Biker Church Rides Against Grain

Members of Roanoke’s only biker church gather for worship.

by Keisha Graziadei-Shup

“‘Well you walk into a restaurant, strung out from the road. You feel the eyes upon you as you’re shakin’ off the cold. You pretend it doesn’t bother you—you just want to explode…’” Brad Meador, 24, and member of Biker Church Roanoke (BCR), recited lyrics to an old Bob Seger song.

That’s what it used to be like for him walking into churches, he said. “I was usually the odd-man out wherever I went to church and you could see peoples’ heads turn or hear them whisper.”

A little later, Harley-riding, bearded Meador, nicknamed “Tank,” tugged at his ear. “These are zeros,” he said of his “gauges.”

BCR, pastored by Brian Robinson, 47, is the first biker church in Virginia and had its start in July of 2010. Six months after its commencement, between 40 and 50 bikers in Roanoke now regularly attend the Wednesday night services. The congregation includes women, too. “About half the peeps are chicks,” said Robinson, and they ride too.

What is unique about BCR, aside from everyone being bikers, is the way in which they are able to bond.

“The people who have given up on church—those are ours,” said Robinson.  He added, “Because we ride together … I get to know these guys quick.”

Tim Scaggs spent 24 years of his life in prison, dealt with anger issues and a disgruntled family life. Eventually these life struggles brought him to become a Christian and not being able to quite find his fit in any church he attended, he finally found his home at BCR and is now a member of the Christian Motorcyclist Association. Repeatedly, Scaggs stressed how revolutionary his experiences have been at BCR.

A friend of Scaggs was shot and killed last November. “The day we buried him, it was these guys that supported me,” Scaggs said of his fellow church-goers. That day they rode to Blacksburg and got hamburgers. “We shot a couple games of pool together, listened to music and rode back … These are brothers.”

They also go out for an occasional beer together. “Jesus turned water into wine, not grape juice—and it was wine,” Scaggs explained. The bikers clarified, however, that drunkenness was out of the question. The latter was important for them to note as a spirit of accountability distinguishes them.

They also grinned widely when speaking of their “sanctuary worship.” You won’t find hymns at BCR. Instead they rock out to heavy metal tunes like Van Halen’s “Running with the Devil” which they’ve rewritten and renamed “Running with Messiah.”

Besides riding any time the weather is nice, the bikers also contribute to the community.  They are involved with Starting Point Ministries—a ministry that reaches out to people who have just been discharged from jail or prison to adjust back into life. They also donate to the battered women’s shelter. Many battered women are often afraid to go out into public to do simple things like shop for groceries or attend doctor’s appointments. In the near future, this is a need BCR feels it might be able to help meet by escorting these women.

Last week Robinson said, “When I asked our guys tonight how many of them had seen big changes in their lives since going to BCR, the majority of them raised hands.”

Robinson is pastor of both BCR and Layman Church, which both hold services in the same building on scenic Old Mountain Road. Layman Church services are held on Sundays rather than Wednesdays.

Robinson started riding a Honda Trail 70 in the first grade. Riding tapered off after he moved and started running 5k’s, marathons and triathlons. He started riding again after receiving injuries that no longer enabled him to run.

“I love being outside, so I took the opportunity to get back to riding a motorcycle and I love it,” Robinson explained. “I still scream ‘wahoo!’ as I accelerate into a turn and feel the rush.  I’m a biker at heart.  And if I hadn’t had to stop running, I’d never have returned to motorcycles and started BCR. So it’s all good.”

These bikers ride against the grain of the stereotypical “Christian culture” and at the same time ride against the grain of stereotypical “biker culture.” They are a paradigm created by two worlds rarely intersected. They are Christian metal-heads with tattoos and piercings; bikers serving the community in positive ways. They are not confined by stereotypes or alleged rules for either realm. They are love-soaked mutineers.

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  1. BCR has become my family and supported me through thick and thin. I was going through a divorce w/o any family in Roanoke and I went through many hard times! I started to ride a motorcycle back in June 2010 and never knew that God would use my motorcycle to bring me a family. Yes, this is truely a family of God and they all have taken care of me and continues to do so. I feel so loved and blessed. This is truely my church home and through Christ I am truely blessed. BCR is def a Jesus church and I love how the word of God is described in such detail where even my 12 year old son enjoyes listening to the preacher preach. My son will often become upset if we miss church. This church is much more than a bunch of bikers getting together, its God’s church doing amazing work! BCR, I love you and thank you for following Christ to the fullest! God is AMAZING!

  2. This is my church and I love all of these people. They are warm, loving and caring Christians. We have all struggled to belong and have felt the cold chill at other churches. BCR is all about Jesus and we are ONE in him. I personally do not know where I would be without BCR and Pastor Brian. He is solid and calls us on our stuff and he is there for all of us and we are there for him. BCR is a community. BCR is love. BCR is home. BCR is an awesome place to feel Jesus living in so many lives! It is where my love of Jesus has been renewed.

  3. I LOVE this church. It’s been so long for me to feel comfortable and be able to rest and worship God without feeling judged for how I look. I have ink and piercings. I’m tired of being looked at like I’m a freak. Maybe I am, but I’m God’s freak. I belong to Jesus. And Biker Church is all about Jesus. It has changed me and made my faith new again.

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