A NEW cohort of Okehampton street pastors had their first night on the tiles after officially taking on their new role on Saturday night (January 19).

After taking part in the commissioning service at Okehampton Baptist Church the quartet headed out on duty to help young people out partying in town.

Three of the group, Keith Langston, Kerry Seabrook and Jonathan Schnarr, provided a non-judgemental presence on the streets while one, Joyce Phillips, is a ‘prayer pastor’, coordinated the mission back at their HQ at Fairplace Church.

In total there are 11 street pastors and five prayer pastors making up the Okehampton Street Pastors team, who go out to defuse tension and hand out flipflops, blankets and lollies (for the sugar content, to swiftly bring down alcohol in the blood) on the streets of Okehampton every other Saturday night.

For the full story, pick up the January 31 edition of the Okehampton Times.