The phrase ‘where the rubber meets the road’ is fitting when used to describe the F.A.I.T.H. Riders motorcycle ministry. Employing motorcycles as a tool and transportation, the F.A.I.T.H. Riders ministry is passionate about going into the world and sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.
Established in 2002 by the late Buddy Newsome, F.A.I.T.H. Riders began as a ministry of Lakeland’s Church at the Mall. Since then, the ministry has spread across the nation encompassing 365 chapters. The Plant City chapter is one of 54 chapters located in Florida and based out of the First Baptist Church of Plant City.
Sam DeMicco and her husband, Roy, are members of the Plant City chapter and work on its assessment team. The assessment team travels around Florida, visiting inactive chapters and educating churches about the ministry.
“Our goal is to show that we are more than a riding club,” explained DeMicco. “We don’t require anybody to ride a motorcycle. We want people who desire to spread the gospel.”
While each F.A.I.T.H. Riders chapter may operate slightly different, it must be a ministry of a local Southern Baptist church and include worship, evangelism, discipleship, fellowship and ministry. Additionally, chapters are encouraged to support other ministries within the church and its surrounding community.
“The motorcycle is a tool, and it helps us go into places where there’s a lot of unchurched people,” explained DeMicco. “Your average biker is not your average churchgoer.”
Every year, representatives from F.A.I.T.H. Riders set up a tent at Daytona’s Bike Week, where they look for opportunities to reach others for Christ. To draw people to their tent, they raffle off a brand-new motorcycle, and the only way to enter is by listening to a three-minute testimony from one of the F.A.I.T.H. Riders.
She continued, “There are a lot of people who are interested in motorcycles. Getting gas is where I have most of my conversations. People say, ‘nice motorcycle,’ and it opens that door for a conversation, and then I can talk to people about Jesus.”
The F.A.I.T.H. acronym stands for Forgiveness, Available, Impossible, Turn and Heaven. For further description, please visit www.faithriders.com, where you can also donate online to the mission.
The Plant City chapter is based out of First Baptist Church of Plant City, located at 3309 James L. Redman Pkwy. For more information on where it gathers and upcoming events, please visit https://plantcityfaithriders.com or contact its director, Roger Blethen, at 924-9035.
