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Praise Rally rides into Jackson County

By Candice Black 3 min read

RIPLEY -- Road Riders for Jesus rode to Parchment Valley Conference Center in Ripley this week for its National Days of Praise Rally with events that started Monday and go through Friday.

According to its website, the rally is "an opportunity for Christian motorcyclists from around the world to come and be renewed through fellowship, worship, outreach and much more."

The group, founded in 1999, has members from around the world, the website said. Along with the United States, members from other countries represented are Australia, the Gambia, New Zealand, Belgium, Scotland and Germany.

The Road Riders mission statement says, "Although we provide many riding activities for our members, we are not a ride group or a Christian club. The Road Riders for Jesus is a ministry. As we ride the highways and back roads, we seek to fulfill the great commission of our Lord by sharing the Good News of Salvation with others, especially those of the motorcycling world."

The rallies date back to 2005 with a national rally each year and seven or eight state rallies, said Carl Crackel, founder and international director of the group. Crackel said they were looking for places to have a rally that would accommodate members in the area.

They "stumped onto Parchment Valley and it met our needs. Frank and Teresa have really blessed our ministry," Crackel said. This is the third year for the event in Ripley.

This evening will feature the motorcycle show and other events at Courthouse Square in Ripley. Around 70-80 cycles will be on display and participants will vote on their favorite bikes.

Eddie Day, a musician who has been inducted in the Blues Hall of Fame, will be performing. His music features songs from the '50s and '60s but with Christian-based lyrics, Crackel said.

Kids of different ages will be able to compete in a bike race this evening. Each kid that participates, according to Crackel, will receive a T-shirt and a wrist band sponsored by the Road Riders group.

The boy and girl winners from each age group will receive new bikes, sponsored by Wal-Mart in Ripley, and helmets sponsored by the Road Riders. Evening festivities will start at 4:30 at the Courthouse Square.

Other features of the event include safety training seminars, a desert run and the West Virginia Motorcycle Safety Simulator. Seminars, nine in total, include topics such as how to safely ride a motorcycle at night, communication devices and how to use them and travel photography.

Services take place every morning at 9 and evening at 7 at Parchment Valley with the exception of this evening when a devotional will take place at the Courthouse Square.

Frank Miller, director of operations at Parchment Valley, is grateful for the riders' presence in the county. He said the group has "an incredible ministry of people finding hope through the gospel. We're glad to have them here."

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