Next Steps

By George F. Guild Jr.

After having a “come to Jesus moment” over the ministry, I had to decide how I was going to minister in the motorcycling community. One step I took was in participating in the Patriot Guard Riders’ funeral escort missions. My first two were about 45 minutes away from my house and I meet some bikers there. PGR is now a regular volunteer service for me. This was a successful first step. Through one of the missions, I meet a  couple of members of the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association. 

I am a Veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. One of the CVMA spoke to me about joining their organization. This lead to one door being opened while it also lead to another one becoming closed. I started hanging out with the local chapter of the CVMA and because of being in the ministry have been asked to pray for opening up their meetings and also to bless the various rides and fundraisers that they support and hold. Since doing this I have met members from all over Louisiana. I was denied membership by their National Board so that door closed. Little did I know at the time that actually works for my ministry benefit. I still interact a lot with the local chapter as many of them are also PGR.

Hanging out with the CVMA also helped with a preaching opportunity. At a “Poker Run” I was in a bar and was approached by a member of a Veterans motorcycle club. Since I was a “Christian” top rocker and an embroidered cross on my vest. He asked if I was a “Chaplain.” I said I could be, what do you need? He asked if I would do a bike blessing for a ride they had coming up. I said “yes” and had the opportunity to preach in a National Cemetery before a group of bikers.

Things started going well as a motorcycle missionary. I wondered if God was leading me to open a biker church. I took a year to research and pray in this direction. I went to biker churches around Louisiana to see how they did church.

I joined A.B.A.T.E. (The motorcycle rights organization for Louisiana, American Bikers Active Toward Education). At my first State meeting a call went out for someone to open in prayer, I volunteered. This lead to being asked to be the State Chaplain, of which I accepted. This was obviously a door that the Lord God opened! It seemed like all I had to do was show up. I am also involved in our states “Louisiana Coalition of  Clubs and Independents.” This allows me to interact with bikers from all over the state that come to these bi-monthly meetings.

As an avenue for ministry for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I joined the local AmVets post. I did nothing with that membership for a year and decided to go to a business meeting. I ended up giving one of my “business” cards to who turned out to be the Louisiana State Commander of AmVets. He later asked me to be the State Chaplain of which I accepted. This lead me to the idea of doing a Chapel service at the local post, friendly to both Veterans and Bikers. It is not a biker church, but who knows what God will do with it. We are very small but I am trusting God for the growth.
Being a biker known as “Preacher” has opened another unexpected door. I was asked to support a fundraiser. I told them “yes” with the exception that if I had a ministry duty, such as preach, I would be there. This answer got back to the board of directors and they asked me to preach at the fundraiser ensuring my priority of attendance at this event. One of the board members about 4 months later invited me to start preaching in prison. Knowing that ministry was Biblical from Matthew 25, I could not refuse to go through this door that only God could open for me. I had not even thought in that direction.

Reading “The Work of the Chaplain” has really helped me out as to what I have been doing. This ministry of being a Chaplain is more natural to me than that of being a Pulpit Pastor.

So my next step is to retrace the steps mentioned above. I will continue to be PRESENT in the motorcycling community as a Motorcycle Missionary and SERVE GOD BY SERVING OTHERS by participating in fundraising and other activities.

I will continue to be PRESENT in the veteran’s community as a Veterans’ Chaplain and SERVE GOD BY SERVING OTHERS in the positions and responsibilities that I have been given, especially in the proclamation of God’s Word in the weekly Chapel service every Sunday.

And finally, I will be PRESENT and on time for my Prison Preaching appointments. I will SERVE GOD BY SERVING OTHERS who are incarcerated by preaching the Word of God in Spirit and in Truth. This will be done in the strength in
which God Himself will supply and praying that He helps me to recognize any other doors that He may open for me.

AMEN.