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Bikers For Christ, or BFC is a Christian ministry for motorcyclists founded in 1990 by Pastor Fred Zariczny (A.K.A. "Pastor Z"), [1] who also pastors Rushing Wind Ministries in Oceanside, California. BFC first operated under Calvary Chapel of Marysville, CA in the 1990s. Now it operates under the covering of: Rushing Wind Ministries in Southern California. Rushing Wind Ministries was founded in 2003 as a Biker Church in Oceanside, California by Pastor Z., and there are now over a dozen Rushing Wind affiliate churches in the Us and overseas. There are currently over a hundred BFC chapters with thousands of members worldwide. [2] [3] Paul Crouch Jr. with the Trinity Broadcasting Network has recognized BFC as one of the largest Christian motorcycle ministries in the world. [4] In a 2010 radio interview with Christian metal radio program The Full Armor of God Broadcast, [5] Pastor Z. talked about their worldwide ministry. As of April 2020 - Zariczny states that BFC currently has Chapters in 50 states and 24 countries including: Australia, all over Europe, the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Lithuania, South Africa, and Sweden. BFC sponsors several motorcycle events to raise money for the handicapped, underprivileged and disabled. [6] [7] BFC also sponsors events to honor Vietnam Veterans where a 370-foot (110 m) mini replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall is displayed publicly. [8] Pastor Fred is married to his wife Esther. They have seven children, thirteen grandchildren, and a great granddaughter. Pastor Z. is known for his tattoos after having the BFC membership patch logo tattooed on his back by Kim Saigh on LA Ink . Pastor Z. also plays Bass Guitar in the BFC Full Throttle Band - with his Band-Mate: Eric Turner on Lead Vocals & Lead Guitars, and multiple drummers. The Full Throttle Band has played at: Sturgis, Daytona, Hollister, Arizona Bike Week, and many Motorcycle Club parties. The band plays Classic Rock biker tunes and also quite a few Christian Originals written by Eric Turner, Darrell Mansfield, etc. Pastor Z. also takes pictures, and writes articles for the secular motorcycle magazine Quick Throttle.
The Bandidos Motorcycle Club, also known as the Bandido Nation, is an outlaw motorcycle club with a worldwide membership. Formed in San Leon, Texas, in 1966, the Bandidos MC is estimated to have between 2,000 and 2,500 members and 303 chapters located in 22 countries, making it the second-largest motorcycle club in the world behind the Hells Angels.
The Outlaws Motorcycle Club, incorporated as the American Outlaws Association or its acronym, A.O.A., is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Founded in McCook, Illinois in 1935, the Outlaws MC is the oldest outlaw biker club in the world. With 441 chapters located in 43 countries, and a membership of over 3,000, the club is also the third-largest in the world, behind the Hells Angels and the Bandidos. Outlaws members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles.
Ralph Hubert "Sonny" Barger Jr. was an American outlaw biker who was a founding member of the Oakland, California chapter of the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club in 1957. After forming the Oakland chapter, Barger was instrumental in unifying various disparate Hells Angels chapters and had the club incorporated in 1966. He emerged as the Hells Angels' most prominent member during the counterculture era and was reputed by law enforcement and media to be the club's international president, an allegation he repeatedly denied. The author Hunter S. Thompson called Barger "the Maximum Leader" of the Hells Angels, and Philip Martin of the Phoenix New Times described him as "the archetypical Hells Angel", saying he "didn't found the motorcycle club ... but he constructed the myth". He authored five books, and appeared on television and in film.
Pagan's Motorcycle Club, or simply the Pagans, is an outlaw motorcycle club formed by Lou Dobkin in 1957 in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The club rapidly expanded and by 1959, the Pagans, originally clad in blue denim jackets and riding Triumphs, began to evolve along the lines of the stereotypical one percenter motorcycle club.
Victory Motorcycles was an American motorcycle brand based in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. It began selling its vehicles in 1998, and began winding down operations in January 2017 to be succeeded by the revived traditional American motorcycle brand Indian, which are both owned by parent company Polaris Industries.
An outlaw motorcycle club, known colloquially as a biker club or bikie club, is a motorcycle subculture generally centered on the use of cruiser motorcycles, particularly Harley-Davidsons and choppers, and a set of ideals that purport to celebrate freedom, nonconformity to mainstream culture, and loyalty to the biker group.
The Honda CBR1000RR, marketed in some countries as the "Fireblade", is a 999 cc (61.0 cu in) liquid-cooled inline four-cylinder superbike, introduced by Honda in 2004 as the 7th generation of the CBR series of motorcycles that began with the CBR900RR in 1992.
The Diablos Motorcycle Club is an outlaw motorcycle club founded in San Bernardino, California in 1961 that has chapters in cities across the United States.
The Mongols Motorcycle Club, also known as the Mongol Brotherhood or Mongol Nation, is an international outlaw motorcycle club. Originally formed in Montebello, California, in 1969, the club is headquartered in Southern California. Although the Mongols' main presence lies in California, they also have chapters nationwide in 14 states and internationally in 11 countries. Law enforcement officials estimate approximately 2,000 "full-patched" members are in the club. The Mongols are the fifth-largest outlaw biker club in the world, after the Hells Angels, the Bandidos, the Outlaws and the Pagans.
Harry Joseph Bowman, also known as "Taco", was an American outlaw biker and gang leader who served as the international president of the Outlaws Motorcycle Club between 1984 and 1999. During his tenure as president, the club had chapters in more than 30 cities in the United States and some 20 chapters in at least four other countries.
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is an international outlaw motorcycle club whose members typically ride Harley-Davidson motorcycles. In the United States and Canada, the Hells Angels are incorporated as the Hells Angels Motorcycle Corporation. Common nicknames for the club are the "H.A.", "Red & White", and "81". With a membership of over 6,000, and 592 charters in 66 countries, the HAMC is the largest "outlaw" motorcycle club in the world.
The Nordic Biker War was a gang war that began in January 1994 and continued until September 1997 in parts of Scandinavia and Finland, involving the Hells Angels and Bandidos outlaw motorcycle clubs. The conflict is also known as the Great Nordic Biker War or Second Biker War to distinguish it from the earlier Copenhagen Biker War, which took place between 1983 and 1985.
Colors are the insignia, or "patches", worn by motorcycle club members on cut-off vests to identify membership of their club and territorial location. Club patches have been worn by many different groups since the 1960s. They are regarded by many to symbolize an elite amongst motorcyclists and the style has been widely copied by other subcultures and commercialized.
El Forastero Motorcycle Club (EFMC) is a one-percenter motorcycle club which was established after being turned down for a chapter by the Satan Slaves MC. The El Forasteros are well known for their criminal activities, and are considered by law enforcement to be among the many second-tier, after the "Big Four", outlaw motorcycle clubs.
The Warlocks Motorcycle Club, also distinguished as the Harpy Warlocks or the Philly Warlocks, is an American outlaw motorcycle club that was formed in Philadelphia in 1967. The club is most prominent in the Delaware Valley, including Philadelphia, Delaware County and South Jersey, as well as in the nearby Lehigh Valley.
A biker bar is a bar that is frequented by bikers. Some are owned or managed by people who are friendly toward bikers. Some bars and restaurants advertise that they are "biker friendly" to attract more bikers and motorcycle (bike) enthusiasts. Biker bars are patronized by people from all walks of life, including bikers, non-bikers, and motorcycle club adherents, including outlaw motorcycle clubs.
The Night Wolves or Night Wolves Motorcycle Club is a Russian motorcycle club that was founded around the Moscow area in 1989. It holds an international status with at least 45 chapters world-wide.
Luke Wessman is an American tattoo artist and designer. He was featured on the TLC reality shows Miami Ink and NY Ink.
The Hells Angels Motorcycle Club (HAMC) is designated an outlaw motorcycle gang by the Department of Justice. Based primarily in the Southwest, the Pacific Northwest, the Great Lakes region, the Mid-Atlantic and New England, there are an estimated 92 Hells Angels chapters in 27 U.S. states, with a membership of over 800. Due to the club's designation as a "known criminal organization" by the State Department and Department of Homeland Security, the United States has a federal policy prohibiting its foreign members from entering the country. The Hells Angels partake in drug trafficking, gunrunning, extortion, money laundering, insurance fraud, kidnapping, robbery, theft, counterfeiting, contraband smuggling, loan sharking, prostitution, trafficking in stolen goods, motorcycle and motorcycle parts theft, assault, murder, bombings, arson, intimidation and contract killing. The club's role in the narcotics trade involves the production, transportation and distribution of marijuana and methamphetamine, in addition to the transportation and distribution of cocaine, hashish, heroin, LSD, MDMA, PCP and diverted pharmaceuticals. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the HAMC may earn up to $1 billion in drug sales annually.