It wasn’t a natural disaster, but it impacted more than a quarter-million people. It happened on the coast of South Carolina, and people came from as far away as Louisiana and Virginia to assist. It was Myrtle Beach Bike Week 2009, and it was a remarkable missions experience.
Christian biker volunteers share the gospel with a woman.This year’s rally took place May 11-17 along a 25-mile stretch of the Grand Strand. Nobody knows for sure how many bikers showed up, but conservative estimates suggest about 250,000. For a while, it looked as if the rally might not even take place because of local politics, but the bikers came – and so did God’s people.
An unprecedented number of Christian bikers worked together under one tent to share the gospel of Jesus Christ. The effort, which was spearheaded by the Carolina Faith Riders, a Southern Baptist motorcycle ministry, and Intracoastal Outreach, a resort ministry of the Waccamaw Baptist Association, attracted bikers with the promise that someone would win a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. In order to be eligible, the bikers simply had to listen to a three-minute presentation. There was nothing to buy, and everyone who listened was eligible for the drawing.
During the week, 1,427 bikers came to the tent to hear the gospel. Visiting Christians were strengthened by the bold witness of mission team members. Many non-believers lingered to ask questions and learn more about Jesus. At the end of the week, 237 bikers had prayed one-on-one with a volunteer to publicly receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
Members of the Baptist Nursing Fellowship were in the tent for much of the week, providing health screenings and sharing the gospel with 740 bikers. “Pastor Frank,” a cartoonist, drew “Biker Faces!” caricatures and shared Christ with 213 bikers. The mission team also provided crisis ministry at two serious motorcycle accidents.
According to Todd Wood, the North American Mission Board missionary for Intracoastal Outreach, the 2009 Bike Week ministry was the largest ever. It included more volunteers on the mission team and more ministries under one tent and reached more people than any effort in the past.
Mitchell Long, of Columbia (seated) won a Harley-Davidson. Also pictured, back row, from left: Phillip Morris, Frank Lengel, Dwight Mobley, and Todd Wood. Front: Bob Bowman.Dwight Mobley, state field coordinator for Carolina Faith Riders, agreed. Mobley said Carolina Faith Riders is an outreach and evangelism tool available to every Southern Baptist church in the state.
This year’s rally involved more than 30 Southern Baptist churches through the Carolina Faith Riders. It had the support of three state conventions and four local associations. Those who received Christ will be contacted for follow-up by NAMB and by Biker Church USA.
Persons who wish to participate in a motorcycle rally mission trip should contact Todd Wood at Intracoastal Outreach or Dwight Mobley at Carolina Faith Riders. The groups plan two mission trips each year to minister to bikers on the coast, and participants don’t have to be bikers. As anyone on this year’s mission team would say, “It’s about Jesus, not the motorcycles.”
Lengel is founding pastor of Biker Church USA, a Southern Baptist church with a national network of biker churches and motorcycle ministries focusing on discipleship of America’s bikers. He is also a professional cartoonist and author. His weekly comic strip, “Church People,” is distributed by Baptist Press and is carried in The Baptist Courier.