CONWAY, SC (WBTW) – A “biker church” service was held for the first time on Thursday night at the Conway Centenary United Methodist Church.
The church’s pastor, Dennis Devorick, is also a biker and the principal at Carolina Forest Elementary School.
“The biker church is my passion where I can connect my two loves: my love for God and my love for riding,” said Devorick. “And meet people who wouldn’t normally come to church.”
Devorick said he’s met a lot of people who weren’t going to church because they didn’t feel comfortable or accepted.
“So I said, ‘We ought to make a church where everybody knows your name, like Cheers,'” added Devorick. “Where everybody feels comfortable and just welcomes everybody to come in.”
The service was held in the church’s back room, but will move into the brand new, 3,500 square foot “Dream Center” once it’s complete. The room on Thursday night was filled with biker t-shirts, Harley-Davidson signs and pictures of motorcycles.
“This isn’t your grandmother’s church,” said parishioner, Jennifer Johnson. “There’s so many free spirits, We call ourselves the misfits sometimes. The dreamers, the misfits, the bikers. People that may have tattoos all over them, piercings, that dress differently. We’re just out of the box.”
There were plenty of snacks and drinks, tables instead of pews and a tattooed biker, Stephen F. “Oz” Oswald, sang about how Jesus has affected his life.
“It’s really just a lot of people who have a passion for motorcycles,” said Devorick. “It’s a brotherhood, it’s a sisterhood coming together for a common good. We’re here as a church to reach 100 percent of people and just meet them where they are love them as they are and just share the good news and let the light come on for them.”
The service isn’t only for bikers and will be held every Thursday night at 7 p.m. at the Conway Centenary United Methodist Church: 1527 SC-544, Conway, SC 29526
