Issue link: https://cp.revolio.com/i/1521627
How It All Began Marty and Debbie Edwards For those who were unable to attend The Gathering in May, the following is an abbreviated version of what we shared at the event: "Hi Everybody! Our job today is to reminisce with you a little bit about the earliest days of BSHDFC. There were so many amazing blessings as well as some pretty significant challenges. Throughout our early ministry, we started a lot of different things: youth groups, churches, even a rock band that toured for 3 years. Thirteen years after starting the Lamb's Fellowship we started the motorcycle ministry. We purchased our first bike in 1998, a 1997 HD from Quaid Harley- Davidson in Temecula. Debbie said, "It didn't take long before I saw the little wheels turning in Marty's head and he was thinking about how he could turn this motorcycle into a ministry!" The Temecula chapter in 1998 had about 400 members and there was always something going on. Rich Quaid (the owner of the dealership) was a very generous and open- minded individual and very supportive of the early BSHDFC ministry. Marty was still the senior past of The Lamb's Fellowship which now had two daughter churches - and so His weekend opportunities were limited. Every Saturday, HOG cooked burgers, hot-dogs and sodas, attracting 50-75 people. Marty tells the story about his first encounter with the local HOG. "I was by myself one Saturday, eating my free HOG burger, asking for God to open the doors. At the other end of the table was this old hairy guy eating his burger and reading a magazine. That's when someone recognized me and asked, "How's Pastor Marty doing today?" The old man looked up and shouted, "Pastor! What the @%#$@ is a pastor doing here!?" Marty responded, "Just eating my lunch, minding my own business!" That's when the old biker got up and came over to me and planted an open Playboy magazine right on top of my lunch saying, "What d-ya think of that Pastor!?" To which I just replied, "I think our God is an amazing creator! The old biker stood up straight and stepped back and just stared at me...then he busted out laughing, slapped me on the back and said as he was walking away, 'You're ok preacher!' ...and so the beginnings of a motorcycle ministry began. There was another time God inserted himself into the starting of BSHDFC. It was a HOG meeting and Rich Quaid was introducing the new people. So, you know those cheap, white plastic, stacking patio chairs? Well, the older they get the more brittle they become. So as Rich Quaid was introducing various new people, Marty's chair just EXPLODED beneath him into a dozen pieces - and there he was, flat on his back with 400 HOG members staring at him! That's when Rich Quaid announced, "And this everybody is Pastor Marty and he's starting a new motorcycle ministry called Black Sheep!" (It's hard to accept that God would use a playboy and a cheap plastic chair to start a motorcycle ministry!) Our first organized. attempt to begin the ministry was a biker's breakfast on a Saturday. It was not what we had hoped but....and it was the first time God showed us, "It's much better to GO to them than to ask them to come to you!" (Matthew 28:18-20) But something great came out of that event anyway...it was the first time we met Denny and Donna Coggins - who became our first members and were faithful partners for 20+ years! Denny has since gone to Heaven but Donna is still here? 90+ years old and she comes to everything! Later, that same month...there was an awful motorcycle accident where one of the shop boys in the Temecula garage was tragically killed on his bike on the way to work. His name was Michael Butters and he was only 19. As soon as Marty heard about it he went down to the dealership. Rich Quaid was out front, just standing off by himself. Marty asked him if it would be ok for him to go in and talk with some of the employees - maybe even pray for them. We will never forget what he said...it was prophetic.... He said, "Marty, this place is so "$#%" up right now - you can do anything you want!" (It was prophetic!) So, Marty went inside, approaching the salesmen, the parts counter and even the gals in clothing. He went right into the garage where the mechanics were. Some were open to his compassion - some didn't want to talk or be prayed for - but on that day the Holy Spirit was in the house!" Soon after that, there were many more HOG rides and events that we attended as well as attracting some local Christians who began riding with us.