Christian Bikers Spread The Word on Wheels
By Bill Archer
Bluefield Daily Telegraph
BLUEFIELD They wear do-rags and sport colors while riding their Harleys, but these bikers use their motorcycles for more than just riding. They use them as vehicles to share the gospel.
We go to Southern Regional Jail and ride our bikes right into the prison yard, David Bishop said. Bishop, 58, of Peterstown is president of the Mercer County Chapter of the Christian Motorcyclists Association. My wife and I go to prisons with the Bill Glass Ministry. When we ride in, the prisoners come out to look at our bikes. When we talk with them, we share our faith.
Bishop dresses in traditional motorcycle leathers like the ones Marlon Brando popularized in the movie, The Wild One, but Bishop patches tell of the various faith-based motorcycle trips he has participated in. One patch on the front of his leather jacket says: These Are My Church Clothes, and another patch below the Christian Motorcycle Association (CMA) logo, on his back identifies him as being a member of the Prison Team. Even the CMA logo included the message: Riding For The Son.
A lot of bikers today are professionals who are making a positive impact in their community, Bishop said. He is a machinist at Celanese in Giles County, Va. The biking image has changed, but the media doesn't seem to want it to change. We know that when we visit prisons, a motorcycle represents freedom to prisoners. It gives them motivation to finish their sentence and get out. Bishop joined the CMA in 1999.
Bill Cochran, 47, of Princeton is another of the approximately 20 members of the Mercer County CMA chapter. Were out here today to participate in the 2007 Christ For Life Motorcycle Run sponsored by the First Christian Church of Princeton, but were also going to ride the first 100 miles as part of the CMAs national Run for the Son,  Cochran said.
There are over 100,000 members in the CMA, Cochran, a surveyor from Princeton said. I joined in 200, and my membership number was 74 thousand and something. We do a lot of things locally like participate in a program at Camp Laurel for special needs kids and we work with Vietnam veterans on their annual Run for the Hungry to replenish their food pantry.
We go to Myrtle Beach for bike week and hand out ice water, Cochran said. We have worked with the Ghost Riders to distribute water, coffee and lemonade. The bikers seem to appreciate it.
Donna Coleman of Athens said she is always impressed by the respectful reception she and her husband, Greg, get from other bikers. We thought at first that other bikers might be intimidating toward us, but that is not the case, she said. There is a wide-open ministry for bikers. They are all so respectful.
The Coleman's started their own club called the Sons of Thunder, and include the statement: Thundering forth the Gospel truth in the power of His blood. Coleman, who serves as church secretary for Mount Jackson Baptist Church said she and her husband are trying to recruit other members. Were trying to get the word out that were trying to recruit members, she said.
Pastor Gary Lyons of Princeton's First Christian Church said that the church's evangelical committee came up with the idea to organize the Christ For Life run. This is our centennial year, Lyons said. We were established in 1907 and we have accomplished a lot of things since then. But none of that matters if we don't move forward in spreading the Word. This is another way to reach people.
The rain was falling when the riders pulled out of Cole Harley-Davidson in Bluefield Saturday morning. The run included stops at check points at Shady Springs, Hinton, Peterstown and finally, Princeton where the bikers and First Christian congregation were invited to participate in a pig roast dinner and gospel music provided by the Hughes Family and the Appalachian Teen Challenge Choir.
"Al and Joy Bell, along with Randal Dawson, put this together," Lyons said. "It's set up like a poker run, but instead of drawing a poker card at each stop, the riders draw a card with a Bible verse on it. We didn't invent the poker run concept, but we invented our scripture run aspect."
The church set up the event as a fund-raiser for the Planet Extreme Center in Princeton, Appalachian Teen Challenge and First Christian Church. Ronnie Hypes of Bluefield's First Christian Church helped with registration and said he hopes to get his church involved with the program in the future.
Contact Bill Archer at <barcher(at)bdtonline.com>

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