Dr. Dave says you’re going to hell. But it’s not too late to change.

“Turn to Jesus Christ,” said the 57-year-old Rockford resident, a.k.a. David Stone. “Repent from sins and trust Christ. He’ll save you and change your heart.”

Stone espouses a similar message about once a week in the MLK Commons. He passes out religious-themed comic books and chats up any student who’s willing to listen. He is among the otherwise anonymous individuals who hand out materials at NIU to further their causes.

Stone, who goes by Dr. Dave since it “tends to stick in peoples’ minds,” was a professor of electrical engineering at Michigan Tech University until 2005. Before that, he was in the Air Force for 20 years. Technically he’s retired, but what he does now – witnessing, or preaching the gospel, he calls it – is his new career.

“I’ve been doing it full-time for three-and-a-half years,” he said of witnessing. “I’ve been doing it part-time my whole life.”

Stone also witnesses at University of Wisconsin-Madison and DePaul University in Chicago. “The NIU students are far more friendly and gracious than UW,” he said. “That’s a harder crowd.”

For everything Stone says, he has a Bible verse – he believes the King James version is the most accurate – to back it up. He’s all about “evidence.” He has five college degrees, including a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and an MBA he got “just for fun.”

On Monday afternoon, Stone stood in the MLK Commons with his wife of nearly 35 years, Bonnie. They’re both bundled up in big winter coats and knit hats, as harsh winds blew intermittently. The couple handed out comics as well as a card that read, “What happens to your MySpace when you die?”

“Sometimes, people think we’re crackpots,” said Bonnie Stone, 54, who runs a quilting business.

Dr. Dave’s an “excellent teacher,” she said. When he speaks, she often smiles and nods her head.

The Stones walked inside the Holmes Student Center to warm up. A student overheard Dr. Dave talking and started asking him questions. The two went back and forth for a few minutes before Stone gave him a comic book and told him to call the number on the back to chat some other time.

The student, senior art major Lewis Habben, looked at the booklet and said: “You’re Dr. Dave. I’ve heard of you.”

“No one offers more friendship than I do,” Dr. Dave said a short time later. “I’m the friendliest guy in the state. I offer friendship 1,000 times a week.”