In an effort to bridge the gap between the church community and the leather and chrome community, Living Faith Baptist Cathedral, Hueytown, in Bessemer Baptist Association hosted a biker service. Several biker clubs and city officials were invited to the Nov. 20 event, and according to Pastor Johnny M. Williams Sr., an unusually diverse audience attended.
“We wanted to bring the bikers together and let them know God loves them,” he said. “We had to move out of our comfort zone to share Jesus.”
Plans for the service began soon after Williams felt the Lord impressing upon him the need to minister to bikers from all around the metro Birmingham area. And as it turned out, He couldn’t have chosen a more willing servant.
“Evangelism is my heartbeat,” said Williams, who, along with his wife, Ruth, moved to Birmingham five years ago from New Orleans.
“I’m not here by accident; I’m here on an assignment. God sent me here to make a difference, and that’s what we’re doing at Living Faith.”
Highlights of the service included a devotional reading by Big Train, chaplain of Birmingham’s Iron Angels motorcycle club, followed by a devotional prayer by Charles Sunday, former pastor of Garywood Baptist Church, Hueytown.
Inspirational speakers included Hueytown Chief of Police C.M. Halgar and Denise Buyerback, of New Orleans, a former drug addict who made a drastic change in lifestyle when she found the Lord. Harry Turner, also known as The Traveling Shoes Preacher, sang, and a memorial tribute commemorated the lives of several deceased bikers. Later in the service, Williams preached an evangelistic sermon.
Afterward 25 to 30 bikers came to Williams with tears in their eyes to let him know of decisions they’d made as a result of attending the event.
“I’m going back to church,” many told him. Others rededicated their lives to Christ.
And those decisions only reinforced what Williams had already realized: Living Faith’s biker service should become an annual event.
“We’re planning to do this every year until the Lord tells us otherwise,” he said. “We have a responsibility to bring people together like this and preach the gospel.
“It’s really exciting. I’m waiting for the day the Lord is going to turn His city upside down.”
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