As bikers across Michiana get read to take to the roads this summer, a church in South Bend is looking to make sure the bikers are covered with more than riding helmets and leather jackets. They want to make sure they’re covered with prayer. South Bend's Berean Transformation Center Church held a "Blessing of the Bikes" event for bikers. Here, church members and leaders pose with some of the bikes on display. | Photos by Samantha Woolford-Hunt
It was the Berean Transformation Center Church’s first-ever “Blessing of the Bikes,” an event combining both fellowship and outreach. At the heart of the initiative was Cedrick Chintembo, a seminary student and biker.
Biker safety is what drove the idea, Chintembo said. “Motorcyclists are much more vulnerable on the road.”
In fact, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, motorcyclists were about 22 times more likely than passenger vehicle occupants to die in a crash per vehicle miles traveled in 2022. That’s why this event mattered deeply to those who came.
One of the bikers in attendance was Edgar Luna, an MDiv student. In addition to praying for bikers and their safety, Luna said he hoped the event would help change perceptions of bikers.
“Sometimes we have a negative bias about them, but [we need] to create a space for them to be cared for and loved by the community, to learn about God and the love that God has for them.”
Senior Pastor Claval Hunter and his wife, Christina, were among several church leaders supporting the event—even though they aren’t bikers themselves. “I’ve always been tempted to become a biker,” Pastor Hunter said. “But my wife might not be ready for that.” Christina smiled in agreement. “We’ve lost friends in accidents. It’s nerve-wracking, but this event helps us show love and support to that community.”
Their presence reinforced the event’s deeper meaning: belonging. “We want people, especially those who feel like they’re on the fringes, to know there’s a place for them in the church,” Christina said. “This event opens that door.”
The event also had a philanthropic side: attendees were encouraged to bring donations for the Ronald McDonald House in South Bend. Chintembo’s vision goes beyond one Saturday afternoon. He hopes this event becomes a yearly tradition, with even broader community engagement.
“This is more than an event. It's a ministry,” he said. “And it’s a sign that a church doesn’t have to be confined to four walls. It can meet people where they are, whether that’s behind a pulpit or behind handlebars.”
With plans to grow the church’s outreach ministry into a year-round operation, hosting community events, mental health workshops, and more, Berean Transformation Center is modeling what it means to be a church in the community, not just near it.
Samantha Woolford-Hunt, a graphic design major at Andrews University, is interning at the Lake Union Herald this summer.
