night the group walked through the streets of Northeast Minneapolis praying for God to lead them.
They split up, and before they knew it, God seemed to have led some of the group to an establishment advertised as a massage and bath house. It quickly became clear that this advertisement was false.
That evening and over the next few weeks, the group was able to collect evidence that this was a brothel and was most likely housing trafficked individuals.
Through conversations with the police and local authorities, Captives Free realized that they would need to do two things – Keep praying and advocate for a ordinance to be passed that required Minneapolis massage parlors to have a license for their business to stay opened.
There are “massage parlors” all over the country that are merely covering up for thousands of people to be forced into prostitution against their will. Some cities have made the change and it has significantly changed the level of trafficking in those areas.
The abolitionists were sure of this: This needs to happen in our city!
The group wrote letters, made calls, sent emails and finally showed up in person the day the ordinance was on the docket. In addition to Captives Free, massage businesses showed up in support of this change. They wanted to be treated as the credible businesses that they are.
There was one business that came to voice that they were NOT in favor of regulating the massage businesses in Minneapolis.
It was the very same business that God has led the group to months earlier.
The cover up brothel.
The other businesses responded sharing that any legitimate massage company would be glad to have the license to build the confidence of the clients they served.
Members of Captives Free, passionately shared when given the chance at the mic:
We represent people in this city who want to see a decrease in human trafficking in our neighborhoods. We want freedom for those oppressed by this modern day slave trade. Legitimate massage businesses are for what WE are for – healing for people on the inside and out!
The ordinance passed that day and most likely this year there will be dozens of brothels shut down as the licensure process reveals the secrets hidden in our streets.
As one member of Captives Free put it, “We are all held captive in different ways, and we all need God to bring freedom in our lives in one way or another. Good thing that’s what God does, sets the captives free!”
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
– Jesus
What else does a modern day abolitionist look like?
- Men who help create a global stigma that will decrease the rate of demand from the male population from sex trafficking
- People who support businesses that fund jobs for women coming out of sex trafficking.
- Churches that sponsor housing for women in our city who need to find a safe place when they find the courage to leave the brothel.
What else would you add to this list?
What does a modern day abolitionist look like?
A couple years ago I had my first conversation with a woman who had been trafficked.
She stumbled into modern day slavery… in my city.
Minneapolis is one of the major hotspots for sex trafficking in the country. Thousands of people are being treated as property down the street from where we live, work and worship.
A year ago God stirred the hearts of a group a people and a family on mission was birthed. Captives Free is a missional community with the mission to “love the victims of human trafficking in our city in the name of Jesus.”
They are modern day abolitionists.
This crew of people have spent the last year looking to see how God is moving to bring freedom in our city and they are joining in!
There is no road map in how to participate in loving those oppressed in this way, especially on a local front. So they began to pray and to step towards anything that seemed like God moving.
On a summer night the group walked through the streets of Northeast Minneapolis praying for God to lead them.
They split up, and before they knew it, God seemed to have led some of the group to an establishment advertised as a massage and bath house. It quickly became clear that this advertisement was false.
That evening and over the next few weeks, the group was able to collect evidence that this was a brothel and was most likely housing trafficked individuals.
Through conversations with the police and local authorities, Captives Free realized that they would need to do two things – Keep praying and advocate for a ordinance to be passed that required Minneapolis massage parlors to have a license for their business to stay opened.
There are “massage parlors” all over the country that are merely covering up for thousands of people to be forced into prostitution against their will. Some cities have made the change and it has significantly changed the level of trafficking in those areas.
The abolitionists were sure of this: This needs to happen in our city!
The group wrote letters, made calls, sent emails and finally showed up in person the day the ordinance was on the docket. In addition to Captives Free, massage businesses showed up in support of this change. They wanted to be treated as the credible businesses that they are.
There was one business that came to voice that they were NOT in favor of regulating the massage businesses in Minneapolis.
It was the very same business that God has led the group to months earlier.
The cover up brothel.
The other businesses responded sharing that any legitimate massage company would be glad to have the license to build the confidence of the clients they served.
Members of Captives Free, passionately shared when given the chance at the mic:
We represent people in this city who want to see a decrease in human trafficking in our neighborhoods. We want freedom for those oppressed by this modern day slave trade. Legitimate massage businesses are for what WE are for – healing for people on the inside and out!
The ordinance passed that day and most likely this year there will be dozens of brothels shut down as the licensure process reveals the secrets hidden in our streets.
As one member of Captives Free put it, “We are all held captive in different ways, and we all need God to bring freedom in our lives in one way or another. Good thing that’s what God does, sets the captives free!”
The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released,
that the blind will see,
that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”– Jesus
What else does a modern day abolitionist look like?
- Men who help create a global stigma that will decrease the rate of demand from the male population from sex trafficking
- People who support businesses that fund jobs for women coming out of sex trafficking.
- Churches that sponsor housing for women in our city who need to find a safe place when they find the courage to leave the brothel.