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Updated Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Carolina Faith Riders growing up

From Norman Jameson

BR Editor

Mike Young
Photo by Norman Jameson
Biblical Recorder

Carolina Faith Riders motorcycle ministry has grown to 50 chapters in churches in North Carolina and South Carolina and is seeing increasing interest and effectiveness in reaching the motorcycle community, according to leader Mike Young.

Young leads Carolina Faith Riders mostly on a volunteer basis, with his wife, Pam. He is on staff at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and she is executive assistant to Baptist State Convention (BSC) Executive Director-treasurer Milton A. Hollifield Jr.

Mike Young updated the Executive Committee on the status of Carolina Faith Riders during a presentation May 20.

"God has truly, truly been good," Young said.

Carolina Faith Riders is a BSC supported ministry to churches that want to start or improve their outreach to motorcycle riders. The first chapters were in Wilmington and Asheville.

Young says Carolina Faith Riders helps bikers move their perspective from "Let's get together and ride," to "What can we do to reach riders in our community for Christ?"

When reaching people for Christ is the focus, not everything revolves around bikes and rides, Young said. Bikers reach out to their community, even among non-riders.

One group built a small house for a man it discovered living in a barn with no plumbing or electricity. Another chapter cuts firewood for the poor during cold months. Others minister in nursing homes and prisons where the throaty rumble of exhaust is always an attraction.

Last year Carolina Faith Riders conducted the first North and South Carolina rally in Myrtle Beach, S.C. Chapter members received training and encouragement to go back to their churches and share Christ in their community.

Bike nights, biker days and rallies, rodeos and games, weekend camping and rides always attract riders and create opportunities for ministry, he said.

Hollifield said presentations like Young's to the Executive Committee "show you ways your Cooperative Program dollar is at work, reaching people with the gospel."

 
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