Baptists in north Alabama witness along ‘Trail of Tears’

Bikers riding through Alabama on the Trail of Tears Commemorative Motorcycle Ride Sept. 21 were greeted by Alabama Baptists, the gospel message and a bottle of cold water.
   
Volunteers from Tennessee River, Madison, Limestone and Colbert-Lauderdale associations were on hand as an estimated 130,000 motorcycles rode from Chattanooga, Tenn., to Florence. Each year since 1994 bikers have followed the path taken by the Native Americans who were forced to leave their homes in the East and move to Western reservations in 1838. The ride goes from Chattanooga to Florence with a loop through Waterloo, back to Florence and then on to Oklahoma. About 200 of this year’s bikers continued on from Florence to Oklahoma.

Sammy Gilbreath, director of evangelism for Alabama Baptists, said, “This was the largest evangelistic effort I’ve ever participated in.”
   
Volunteers gave away thousands of bottles of water as well as an evangelistic tract called “The Biker,” he said. Gilbreath’s office developed the tract, which presents the gospel in terms familiar to motorcycle enthusiasts. Some volunteers also provided food and lip balm to the bikers.
   
A Harley Davidson owner and self-proclaimed biker, Gilbreath and his wife, Carol, also biked from Chattanooga to Florence.
   
“This was a neat way to share the gospel and plant a seed,” Gilbreath said. “It was a great opportunity for Baptists across the state.”
   
John Brock, pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Florence, led the effort for Colbert-Lauderdale Association.
   
“We distributed around 2,000 bottles of water (in Florence),” Brock said, noting a tract was given with each of those bottles.
   
“We saw an opportunity where the world we are supposed to be reaching was riding through our front door that day,” Brock said.
   
Gilbreath said he has already heard from Chief Tuckaleechee, chief of the Alabama Cherokee Nation Tribe in northeast Alabama.
   
Along with the chief’s acknowledgement of appreciation for the “cold bottle of water, Chap Stick and smiles in Madison,” he also quoted the Scripture on the tract, Gilbreath said. The Scripture was Job 30:22, “Lift me up to the wind and let me ride on it.” (TAB)