Tears told this tale.
One couple past the first flush of youth came to Sturgis, S.D., to escape the ordinary. Winning a new Harley would have been the ultimate Sturgis souvenir, so they agreed to listen to a Christian testimony for three minutes to get in the drawing for the bike they were standing next to on Sturgis’ crowded Main Street.
It was a bronze metallic 2008 Harley Davidson 105th Anniversary Deluxe Edition Softail with a black and tan leather seat, which stood at the entrance of the large “Sturgis Bike Give Away” tent.
The Holy Spirit began working and tears began rolling down the woman’s cheeks as she prayed to receive Christ.
As she prayed, tears formed in the eyes of her husband and he echoed the words she had just said.
These were two of at least 1,365 decisions for Christ during the evangelism thrust at the 68th Annual Sturgis Rally Aug. 4–9.
Sturgis, billed as the “world’s largest motorcycle rally,” draws about 500,000 visitors to the Black Hills area of western South Dakota each August. Many are people garbed in biker attire who in “real life” are doctors, lawyers, teachers and other sorts of professionals. Many others live closer to the edge of society; some belong to gangs of outlaw bikers.
Each year, the sidewalks up and down Main Street are filled past capacity with motorcycle enthusiasts. Open tents beckon buyers to every conceivable vendor in the heart of this normally quiet town.
Nearly four years ago Jim Hamilton, executive director of the then-new Dakota Baptist Convention, envisioned an intentional evangelistic outreach at Sturgis that would involve volunteers from across the nation to share their faith with whoever would listen, and those who listened could enter to win a new Harley-Davidson motorcycle.
“People are walking away from Sturgis with Jesus in their hearts, and He is going to begin to change their life,” Hamilton said during a momentary break from sharing his testimony during the third year of the Sturgis outreach.
“We have been obedient witnesses in a place that desperately needs it.”
Not everyone leaves with Christ as his or her personal Lord and Savior, Hamilton acknowledged.
“It is not up to us to save them,” said Buck Hill, one of the Dakota convention’s regional team leaders. “It’s the Holy Spirit’s job to draw them and then God to save them. We are called to spread the Good News. That’s what we do in Sturgis.”
This year, some 160 volunteers from across the United States told more than 5,000 people their testimony of the difference God made in his or her life, with 1,365 people asking God to forgive them and for Jesus to live in their heart.
Churches, associations, state conventions and the North American Mission Board all help the Dakota convention pay the $55,000 cost of the evangelistic thrust in Sturgis. That might seem like a lot — and it is especially to the Dakotas, which is the newest and smallest state Baptist convention — but it comes down to about $40 per profession of faith, said Garvon Golden, one of the Dakota convention’s sharing Christ team leaders.
“And that doesn’t count the strengthening of the faith of the volunteers, who endure hot weather, long hours and little sleep,” Golden said. “We’re grateful for the volunteers, as we are for those who partner financially with us as we reach out in this unique way to do God’s Kingdom work.”
Story after story was shared of what the Holy Spirit did “under the tent” during Sturgis 2008.
One young man came to sign up for the motorcycle in the morning, listened to a personal testimony and left the tent saying he wasn’t ready to pray to receive Christ.
He was handed a tract titled “Is it working for you?” and the Gospel of John. He returned later in the evening to say, “I kept thinking about this all day, it just wouldn’t leave me alone. I am ready to pray that prayer.”
Volunteers from 14 states were involved in the effort, including a team of seven chaplains from the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma.
Three biker groups also participated: Freedom Biker Church, F.A.I.T.H. Riders and Set Free Churches, which helped stir interest among passersby, then directing people to a person ready to share the gospel.
The busy Sturgis outreach concluded with the bike giveaway at 1:08 p.m. Aug. 9, in the sweltering 95-degree heat, with a standing-room only crowd under the ministry tent. Evangelist Ronnie Hill, of Ronnie Hill Ministries in Fort Worth, Texas, shouted out the name from the winning ticket: “Aaron Scott of Billings, Mont., you are the winner!”
Aaron Scott was grinning from ear to ear when he arrived to take ownership of the bike.
Scott, who said he’s a Christian and member of Home Church in Billings, Mont., said, “Everywhere that I ride on this new bike, I will be able to share how this Harley was used to win [more than] 1,300 people to Christ.” (BP)
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