STURGIS, S.D. — The tents have been folded, the streets have been swept, and the last rites have been pronounced for the 2010 Sturgis, S.D. motorbike rally – the largest event of its kind in the nation.
Georgia Baptists continue to support the rally financially and with scores of folks who go there to witness to the bikers who come from all over the nation and beyond. Phil Pilgrim, missionary resource consultant for West Central Georgia, reported logging 3,324 miles round-trip on his motorcycle upon arriving back in Newnan from his trip to Sturgis.
Adam Miller/BP
Tonya Hodgin connects with a woman biker near the Harley-Davidson dealership in Rapid City, S.D. “I just have a heart for bikers,” says Hodgin, who bought a bike two years ago to minister with the Beulah Baptist Faith Riders in Douglasville.
Pilgrim testified, “I spent most of my time assisting Jim Hamilton, the Dakota Baptist Convention executive director. That involved training several people on how to share their faith using The 3 Minute Testimony. Marc Merritt, who works with the GBC Evangelism Department, did most of the training.
“I did some counseling,” continued Pilgrim, “and I networked with several bike groups, clubs, and ministers. However, I spent most of my time as a tent catcher. I work on the street to encourage people to come into our tent so they could hear a Gospel presentation. Those who were willing to hear someone share the Gospel became eligible to win a motorcycle.”
“Everybody has been very open and receptive, which I wasn’t expecting,” Tonya Hodgin told Baptist Press. Hodgin is a member of the Faith Riders from Beulah Baptist Church in Douglasville.
Seeing an opportunity to reach women in the biker community, Hodgin said, “I just want to reach out to bikers and let them know that Jesus can save them. It’s not just for churchy people. It’s for all of us.”
Pilgrim indicated that approximately 100,000 people walked by the “Gospel” tent every day and that he was able to personally encounter about 10,000 of them and persuaded of them to enter the tent and listen to someone share the message of Christ’s redeeming love.
As a result of Cooperative Program dollars and mission volunteers the Gospel was presented 7,317 times and 1,147 people prayed to receive Christ. The names of those who trusted Christ will be shared with churches across the land where follow-up is essential to the initial decision to trust Christ.
Hamilton exclaimed, “The winner of the motorcycle was one of the people who received Christ during the course of the week. The Dakota Baptist Convention state director of missions, Buck Hill, led Kristi Jansenn of Washington state to Christ early in the week and she became the first person in all five years of the giveaway to win the bike and receive Christ under the tent.”
Hamilton added, “Thank you to volunteers, prayer partners, financial supporters, staff, and everyone else who played a role in this ministry. Thanks be to God because of you.”