British church minister shames worshippers with tramp disguise
London - A church minister in Britain who found he was ignored by his flock when he dressed up as a tramp sitting outside his church has put worshippers to shame, the Daily Telegraph reported Thursday.
The Reverend Derek Rigby squatted in the porch of Trinity Methodist Church in Prestatyn, Wales, hidden beneath a wig and scruffy clothes, as worshippers arrived for the Sunday service.
He later settled on a pew in the church, surrounded by syringes and drinking from a can of beer, but none of the congregation spoke to him or offered any help.
Rigby, 51, then took off his wig to reveal his true identity, before delivering a sermon based on the failure of the disciples to recognize Jesus Christ on the road to Emmaus after his resurrection.
"It was interesting to see the reaction from people - I was totally ignored. It showed that we don't recognize God at work and in each other," he said. (dpa)