It's easy to become a facade.
Maybe especially when you're a pastor.
But I know for me...
the public persona...
you can believe that.
And the private person...
becomes something else.
And the result is always pain.
♪ Holy, holy, holy ♪
[Knocking on doors]
♪ Lord God almighty ♪
♪ Early in the-- ♪
Morning, gentlemen.
♪ Ho-- ♪
Ha ha!
♪ Holy, holy ♪
♪ Mor-- ♪ Good morning, Brandon.
♪ Lord God almighty ♪
Morning, Robert.
♪ Early in the morning ♪
♪ Our song shall rise to thee ♪
Morning, gentlemen.
♪ Holy, holy, holy, merciful and mighty ♪
♪ God is the... ♪
Morning, guys!
Good morning!
Good morning.
You awake?
Ha ha! Got coffee on.
You did ok on the floor?
Oh, man, hang in there, ok?
♪ The Lord God-- ♪
Good morning, Darren, how we doing?
Morning, morning.
♪ ...is my strength and my song ♪
♪ And he has become my salvation ♪
There's no jobs.
Indiana has an unemployment rate
for, um, like high school diploma,
no college, of, like, 26%.
Oh, wow.
Yeah, it's really bad,
and so I tried to get a job,
I tried to get a job, I couldn't.
I couldn't get a job, couldn't get a job,
and so I read an article,
said there's boatloads of work in North Dakota.
Boatloads.
My dad said, "Well, um...
"I can get some money from grandma, and I'll loan you some.
I'll get you a one-way ticket there."
You know? And it's just--
It's been trial after trial.
And I'm just at the end of my rope.
You can get a job,
but you gotta translate into housing.
And that's the-- that's the killer.
Rents have tripled and quadrupled.
People who have lived here all their lives happen to leave.
And other people who own property
just don't like the changes and they're leaving.
They're selling it.
But everything's expensive.
It's very expensive right now, you know?
So it is legal to sleep in your car in Williston,
but you can only sleep where people give you permission to sleep,
and there's not very many places that do.
Anyway, so--so you can stay for a month,
and unless there's a problem, we do ask a gift.
We don't charge this.
We're not a shelter.
This is a place for men to get jobs.
Now real quick I'm going to run through these rules, ok?
First we're at church.
If you're not going to church someplace else,
I'd like you to come to church.
I think it's only polite, ok?
I don't know what your church background is.
We might have a chance to do that,
but we do background checks here, ok?
No weapons, no fighting, no profanity.
You want to stay on my good side,
don't spill coffee on the carpet.
Drives me crazy when people spill coffee on the carpet,
because--because that becomes evidence.
"There's a man staying in the building,"
you know what I'm saying?
800 or 900 guys come through this building.
And you know it's a struggle we've got, it really is.
Did you get yours signed?
Oh, no, I haven't.
Ok. So welcome to Williston, gentlemen.
It's gonna be a trip.
What a profound thing.
That we have people literally walking up to our door
from all over the world, saying, "Can you help me?"
WOMAN: We are on our way to Williston, North Dakota,
hopefully to find jobs.
MAN: We're here in DeLand, Florida,
destination, uh, North Dakota.
DIFFERENT MAN: I got my co-pilot, Artie.
Say hi, Artie.
DIFFERENT MAN: Gonna go out there and try to find an oil-rigging job.
I spoke to a buddy of mine,
and he said he's making 6 figures out there.
I'll find a job within an hour or two, he said.
JAY REINKE: I have to respect these men
because I've asked myself, "What would I do
if I got off a bus and I had to find a job?"
And these men do it.
MAN: I don't know about going back home, but this is where it's at.
$15 an hour is minimum wage up here.
15 bucks.
You're not gonna find this nowhere in America.
People with 10 felonies is getting 100 grand a year
just 'cause you tough enough.
I really have no desire to leave sunny Arizona
to go up to the cold of North Dakota,
but I don't have a whole lot of choice.
MAN: This may be some point of hope for everybody.
DIFFERENT MAN: We've already rented out a travel trailer
because we know that space up there is limited.
I can't afford to live. Plain and simple.
JAY: It's very hard to have someone
stand in your office and say, "I have nowhere to go."
And to say, "Sorry, I can't help."
I've got floor space.
[Singing indistinctly]
REINKE: The Christian ethic is now,
who is my neighbor and how do I serve him?
People without a place to sleep.
There's a neighbor in Williston looking at how to serve him.
Not only are these men my neighbor,
but people who don't want them here are also my neighbor.
The whole overnight thing wasn't really planned.
The congregation never really did decide to do this,
and that's probably one of the chief criticisms
that I have to bear.
WOMAN: It started out with one guy about a year ago,
and it's just kind of gotten to be a lot more.
It's not something we really just talked about and said,
"Oh, yeah, why don't we do this."
It just kind of happened.
People come and they have needs, and you want to help them.
When you start getting too many people in the building,
it just--it's a little bit harder to maintain,
The organization and keep things clean and everything.
And that can be a concern for the congregation.
WOMAN: It's put a strain on our family life
because for the most part, my husband's had to be here
every night and every morning.
WOMAN: Which is kind of a bummer,
but you know, he tries to make as much time as possible
to serve everywhere he needs to serve.
ANDREA REINKE: Everybody who comes here says, "You don't know.
Everybody's talking about coming to Williston."
Hopefully at some point we'll transition back to how it used to be.
JAY: I don't know of any other parallel.
There's been boom towns,
but it hasn't had this kind of depressed economy
that's putting the pressure for people to go somewhere
the way this one is.
It's happening in a relatively small community,
so the impact of the migration, it's just evident everywhere.
Thanks very much. Ok, we'll see you.
MAN: I'm not sure if it's legal.
I don't know if you are even aware of some of this.
We're just trying to make our point why we need to do something.
This is a great example of what we're seeing
in single family residential areas.
This area here is near the baseball field.
We've got 3 campers in a backyard.
One's a motor home, the other two are pull-behinds.
That's not acceptable. That's not a safe environment.
This is a health concern. It's a safety concern.
And that is why the city needs to do something.
JAY: Tonight's city council meeting will be the first formal vote
on an RV ban.
It will mean that RVs and campers
cannot have people living in them
for more than 28 days in a year.
That scares me.
I've been in town a long time.
I hate to take the role of the antagonist,
but I think somebody needs to turn some rocks over
and say, "So what is community in this place?
What are we gonna do here?"
MAN: We asked for public input.
Pastor Reinke.
Thank you, Mayor Poser.
I would speak against the adoption of this ordinance.
I believe that Williston needs to take a step
that says the people arriving on our doorstep
are gifts to us,
and though there's a burden in receiving them as a gift,
to welcome them.
I also believe that by passing such an ordinance
we risk serving fear,
the fear of the people coming at us,
and the last thing we need to do is to serve our fear.
Ok, thank you, Pastor.
WOMAN: So our top story, the FBI says it believes
it has uncovered the body of missing teacher Sherry Arnold.
MAN: And federal and multi-state law enforcement
discovered a woman's body east of Williston, North Dakota,
some time yesterday.
The 43-year-old high school math teacher
went for a jog and never returned.
MAN: This morning investigators say the know a lot more
about the two men they believe kidnapped her.
They may driven through
the popular high school teacher's hometown
hoping to find jobs in the booming oil industry.
Arnold's disappearance is fueling tensions
between locals and the flood of out-of-towners.
This normally peaceful town is living in fear.
JAY: The Sherry Arnold case was huge,
and it made us suspicious in ways...
that I don't think we would have been.
It really does intensify the fear.
Everybody's afraid of the newcomer.
Very specifically the overnighters are not welcome in this part of our community,
and what scares me is that good men are vulnerable.
We've had people sleeping in our parking lot
for sometimes over a month.
They're waiting to come in the building.
Now, something we have to really, really be mindful of,
people, when they see the new men in town,
they wonder-- and we're a church,
this is a place where sinners should come--
but it is a very difficult PR issue,
because from a neighbor's perspective,
they could perceive us as harboring somebody
who could hurt their child.
If you feel like people regard you with a little bit of...
distance, love 'em anyway.
Keep trying to build a community here,
try and be part of the community.
MAN: "By the embrace of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ,
"Concordia Lutheran Church would like to welcome you.
"While we open our doors to you,
"there are some very important ground rules that must be followed.
"This building is the house of our Lord
and must be respected at all times."
Absolutely.
I ask that you try to field
anything you can through me first
and try to tie up as little of the pastor's time
as you can.
He still has a congregation in the church
and a lot of stuff on his plate
that he still does.
When I came here, I had a closed heart.
I wasn't gonna let anybody close to me.
And ever since coming here and listening to the pastor,
I mean, it's just I got ripped away.
That's awesome.
I've turned down two $28 an hour jobs.
What?
Just to stay here and help.
Now we do have a lady here that does back ground checks.
Mm-hmm. I mean, I've never done anything bad,
but there's a couple of things on there.
I have. I've done a lot of bad stuff,
and so it's all good.
ALAN MEZO, VOICE-OVER: I've overcome a lot of things
in my past.
I was a drunk and a drug addict,
and you know, I lived a bad life.
I spent 16 years of my life in prison.
I just didn't care.
And today I do.
WOMAN: Jeremy, were you here last night?
MAN: No. Ok.
And you are?
MEZO: The pastor says he trusts my judgment,
and if I make a decision, he'll run with it.
And that's comforting.
This is probably the safest place in Williston to be right now.
To be out looking for work and have your heads down.
But anytime you're here, you're safe
and like to keep it that way.
That's how we're going to be able to continue doing this.
It really meant a lot to come to a place
that felt like I was welcome.
I mean, this is the only place that I came
where I was like, "This is a home.
"These are good people here.
I like being..." you know.
And that meant a lot to me.
And if it wasn't for this place,
we'd pretty much be lost.
♪ As long as life endures ♪
♪ Through many dangers, toils, and snares ♪
♪ I have already come ♪
♪ His grace has brought me safe thus far ♪
♪ His grace will lead me home ♪
WOMAN: In church, a lot of times I feel really angry
when I look around and see these guys,
and I feel upset when I walk in and my church is messy
and it smells bad and there's sand on the pews,
and they seem disrespectful in church.
Their cell phones are going off,
and their--sometimes they're talking
and they're walking in and out,
and they don't seem to understand what we're doing
you know, and they don't respect it.
And I get that, but I understand that's not being very Christian
and all those kinds of things, but those are real feelings.
I don't see that that much truthfully.
And I think sometimes the guys stand around Sunday morning,
and they're not sure what to do.
Do they sit here?
Do they--You know, what's the appropriate place to be?
So they feel a little bit awkward,
'cause they realize they're in someone else's domain.
If you can't get a job here in the oil patch,
and you know, within the first 48 hours,
72 hours, you're probably not going to get a job there.
So then you're going to be working McDonald's, Hardee's,
whatever.
So we're just going to contribute
to that layer in the community
that doesn't need to be contributed to.
Shelly, I--
That's a huge concern of mine.
Part of my burden is
I do know some of these families,
and I've talked to some of the wives,
and they are so grateful.
How long do we intend to support them here
is my question.
Because they have no intention
of building anything here.
And so these people come and they rape, pillage, and burn,
and then they leave.
It's heartbreaking to me
to see my plains, my prairies destroyed,
The wildlife destroyed, our water destroyed.
This is not... my home anymore, you know?
It's very difficult.
[Indistinct chatter]
MAN: I figured it was time for someone in my family
to be successful,
not just another person in a little, small town
barely making it.
And I wanted to get somewhere quick
and be able to start a good life for my family.
DIFFERENT MAN: Oil mud is what's in the pipes
that we clean them out,
and solvent is what we use to clean off the pipe filth
and oil mud.
Really, really dirty work.
The solvent just kind of gets to your skin after a while,
but they keep telling us
that it's gonna stop bothering us after a while.
Bad things happen out here.
And that's one nice thing about this place,
gonna have people like Pastor Reinke
where gives you either a place to stay or food or whatever.
I mean, he's not just gonna let you hang out to dry.
He'll take you as you are.
[Indistinct chatter]
MAN: I'm a journeyman electrician,
and I don't know.
I thought I could come out here, and if I worked hard
and I was a hard worker and I knew what I was doing,
that I'd get a job pretty easy.
You know, but I'm seeing now that it's not that easy.
Hey, Mr. Eddie Clark, my name is Michael Batten.
I want to talk to you.
If you get time, you think you could give me a call?
My number is 912-850-3923.
And I got your message about the resume,
and I'm going to try to get one together tonight
to fax to you.
Thank you .
JAY, VOICE-OVER: There are guys that come,
and I hate to use the word "failed,"
but they've not succeeded as they'd hoped.
And coming to Williston represents an opportunity
to try something again on a new playing field
with new opportunities.
MAN: This is my resume, ok?
You can see the format that I have laid out.
MICHAEL BATTEN: I like that.
So I'll kind of use mine as a template.
Ok, good.
And we'll copy your information into there.
I've been listing the church as my home address.
They're not gonna hire you
if you appear to be out of state.
Ok.
You got to have a Williston address.
BATTEN: That's my little 2-year-old.
Her name's Kileigh and Taylor,
and my wife's name is Candace.
My wife, she thinks I'm at a church, but I'm homeless.
I think it embarrasses her a little bit.
I don't blame her.
I mean, she's got a little pride in her.
And all my pride's gone.
My pride's been gone a long time.
I wish I ain't got to tell her I ain't got a job yet.
Just tell her to hold on.
But I can tell in her voice, she's about ready to give up.
KEEGAN EDWARDS: Eh?
[Baby coos]
Ah ha!
Huh.
I love you, buddy.
Ok.
You being good for mom?
I don't know if there's any baby stores out here
to buy stuff, but...
Oh.
WOMAN: Hold on.
Uh, he smells.
So do something.
[Indistinct]
Ha ha! Ok.
Hand him over.
[Indistinct chatter, guitar playing]
Yeah, sometimes-- Twice he does that.
He know what...
Yeah, and you see...
EDWARDS: My girlfriend and my kid are coming out here.
And her parents are bringing us a camper
so that we can have our own place.
Hopefully there's a site.
They got little swings for your kid.
Cool.
So is there anyplace available right now?
WOMAN: No, I'm full.
I don't do a waiting list.
You can always check back.
Just check with me, you know, frequently and see,
but I just don't have anything right now.
Ok.
And I have nowhere to even suggest that you go
it's so full right now everywhere in Williston,
so...
Ok.
They're not coming until the beginning of June,
so still got a couple weeks.
GIRL: Really?
3?
Do it again!
WOMAN: Hello, dear.
That's ok.
Hey, I just wanted to let you know
the article about the RV ban,
the church is mentioned in the paper today.
I don't know. Who do you go to?
It's the same guy.
It does amaze me that giving people floor space
is provocative.
Quite frankly, I don't trust how the "Herald" does stories.
Its editorial decision has inflamed the fear
in this community.
To be afraid of men walking into your neighborhood,
that's reasonable to a point.
There is an uptick in crime.
But if we could only find a way
to let people meet the overnighters,
it would change us.
Fear of the unknown would be gone,
and we would become a community.
Hello.
WOMAN: Hi.
I'm Pastor Reinke from next door.
Hi. Hi. Ha ha!
How are you?
I'm doing well.
I'm here with an invitation.
Ok.
You know we got guys staying at the church.
Yes.
But we'd like to just invite neighbors
to just sort of see the guys.
It's not a meeting about--
But it's an invitation just to pray
and read scripture and sing some hymns.
Hello! Hi.
I'm Pastor Reinke from next door.
Yes. Ok.
Hey, I have an invitation.
[Man, indistinct]
Yes, yes, yes.
Well, why do you got all them trash over there?
Well, um...
No, don't explain.
Don't distract it.
Ok.
Everybody says they're homeless.
Homeless my ass.
They're making big money.
Actually some of these people aren't,
and I had one gentleman in the parking lot just last week
who just lost his home in South Carolina.
That's his problem.
It is his problem,
and I'm trying to help him is all.
So...ok, ok. Thanks.
Thank you.
Good night. God bless.
Here's a gentlemen just called them trash.
Not to judge people by appearances,
a man with no teeth, living with his daughter,
calling other people who have needs trash.
MAN: Pastor Reinke!
How we doing?
I have to admit, sometimes I do have some concerns.
My college kids are home for the summer,
and so I have a 20-year-old daughter,
so my anxiety levels go up.
JAY: We're not quite sure,
but we're looking at possibly asking people
to stay out of the parking lot until 8:00 at night.
Ok.
I think that would give some comfort to, um...
to the neighbors.
Yes.
The one other thing is
we are going to call a moratorium
on people that have Kiss seat covers.
If you're going to have that,
I think you need to find another church.
Well, you wouldn't want to see me
dressed up as Gene Simmons.
I wouldn't.
Believe me, that would be the end of it.
We wouldn't do that.
And my other suggestion,
I say this all the time.
Cut the hair. I'm serious.
I am serious. Very serious.
That's not a requirement, but I got to tell you,
appearance means something.
Did Jesus have short hair?
Jesus doesn't have our neighbors.
I cannot promise you a place in the building, I'm sorry.
The fact is, you have a vehicle.
Many people don't even have that.
[Indistinct]
They don't have a car.
And I did let--
I got Jamie in that car and her--John, the guy--
I let him back in the building.
Ok. Ok. Write it down somewhere,
or I'll forget about it, ok?
I'll do it.
All right, ok. Ok, thanks.
Good night. God bless.
Come on, go black!
Aw!
Come on, dogfish!
[Engine revs]
Woo!
Ha ha! Ha ha!
Just cut the line and let him go.
No, just cut...
Cut--cut--
Do you want to wander around with a hook in your face?
No, other side of it, man.
Oh.
Fly away, buddy.
All right.
That lady said that you put bi--
She said you put bread on a string
to catch a bird?
Dude, I used to do this shit in school all the time.
Yeah?
Really?
MAN: There's too much anger in this town.
There's too much fear.
I mean, this is the epitome of greed right here,
and that's why I want to leave.
It's not kind to outsiders,
I can see the reaction of people.
They look at me like I'm an illegal alien.
I think Williston could be
one of the best things to ever happen to you.
I do.
Uh...
Don't give up.
I think I'm beyond redemption.
I don't think reading a few bible verses
and hanging out with some people in church
is gonna change all that.
But that's just me.
No, you know what? Do you know what?
What, someone's gonna adopt me and say,
"Paul, we're gonna graft you in here,
you're like my family"?
I don't think that's gonna happen.
I think this is fantasyland.
I live in reality, in the real world.
What about people just loving you?
When is that gonna happen?
I'm in my 40s now.
When's that gonna happen?
I know this sounds so hokey.
But I want to love you. I love you.
But what is here for me?
I am. Opportunity? Employment?
I know. I am.
You can come and have a meal with my family.
I don't think your wife likes me, by the way.
What?
I sense it.
I don't think you should have me over to your home.
You might want to talk to your wife--
Why not? Of course I want--
We always have people over at our home.
You have to think about your family first.
You're a family guy.
Hi.
Hi. Who would I speak to about an application
for a truck driver?
You are a driver?
Yes.
How many years experience?
About 8.
Ok.
I want to see if they have "Been convicted of any felonies"
on their application...
that I've seen so far.
MAN: It's definitely a place for a second chance.
I was at the Wal-Mart parking lot,
then the people from Wal-Mart
didn't want anybody staying in their parking lot anymore.
Then I heard people saying
that they were starting to stay in a church parking lot.
Some issues came up her at the church,
and then he told me that, you know,
I'd have to stay out in the parking lot.
He wanted me to come meet his family
and that I was welcome to stay with them as long as I wanted to.
So what do you want to do?
Do you want to come over now, do you think?
Yeah, let's go over now.
I don't really know the pastor personally that well.
He really doesn't know me that well, but...
there's a bond there,
and there's a lot of trust there,
and I guess maybe it's on a different level.
He told me that, you know,
he thinks that our two lives came
and we crossed this path together for a reason.
Hi, dear. Keith is here.
I'm thinking it would be good--
How about if we brought him over here
in about 10, 15 minutes?
Would that be ok?
I think now would be better, ok?
Do you eat tuna sandwiches?
Yeah.
He eats tuna sandwiches.
Oh, give thanks unto the Lord
for He is good.
Amen.
And thank you for good company.
All right.
KEITH GRAVES: So, um, how do you guys feel about
people coming and staying in your guys' home?
When I met him,
he had an 18-year-old Native American guy
living in his basement.
I forgot about that. Hmm.
BOY: I think it's a good thing.
It's nice to meet people.
I think it's good. I like it. I enjoy it.
Well, I appreciate you guys giving me the opportunity
to stay with you guys.
I really appreciate it.
You bet.
This is the family room, ok?
That's Eric's room.
This is the laundry room.
There's the bathroom.
Anyway, so this is it.
What made you decide to...
let me come into your home
and let me stay with you and your family?
The first thing I had to do
was, quite frankly,
I was afraid the paper was gonna come after the church.
So I had to get you out of the parking lot.
I think you bear... the burden
of others' injustices,
but you're not bitter about it.
And that impressed me.
I just thought this would work.
Well, let's go in. Ok?
Ok.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: A sin or a crime,
while it's real and it is a part of one's record,
I would submit ought not be the definition of one's life.
I'm not gonna put my children at risk,
and I do not believe that I have.
Just for now. Huh.
We're not talking about Keith.
Uh-uh.
I was gonna call the elders.
I decided not to do that because...
I don't think I need-- I shouldn't--
No.
I don't think I should tell them yet.
No, I think that should just be kept at home...
Well... separate from the rest.
the problem is if the paper blows it up,
that's gonna be the problem.
But then I guess I'll have to deal with it.
And then I'll explain why I didn't say anything.
But I don't think I'd do him a favor
if I tell all the elders.
I don't think it's right to him.
It's not, but you honestly got to
kind of look at where your priorities are, too.
Well, that's it. My first priority is to--
my obligation as a pastor, but I've got to be careful.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: You really have to struggle with,
what are my motives here?
I know, I'm...
Maybe this is just more self-serving
than what I realize.
Maybe it's as simple as I don't say no very well,
and so it's easier to say yes and live with the consequences.
ENGEL: Well, over in my makeshift abode,
I was staying at pastor's house.
He begged me to stay with him, which I didn't want to.
And then after 4 days, he threw me out.
He was turning it into, "I'm throwing you out
because you don't listen to my authority" kind of bullshit,
but he told me the night before
that he wanted to move in a sex offender,
and that's what it was really about.
So I confronted him on that.
I said, "You know, you're making it about me,
"throwing me out for this bullshit reason,
"but it's really 'cause you want to get
"the sex offender in your house
"'cause you're getting heat from the church where you are,
"and you're getting heat from the media,
and you have to move in here," and he admitted that.
The hypocrisy of the situation gets me a little upset,
that someone's gonna tell me they love me
and then throw my bags out in the street.
I don't know, is that being true to yourself?
He told me that he didn't like my character.
I mean, one thing about me, I may be miserable,
but I'm not living a lie, you know what I mean?
I'm not completely selfish or self-centered like Keith, though,
but I am pretty vindictive.
I told him that,
"How would you like me to go knock on every door in your town,"
which I haven't done, "and tell 'em you have
a registered sex offender in your house?"
And I said, "How would you like me to go to the media?"
I'll give him a scripture verse.
You sew the wind, you reap the whirlwind.
Add you're gonna reap the whirlwind.
[Piano playing]
JAY: I'm kind of a one-trick pony
when it comes into reading scripture,
but there's certain passages that I just kind of go to.
This is from "John," chapter 10.
"I am the good shepherd.
"The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.
"I am a good shepherd, and I know my own and my own know me
"even as the Father knows me and I know the Father,
"and I lay down my life for the sheep.
"My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me.
"I give eternal life to them and they shall never perish,
and no one shall snatch them out of my hand."
That's how we do it.
They're starting at $15 an hour here,
and then they said after I've been here about 3 months,
they'll give me a raise.
I went through being really depressed, you know,
'cause I'd been here for about a month and didn't have a job.
Just being really happy.
Mama's happy, too, my wife's happy, too.
She was, like, sending me pictures of the clothes she had bought, you know,
and stuff she bought for the baby that's coming.
She put a baby bed on layaway, you know,
I could tell she was happy,
and that makes you feel good, you know,
that she's getting the things she wants.
Hell, this is what I love, too.
That's what makes it so good.
I'm doing what I love to do.
I would have done anything,
but I'm getting to do what I love.
It ain't much to look at, but it's home.
I'm glad to be out of the church.
I love you, baby.
I miss you.
Dear heavenly Father, we thank you and praise you
for bringing us to Williston and for giving us employment
and providing us with food.
We praise you in the name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.
Amen. Amen.
We've sure been blessed.
And so we got pork chops.
This is where I do most of my thinking, too.
I get to bed early.
I lay here and think about really how good things are going right now,
making money.
Think about it, inspector.
What's up? Thank you.
Yeah, that's a little bit better.
The thing is is for the most part,
it's gonna be your call
'cause if it looks bad,
if you think it's bad and it's gonna fuck something up...
All right.
Tear it up. It's all you.
All right. Enjoy yourself.
Oh, yeah. Ha ha.
My boss got a promotion, so he's gonna be moving up,
and the inspector at Patterson is moving up,
and they're gonna make me an inspector.
Ha!
They said that it was between me and another guy,
and I just kind of had more what they were looking for, I guess,
and they were saying they were gonna hire another guy
and have him be my hand.
So I'm gonna have a guy, I mean, like,
I don't want to say underneath me,
but pretty much.
It's--Yeah, it's--
I was just...so...
Yeah.
Yeah, I just figured I'd call dad
and I thought I'd let him know 'cause...
I was...I was real excited.
Ok, right hand here. Here's how it goes.
♪ You put your right hand in, you put your right hand out ♪
♪ You put your right hand in and you shake it all about ♪
♪ You do the hokey-pokey and you turn yourself around ♪
♪ That's what it's all about ♪
We were wondering if we could just stay in here for tonight.
We can't have you sleeping in the room with all the guys, ok?
The women right now are in our library area.
I can sleep ok in the car,
but I'm just worried about her and my baby.
Something's not quite making sense, I have to tell you,
but his name is Brett, he's 18 years old.
He just walked into the church here a little while--
Well, actually this afternoon.
I let him nap.
And now he says he has a concussion.
Ok, I'll be there. I'll bring him shortly, ok.
Thank you. Bye-bye.
That's why I'm not in Phoenix, sir.
That's why I'm not in Phoenix.
'Cause I know some things are getting ready
to hit the fan.
Whether people think so or not, you know?
I'm just telling you the truth.
I know what it's like to walk in holiness and obedience
and walk in power and authority,
but I ain't doing that right now,
and I'd like to get back to that spot,
just get back on the word
and get away from the drugs and alcohol.
And my ex-wife, after we got divorced,
was really into meth.
She called me. "Can you come rescue me?"
I went and got her, and the Holy Spirit
told me, "Don't--" We weren't even married.
She says, "Don't have sex with her," right?
"Don't even--" you know.
I went and got 'em, got her into a program,
I did have sex with her.
Actually she came onto me so--
Well, I won't get into all that, but I did, ok?
And after I had sex with her,
man, the Holy Spirit told me--
I picked up all these spirits of all these guys
that she was having sex with, man.
It says right there in "Proverbs" and "Psalms,"
or "Proverbs" talks about that, you know?
I picked up all these spirits,
and all of a sudden I got back to Phoenix,
and I knew where to get drugs 24 hours a day
'cause I had problems with other drugs, ok?
But, yeah, I'm kinda messed up right now, you know?
And yeah, I haven't been living like I should.
I haven't been walking the spirit like--
I've been walking in the flesh.
I've been feeling the lust of the flesh.
Yeah, I don't have the joy and the peace
and all that stuff that I walked in for years,
because of the sin of my life, I know that,
but I know the Lord's still with me.
I know that he wants me to repent.
He still speaks to me, all right?
So, you know, I'm in God's hands.
I am. I am.
[Cell phone rings]
Well, she's come up with quite a bit of stuff here.
Alcohol, drug issues, aggravated assault charge in '02,
plea bargain in 2010, disorderly conduct,
DUI '04, aggravated assault.
Oh, I didn't tell you.
I didn't tell you who my father was.
My mother was raped.
That's how I came into this world,
and that kind of screwed my head up, too,
after I met her.
She was raped.
That's why I was adopted when I was 2 weeks old.
I really do want to get right with God.
It's just hard.
It's hard.
I'm...
Do you know something? Can I tell you something?
What?
You and I are a whole lot more alike than we are different.
Really?
I'm broken. We're broken.
We're just broken.
We're in this together.
JAY: It's a very broken world.
Everybody's broken.
The hard part is that nobody's good at loving,
but we have to do it anyway.
You know, broken people need love.
Last winter the more the feeling was
it gave people a warm place to sleep.
Spring came, I think we thought
no one was gonna stay here again.
And it just continued.
WOMAN: When we came, it was small.
There was maybe 10-15 people here.
And so I mean it's really grown,
and it's gotten, I personally feel, a little out of hand.
And it needs to get a little more control over it.
Glen, you had a question?
I do have a technical question.
I did go down to the city about this.
What are you talking about?
For--for the city.
To use the church for the program
that we are using it for.
Oh, oh, ok.
We may be breaking local ordinances by doing it.
We're supposed to follow the rules.
JAY: Alan did bring in the fire chief,
and his estimation was that we wouldn't need sprinklers,
but I just think it's helpful--
and I realize that's not official,
but that was helpful to hear, I think.
I'm saying that we have to ask permission in the city
to actually get a special permitted use.
JAY: But I've got to tell you, folks,
I don't want to suppress the discussion about
what are the problems here, what are the risks here?
They are there.
But I think they're doable, they're manageable.
It's messy, but that doesn't mean it's a mistake.
I would say it means it's ministry,
and it's really worth, I believe, the effort.
I really do.
Thank you.
Uh, does anybody have a blowtorch?
Someone does? Can you get it?
Ha.
MEZO: What?
Ha.
So how old are you?
[Baby talk]
What's that? How old?
EDWARDS: 11 months.
Oh, 11 months old?
EDWARDS: Hey, Pastor.
Hey, Keegan, how you doing?
Good to see you.
Hey.
Who's been cutting your hair these days?
I'll tell you what.
Yeah.
Hey. How are you?
I'm gonna scare him.
How you doing?
I'm Pastor Reinke. What's your name?
How we doing?
What's your name?
Can you say Darren?
Darren? Hi, Darren. How are you?
Ok, and you are?
I'm Sabrina.
Sabrina. Ok, good to have you with us, Sabrina, ok.
So did you guys just get to Williston?
When did you get here?
On Wednesday?
Ok, ok. Where are you guys--
Where are you guys staying?
We're, uh, you ever heard of Wheelock?
Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
We got our camper set up out there.
Got a bunch of hook-ups and all that.
Oh, they do? How is that for you?
[Pages turning]
[Strumming guitar]
That was absolutely terrible.
There we go.
[Singing indistinctly]
♪ Streets are falling down ♪
[Singing continues indistinctly]
♪ Streets are falling down ♪
♪ Falling down, streets are falling down ♪
♪ Streets are falling down ♪
Yeah.
MAN: Go, get through there!
JAY, VOICE-OVER: There are times when my time that is committed to my family
is not given to my family.
I'm not as involved with my wife or my children as I need to be
somewhat regularly
because I'm preoccupied with what's going on here.
And I have to address that...
for my own sake as well as for their sake.
Argh!
Congratulations.
Good job.
Ok, catch you later.
Bye.
See you, guys.
Not there.
MAN: Out-- Out in the back.
Ok, I'll look. Ok, thanks.
You wouldn't know Todd, would you?
MAN: Huh?
Todd, who's been at the church the last couple of nights?
Yeah.
Have you seen him? No.
Todd!
Oh.
Where have you been?
What's up?
Do you know what I did?
Had a few more beers.
I checked these bars.
I did something I've never done before.
I went in two strip clubs looking for you.
You came looking for me?
Yeah.
Oh, thank you so much.
I mean, God, that--
No, that's fine. I just was worried.
Oh, crap, who's all these people getting off the bus?
Lord, please don't have them call me.
He's got the ticket.
MAN: Take any seat?
Yeah, anywhere.
You're killing me, man,
because I've never had a pastor
that took as much interest in me.
I've only known you a couple, few days.
Ok. Thank you, man. Take care.
Thank you. God bless
That is often what it is as a pastor.
You can be intensely involved in people's lives,
very profoundly.
And over time and circumstance,
either they just depart or actually at times
they turn against you.
JAY: Tonight it's the final reading and the final vote on an RV ban.
I can't imagine that the city could actually say to people,
"You can't sleep in someone's parking lot
if they give you permission to be there."
Basically what I've done is
I've come to say good-bye to the city
if this law passes.
We're in a church driveway right now.
I donate to my church to offset the utilities that I use.
I don't abuse anybody.
I don't dump my waste.
I don't try to do anything.
I would have liked to have seen the possibility
that the city could have found a way to charge us
a weekly fee or a monthly fee, you know,
until rates came down to a reasonable amount,
but my suspicion is what we're gonna see
is you're gonna see people like me,
we're going to be leaving.
We are not in a position
where we have a public hearing on this tonight,
not looking to do that.
End of discussion.
Pastor Reinke,
well, you haven't answered a single question
about the several sex offenders
who have lived in your parking lot.
You knew about this.
You've invited this person into your home
from what I understand.
You have daughters.
Is that true or not?
Tell me it's not true.
Just say it's not true
and you will never hear from me again.
Pastor Reinke, were there sex offenders...
up until I started asking you about it
living in your parking lot?
Just a second. Let me make sure.
Let me think.
Pastor Reinke, I'm asking you
a straight-forward question.
Excuse me just a second.
Ok, ok, so there were two living there for several months.
If you didn't know, then that's fine.
I would understand that.
You need to tell me, like, "I didn't know."
That doesn't seem to be the case, Pastor.
It seems to be that you were fully aware
that you had two sex offenders living in your parking lot
in a neighborhood with families, with children,
and you did nothing.
JAY: Now he's gonna come after him in our home.
He knows that he's in our home.
[Scoffs]
I'm glad to give him a place in my home.
But what he's gonna do is by making this a public issue,
he's gonna make the church question me.
[Train whistle blows]
He's not gonna let it go.
That reporter...
could mean the end of my ministry in Williston.
That's what it could mean.
Could mean the end of everything.
You ok?
He knows everything.
He knows he's living here?
Yes.
I mean, this could be,
"Pastor, you're just not competent anymore."
We'd had a family discussion about it.
We've talked about.
We know the story of the guy.
We're very comfor--
I'm comfortable with him staying in our home.
Absolutely.
JAY: Oh, God, please where we are tempted to despair,
give us hope.
Thank you for giving us a family
that is able to share love.
Amen.
I thought he was gonna let it go,
but he's gonna write a story, ok?
If it hits the paper, the neighbors will know.
If this goes the way that you're talking about,
I'm not gonna be able to work anymore.
I'm gonna have to find--
You know, just a second. Hold on.
I want you to stay here.
I think let's do this together.
That would be my hope.
What does your wife think about all this?
What do you feel is the best situation
for your family, the church, your husband?
The concerns I did have
was the neighbors and the church
because people who don't know your story...
uh, can't empathize.
JAY: And most people,
when they hear "registered sex offender,"
they think of some-- a molester and a rapist.
I mean, they just go on and on.
And they don't realize, you know,
and 18-year-old guy sleeping with a 16-year-old girl,
his girlfriend, and that's a different kind of a...
but they understand there's differences.
I'm concerned about
the members of our church, um...
ah...
calling into question my husband's...
dealings with the guys.
JAY: Judgment.
Judgment.
What's the whole--
Let me ask you this question.
What's the whole purpose of the church
and what's the whole church doctrine?
Save sinners, forgiveness of sins,
life and salvation.
That's the bottom line.
...Christ.
And then love people.
...died for their sins.
The things that you guys are saying
that may be a problem for the church
or that the church is concerned about
is something that the church
is probably supposed to be doing anyway.
The problem is
we're working with sinners,
and some people are fearful.
JAY: Well, ok, here's what I'm asking.
Why don't we, just before we take any action,
let's talk face to face.
At one point at the previous meeting,
you were not upset about this.
You suggested we get showers for the men.
Um, this isn't...
Anyway, um...
Yeah, yeah.
We add new people.
But it's hard to take off
the people that aren't there anymore.
They left.
Well, thanks for your invitation
for me to come and talk with you.
My presence here tonight is to just to kind of
hear what you might have to say to me
about what's going on in your community
and in your congregation
and to help me think if there are ways
that we as the district might plug in
to help you in some way or another.
WOMAN: I think the biggest problem we have right now
is we've lost many people from this congregation.
Uh-huh.
And I miss them.
I think when relationships are put under stress
by those kinds of pressures, lots of things happen.
Does that create a certain amount of resentment?
Yes.
Yeah.
Do you think the people of this congregation
feel like they are being invaded?
MAN: Mm-hmm. I'd say yes.
There for a while I didn't feel safe
coming into the building.
Is there any sense of optimism?
Is it going to get better?
Or are you still in a-- Oh, ooh.
I see heads going already.
It's not getting better.
MAN: It's kind of a twist in the church right now.
You can make all the positive things you want
about helping people and doing that,
but when we're losing your people coming to church,
are we gonna have enough people left here
to take care of this place?
The meeting that we approved
that we would carry the overnighters,
we had 7 new members--
MAN: Yeah, I know--
There was a large manipulation that went on,
very large manipulation,
and I haven't seen any of those people since then.
Maybe we're just being used.
TERRY FORKE: Please pray for strength to love each other
because you are under extreme pressure,
and if you depend on your own abilities,
you're gonna nose-dive.
You need to love each other
and be able to speak to each other.
Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,
thy kingdom come, thy will be done
on Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
for Thine is the kingdom for ever and ever.
Amen.
JAY: Hi.
How are you doing today?
I'm ok.
Simon Jones is my name.
Ok. I'm from Mississippi,
and I come up here
to see about some work.
Check out job service.
I plan to do that in the morning.
If I can't get in the oil field,
then I'll just head back East.
Well, um, I'm not trying to write you out of the oil field,
but I will tell you, age is not gonna be in your favor.
Older guys don't get hired nearly as quickly.
Let me give you the name of a place in Watford City.
They're looking for roustabouts.
At the very least it will be worth a call.
Hmm.
Thank you.
I'm sorry I can't give you more.
That's enough.
You know, it's just all the phone calls
and the interruptions and guys who want help
and just calling all day.
So...
Some days I think if it were over with,
it would be better,
but I also realize that, um...
the people are gonna still keep coming.
They're not gonna stop.
And as long as there's people coming,
they're gonna be asking for help.
And it's hard to say no.
This is one of the hardest things we've ever had to do...
and I'll be glad when it's done.
Oh, man. Oh, man.
Oh, my word.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: It's damage control.
Keith is on this list,
And by putting our church here as the address...
I can tell you every neighbor is nervous tonight.
Most merciful God we ask your blessing
upon the men whose names appear on the sex offender list.
Some of those crimes are brutal.
We ask, O Lord, that you would help them to know
that they are not just what that label says they are.
When we discovered them,
they had that...
Obviously that raises a concern.
Pray for the children that have suffered
and been abused.
Pray for the women who were not treated with respect.
Please let your word comfort and guide them.
WOMAN: No. No, no.
Ok, well, ok. It's ok.
Ok, but just, you know, ma'am--
That's fine, but I don't want any part
of any more of all the rigmarole. No.
[Door closes]
JAY: I'm kind of sympathetic with somebody
who just can't defend themselves.
They're carrying burdens.
Everybody is bearing a burden.
[Train whistle blows]
It's just me, it's not my girlfriend or my kid anymore,
so...
She really wasn't liking it out here.
I mean...
I wouldn't like the situation she was in either.
She was cooped up all day in a camper
watching my son.
I definitely understand why it was hard on her.
That's just the little things that come, man.
She's been out here twice.
Twice? Yeah.
She try looking for work?
Nah, she, uh,
she's wanting to get a job back home,
but it's a lot easier to get a job back home
'cause she had my mom to watch my son
and her mom.
I mean, they all watch him for nothing,
like they don't ask no money or like that.
She needs to be here, man.
Waitresses are getting paid 16 bucks an hour plus tips.
You know what I mean?
This is the best place to be, man.
Oh, yeah.
Really. Well, I mean, you got to have
certain tools to survive,
especially right now through the winter, bro.
Well, I ain't ditching this place.
What else is there, man, really?
I think he just needs to go see his girl,
and then he'll be all right.
'Cause it's rough out here with no--
when you don't have a female companion
to help you keep your level ground, you know?
When all you see is males, males, males, males
hungry for money.
Mm-hmm.
Yeah, he'll be back.
I'm hoping that I can spend
enough time with my family
and just kind of see 'em all and whatnot
and come back with a vengeance.
You know what you got to do.
BATTEN, VOICE-OVER: My wife hasn't talked to me in about a week.
She said I've abandoned her.
I don't know what's going on.
She don't answer my calls.
She's the type of person, she can't be alone.
And I've left her alone.
You know what they say,
if you don't give them attention, somebody else will.
I came out here with a lot of hope.
I mean a lot of hope.
Kind of felt like it was going good
just until this last week.
I mean, if I go home, I might have a chance
to get my family back.
If I don't, I got no chance.
No matter how much money I make out here.
And then when I go home, what's gonna be there?
Same ol' nothin'.
At least out here I can hold my head up
and know I'm working and trying.
At home, just another bum.
Coming home, baby.
Daddy's coming home.
I wonder how many guys like me has come out here
and they're in the same boat.
They're losing their families.
It's ironic that I came out here to save my family,
and it's probably gonna cost me my family.
JAY: I would still ask you to consider
that rather than printing all the name,
these are the reasons why a list we print
would be maybe less helpful than we'd like it to be.
We can't distinguish between the levels. Right.
It just creates a strong emotional reaction.
Boom, here's a sex offender list.
So a just quick transfer of hostility and emotion.
See, I don't think it's fair
to write every name,
but you know, our choice
was either we run nothing
or we run 'em all.
And what we decided is
the public's right to know outweighed
the risk that people that aren't dangerous
might get harmed by it.
Because, you know, I have 4 little kids.
My right to know if my kids are in danger
in my own neighborhood
to me is more important than anything else.
So you can't drive a truck because
that would put you in contact with the public.
Certain people...
[Indistinct]
JAY: I'm glad to have Keith in my home,
I really am.
And I trust him and I realize you're in a difficult spot.
When we ran his background check,
you know, routinely we only go back 7 years,
so we obviously didn't catch this thing.
Otherwise he probably never would have been hired.
Why would we bother with the hassle?
I have to justify to the other 47 employees
that I have here that we're doing everything that we can.
We're not putting anybody in harm's way.
I want to be your advocate, ok?
But your pattern of withholding information
does not serve you and it does not serve others well.
You think you're protecting yourself,
and what it does is... is it heightens the risk.
Now, it is true.
I think had you put on your application your conviction,
you might not have gotten hired.
I think that's true. That's a risk you have to take.
And I think you think you're protected
when you say less,
and I think that puts you at greater risk
and it puts other people at risk.
You need to share more, not less.
Yeah, I'm thinking about how you think certain things should go.
No. What I'm saying is
you don't approach people honestly,
and you can dismiss that as my opinion,
or you can say, "You know what?
Maybe I'm not being honest with people."
Maybe not.
Well, then rather than just dismissing that as an opinion,
consider it as maybe valuable information.
You ain't the one that's gonna deal with the consequences from it.
You know what?
You know who's going to have more consequences here?
I am, not you.
How do you figure that?
Because I'm the one in the community,
I'm the one in the neighborhood,
I'm the one who's taking the risk here.
And you're talking about your risks, ok?
Yeah, 'cause I might be the one sitting in jail, not you.
You're not gonna be in jail.
You don't know that.
You can't say that this,
your next door neighbor, may tell her daughter,
"Hey, you know what? Did the guy look at you?"
And you're telling me that you know that she wouldn't do that.
You don't know that, do you?
And if that did happen,
you go to them, you just say, "I'm sorry."
But I'm the one that in this situation
having to explain how this happened.
And I don't want to be in that position.
I am really tired...
of your withholding information,
and I'm responsible to withhold it with you.
You are binding my conscience,
and sometimes that doesn't serve people,
and it doesn't serve my family.
And I'm going to tell you real quickly
two things that you could do
that would really help me.
One, give me permission to share it.
It is public information, Keith.
It's public.
You do what you want to.
No, no, no. That's not what I'm asking.
That's not what I'm asking.
Why you getting all animated?
Because I'm frustrated.
Why you making a scene?
This right here, your attitude,
the way you're displaying your behavior,
is unnecessary.
You don't have to become hostile.
Ok. How about emotional and a little angry?
Well, maybe you need time to cool off and think about it.
Maybe-- Just a second.
I'm finished talking.
MEZO: Got pulled over for driving with no license.
And as he ran my name and everything,
found out I was a registered sex offender
from something back in '86.
I'm not like a sexual predator or anything like that,
you know.
To be honest with you,
I don't regret not registering right away.
If I'd have done that, I wouldn't have been here.
I wouldn't know any of you.
You know, you guys would have had to turn me away.
When I was here helping you
with keys in my pocket, access in and out,
you leaving, I'm in charge of the overnighter thing.
My growth is real. It's not an act.
It's not something I'm putting on, you know.
I've been a pretty good con artist most of my life.
And this ain't a con.
Alan, you need to move.
You're attracting lightning here.
MEZO, VOICE-OVER: It doesn't matter
what good a person does.
Even if they're a hero today,
5 years down the road, that's buried somewhere.
That's no ton their record,
and all it is on their record
that stays with them throughout their life
is negative stuff,
and it's sad because that's such a judgment.
EDWARDS: It wasn't till late that I got everything packed up
and was probably about 10:30, 11:00
when I finally left Williston.
Fell asleep and woke up in my truck
about ready to roll over,
and then woke up again in the ambulance, so...
The only, like, clear memory I have
is sitting in a hospital,
just waiting on my parents to get there.
I fractured the C7 vertebra.
MAN: I said, "What are you gonna do out there?"
And he didn't have no idea what he was gonna do.
He was bound and determined he was gonna do it.
Just kind of gets his mind set on something and does it.
Kind of like everything he does.
Mom. Carry...
He just gets it in his head he's gonna do something,
and he does it.
As far as him going back out there,
honestly I--I-- I've told all my kids this.
I said, "When you leave high school,
don't come back."
I mean, I'll come visit you.
I can go wherever you live.
There's nothing here.
It's a shame to say that.
It's a community to raise your kids and tell 'em,
"Go do something. You're not gonna do it here
because there's nothing here."
Which just pisses me off
'cause you go up to North Dakota
and it's a shitty-ass place,
and I mean, yeah, there's a lot of money,
but I'd love that more than anything
to be able to work in Wisconsin
and make the kind of money I was making out there.
Go ahead.
Go, go.
JAY: People come in for just a little while,
and the connections are real and they're intense,
and then they're gone.
That's painful.
And in a sense, this is broken in maybe...
in ways that they weren't broken before.
MEZO, VOICE-OVER: 'Cause the pastor is dead set
on having this RV for some reason,
getting everything out of here that ain't mine.
You know, I had a lot of good stuff going,
and I loved it here.
I mean, I considered this home.
I made one mistake, and that's when everything kind of blew up in my face.
I relapsed a few months ago and started using meth again.
I'm at a point to where it's either
I get the heck out of here or I'm gonna become homicidal or suicidal.
I'm not even sure where I'm going.
[Car door closes]
Alan?
Don't tell me.
[Piano music playing softly]
I don't think I've got the right key.
Alan, I came to get the RV.
Guess what, Alan?
So where are the--
WOMAN: You can get off the property.
Look, ma'am, just for the record,
the owners have told me to get this RV.
And your name is?
Heather.
Thank you, Heather.
You're on private property.
You should probably get out of the vehicle and go.
Come on, Deuce. [Whistles]
This dog bites. Come on. Deuce, let's go.
Alan, do you have the keys?
WOMAN: You need to get out.
Ok.
You need to go.
I beg your--Alan.
Where are the keys, Alan?
I'm only counting to 5.
Ok.
1... Ok.
[Cocks rifle]
2...
Alan.
The court of law says I can shoot you
if you don't get off my property. Now!
[Piano playing gets louder]
So for now I'm gonna try and get...
[Continues indistinctly
[Yelling indistinctly]
[Whack]
Nice little neighborhood.
Oh, hey, there's Amtrak.
I love Amtrak.
Just a second. I got a thing about waving at Amtrak.
Do you mind?
Just a sec. I always feel like
we should wave at an Amtrak when it goes by.
Do you guys want to jump out and wave?
Here, real quick, shall we?
[Train whistle blows]
Hey! Woo! Woo!
Here you go.
It's sitting there behind American State Bank.
I'd have cleaned it if you'd have gave me another day.
But you didn't, you wanted to push it and push it,
so you got it the way it is.
I got my stuff out of there.
I'm done with you.
It's hopeless.
You brought me really close, Pastor,
then you pull your crap.
Alan--
I don't want to hear nothin' from you.
I'm just stating the fact.
You're egotistic. You lie to the congregation.
You lie by deceit.
You know, you're not a very good role model.
You're a heck of a good teacher
when you stand up there at the podium and talk.
As far as watching you and how you live your life,
I don't want no part of it.
I don't want no part of that
and I don't want no part of your god.
Come in here and accusing.
You're my accuser. You're my judge.
And now you're my enemy.
That's how I feel.
So think about that... you know?
I've got no more respect for you at all. None.
[Engine starts]
JAY: I don't understand how a community
can just simply turn its back
on people who have no place to sleep.
I would...
just wonder...
are we even a community?
GIRL: The letter-- What does that mean?
Does that mean you have to close down in 30 days?
Does that-- Are we--
Actually understand what's gonna happen?
Definitely it means her letter says
we have to close in 30 days.
If--If we are not heard at the planning and zoning,
then I think the only options will be to close...
to engage in civil disobedience
and simply ignore them.
Well, kicking people out of a church
isn't gonna change the fact
that there's still an oil boom going on.
It's not gonna stop the people from coming.
You know?
People are under the assumption that,
well, if everything were to just stop tomorrow,
life would go back to the way it was.
And that's not true.
JAY: No, I--Yeah.
I don't know what to say.
I mean, it could possibly go in our favor.
Under communications,
and probably some in the audience
are here this evening for this,
but we had a special permitted use application
for Concordia Lutheran Church to house people,
and after a special meeting, a decision was made
to withdraw that application
or take that off the agenda for this evening,
and I would ask Kent to please expound
on what transpired there.
KENT: The fire chief looked through
his ordinance and codes,
and based on the way the setup is now,
the building does not have a sprinkler system.
You can't have sleeping facilities in the hallways.
You have to deem specific sleeping areas and meet fire codes.
So therefore it was deemed incomplete.
MAN: Ok.
So if there's other things that you want to stay for,
you're certainly welcome to stay,
but if that's the specific reason that you're here,
we cannot act on it, ok?
Mr. Chairman, will you take any public...
No. At this time, I really can't
because we aren't going to be acting on it.
So therefore we won't be taking any public comments at this time.
Ok, we will move on to our public hearings this evening.
JAY: I do not know any way around our closing
by the 12th of September.
And that just means essentially there's no options
in terms of sleeping here.
And I just don't get it.
I have to tell you I don't get it.
It makes no sense to me at all.
MAN: You would think the city as a whole
would be trying to help people
that's trying to help themselves.
There's, like, you're in this room.
Well, they're trying to put their foot on top of your head
and drown you, you know?
Just get them on out of here, you know?
They don't deserve a chance.
Everyone deserves a chance. This is America.
This is what this country was founded on, you know.
Helping your neighbor, you know,
just being good people,
and Williston's not seeing that message
when they're basically saying, you know,
we're homeless.
I'm not homeless. I'm just struggling.
I have a home in Kentucky.
I just want a better life.
I don't know what else to do.
What you do is something that cannot be done
by average people.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: To be human is to serve
and to let the neighbor change your life.
I don't think we have anymore people like you
in this town.
If we did, it would be a lot better place.
Thanks, you guys. It's really been good.
It's really been good.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: I will not give in to despair
because hopeless should never win
and hopeless is a lie.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: I never really felt
like I belonged in Williston.
I mean, the church, yeah, but as a community, not really.
Now I have ever reason to remember
why I don't belong here.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: I was the one who always preached
serving others to the overnighters.
Serve the community, serve the neighbors.
And...in some of the most fundamental ways,
the relationship to my family, I didn't serve.
And I neglected the community I was given and my family,
and I have... I have hurt them terribly.
The private me distances itself from the public me,
and I can believe the public me
because sometimes it looks very good.
But the private me... has become something else.
This is a hard thing to say.
But in my life, I have struggled with same-sex attraction.
And I've acted on that.
It's true. I'm the one who's broken.
So yesterday I went for a drive,
looking for a place where you and I
could sit and talk,
where it has no positive memories,
where it's ugly
so we could have a conversation and then leave.
I have to make confession.
Terry Forke is gonna come probably in a week or two
and ask me if certain allegations are true,
and they are.
Who?
There's a man who's blackmailed me...
and...
I've put you in a horrible... horrible spot.
JAY: My thoughts and desires have been soiled by sin.
I have broken knowingly and willingly the sixth commandment,
"You shall not commit adultery,"
and have violated my vocation as husband, father, neighbor,
Christian, and pastor.
I have served my own will.
I have led others into temptation.
I've sinned against the members of this entire community
to whom I have spoken publicly as a servant of truth.
I have now tempted this community to doubt that truth
and to regard the testimony of God's word
and the ministry of this congregation as a lie.
I have sinned against my faithful wife, Andrea,
who has given her life to me and to our children.
And I have exposed her to heartache and shame.
I have abused the trust of my beloved children,
who want me only to love and serve their mother
and to lead a godly life.
You have trusted me, and I have betrayed your trust.
I have resigned my position as a pastor.
I've got to leave, but look what I've done to my family.
They're the victims here.
JAY, VOICE-OVER: So now I'm without a job.
And I'm where the overnighters were.
I'm 57 years old,
and I'm not quite sure where to start.
[Machinery banging]
♪ Lonely are the free ♪
♪ 'Cause there ain't that many of 'em ♪
♪ They don't walk like you and me ♪
♪ Just tumble in the breeze ♪
♪ Lighter than a feather, all together separately ♪
♪ That's how it's supposed to be ♪
♪ No matter where they wander from post to in between ♪
MAN: My name is Digi.
I'm from Congo, DRC.
My name is Michael. I come from Philadelphia.
My name is Darrell.
Although I'm an original native of North Dakota,
I came from Peoria, Illinois.
My name is Dia. I'm from Maryland.
And originally I'm from Baghdad, Iraq.
My name's Dennis. I'm from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Chris. Detroit, Michigan.
My name is Estime. I'm from Congo, Brazzaville.
My name is Tyler Lokvanier, and I'm from Billings, Montana.
My name's Akton, from Ghana.
♪ And now the moment's gone ♪
♪ It keeps you hanging on ♪
♪ Until the silence signaling the breaking of the dawn ♪
♪ Is shattered by the sirens singing sacrificial songs ♪
♪ The silent are the strong ♪
♪ That's all they ever see ♪
♪ A violent shadow passing across the sun so fleetingly ♪
♪ That if you have to ask you miss it anyway you see ♪
♪ Lonely are the free ♪