The Open Door

Last February I was in a meeting of state executive directors when Jim Hamilton, executive director of the Dakota Baptist Convention, expressed an appeal for help in ministering at the Sturgis Biker Rally.

At that moment I was not familiar with this event. The reason, of course, is that I am not a biker, unless you are referring to my bicycle, which I have been known to ride a couple of times a year.

Buck HillDakota Baptist Convention

Associational missionary Phil Pilgrim, a biking enthusiast, represented the Georgia Baptist Convention at this year’s Sturgis rally. More than 4,600 heard a presentation of the gospel to win a 2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna Glide.

This summer I announced to Janice that I was going to get some exercise by riding my bicycle. I was feeling good. I felt so good that day that I rode my bike five miles. Of course, I was in quite a fix by the time I got back to the house. I was too tired to stand and too sore to sit down.

The bike is back in the garage.

Actually, the Sturgis Biker Rally is a huge event for motorcyclists. In fact, the population of Sturgis, South Dakota swells by 500,000 to 800,000 during the course of one week. Sturgis is the oldest and most widely known of all motorcycle rallies in the world.

The very size of the challenge of sharing Christ with that many people caused Jim Hamilton to put out a Macedonian call. Georgia heard that call and responded. I presented to the Administration Committee the challenge of getting involved by sending several thousand mission dollars to assist with the ministry. The funds were used to lease the tent on Main Street where the ministry took place. I asked Phil Pilgrim, one of our Ministry Resource Consultants, if he would go to South Dakota to assist with the rally witnessing event.

Phil went up once earlier in the year for a planning meeting and then was present for the week of the rally. Phil was the ideal representative from Georgia. He is a Harley rider and has participated in a number of biker events in the past. No, he did not ride his bike to South Dakota.

Buck HillDakota Baptist Convention

2007 Harley-Davidson Dyna Glide

The witnessing at the rally by Southern Baptists was based upon John 4:7-29. The outline included:

1. Relevance

2. Receptivity

3. Redemption

4. Relationship

5. Reproduction

You will be amazed to learn the results of this evangelistic effort. There were 120 volunteers from 21 states. These volunteers shared the Gospel in testimony form 4,677 times during one week. This faithful sharing of the Gospel resulted in 870 people praying to receive Christ as their Savior.

Upon his return, Phil said, “What a wonderful investment of the Georgia Baptist Convention’s missions money and resources as we served in partnership with the Dakota Baptist Conven-tion.” Speaking before the Admini-stration Committee, Phil said that he had never experienced anything to compare with the Sturgis event in all his life. He expressed his appreciation for the privilege of representing Georgia Baptists and most especially the privilege of representing Jesus Christ.

Now, here is something that will excite you and I pray will encourage you to be a witness for the Lord. Jacob is a 14-year-old young man who had received about three hours of training as a witness who personally lead 49 people to faith in Christ. Cassidy is a 12-year-old girl who overcame her fear of witnessing to lead 14 people to pray to receive Christ as Savior in six hours of witnessing.

If these young people with no previous experience as witnesses for Christ could make that kind of difference in over 60 lives, then so can you!