The Faith Riders are a group of wonderful people, from many different points in their lives, who all share a desire to serve the Lord through motorcycle ministry.

They explain how they exist to “Share the saving Gospel of Jesus Christ to all who have yet to accept Him and to build up the body of Christ through worship, fellowship, discipleship and serving.”

“We congregate to spread God’s word and socialize with fellow Christians to have good, clean fun and use the motorcycles as a tool for spreading the word,” Jeff Smith said.

When Smith and Danny Moore first felt the need to do something to glorify God even in their fun time, they each discussed how they could turn riding motorcycles into a ministry.

After contacting and talking to many Christian motorcycle groups, they finally chose Faith Riders.

“Faith Riders started in 2002 at a church named First Baptist at the Mall in Lakeland, Fla. The ministry has grown to 170 chapters nationwide and is still growing by leaps and bounds,” Smith said.

Smith and Moore went to their first rally in 2007. Three more joined the next year, and the five of them went to a rally and convention on Memorial Day weekend 2008 in Ridgecrest, N.C., at Lifeway Baptist.

In 2009, retired Col. Oliver North was guest speaker at the convention.

“We were awesomely blessed” Smith said.

The group has grown, created their chapter, and had their commencement service in the church this same year.

“We actually rode our bikes into the church,” Moore said.

A bike is not required to be a member and many show support through other avenues needed for the success of the ministry. There are no membership fees and the group wants to grow and spark interest in other churches in Shelby County.

“We hold our monthly Bike Night every third Thursday at 6 p.m. at the gazebo in front of our church located at Shelby County 61 and Alabama 25 in downtown Wilsonville,” Smith said.

The group also has a ride every third Saturday.

They give out gospel tracts and free New Testament Bibles from Faith Riders and usually travel 125 miles to 300 miles.

For more information about Faith Riders, contact Smith at jsmith58@bellsouth.net, or attend bike night and register there.