I never imagined that something as simple as how I arrived at church could call my faith into question. After more than four decades of service at First Baptist, I was told I could no longer help serve communion because my Harley was considered “the wrong message.” The words stung more than I expected. I had shown up that day straight from visiting shut-ins, still in my riding gear, believing that service mattered more than appearances. Instead, a single moment turned years of quiet dedication into an uncomfortable conversation about image, perception, and belonging.
For forty-three years, the church had been my second home. I had taught Sunday school, helped raise money when budgets were tight, and stood at the pulpit during some of the most important moments of my life, including my wife’s memorial service. Yet with the arrival of a new, younger pastor, everything shifted. I was told—politely but firmly—that my motorcycle conflicted with a “family-friendly” atmosphere. What hurt most wasn’t stepping aside from leadership, but overhearing comments that suggested I was someone to be cautious around, as if the bike I rode erased the man I had been for decades.
I tried to handle it quietly. I attended early services, slipped in and out without drawing attention, and avoided conversations that might stir division. Even my fellow riders noticed the change, asking why I stopped wearing my “Bikers for Christ” patch or talking about church. I brushed it off, until a longtime member, Sarah Williams, pressed me gently for the truth. When I finally shared what had happened, her reaction told me this story wasn’t finished. What I assumed would remain private had stirred a deeper concern about fairness, respect, and what the church truly stood for.
The following Sunday changed everything. The sanctuary filled not just with regular members, but with fellow riders and longtime supporters who came not to cause trouble, but to stand for someone they believed had been treated unjustly. What followed was honest, emotional, and uncomfortable—but necessary. It reminded everyone present that faith is measured by actions, not appearances, and that service doesn’t lose its value because it comes wrapped in leather instead of a suit. In the end, the moment wasn’t about motorcycles at all. It was about rediscovering compassion, humility, and the simple truth that the doors of a church should be open to anyone who enters with a sincere heart—no matter how they arrive.
