outlaw turned evangelist...
The first time I saw Jeff Stultz, he was getting off an elevator at a hotel in Laurel, Mississippi. His appearance was enough to cause anyone to have second thoughts about their safety if they met him in a dark alley at 3:00am. The perception would have been true in an earlier part of his life. Add to that persona his missionary work of today, and, he made a perfect, Fairy Tale, minus any animals.
HUH? What's up with that?
Mike Grubb, the president of, Hellfighters International, passed away and I am here along with bikers from 15 other states to honor him, Jeff said as he told me why he was in Mississippi. Mike was from Laurel.
When did you start riding a motorcycle and adopt the lifestyle?
I was in the military and I joined the motorcycle life in the service. I went AWOL and got a dishonorable discharge. I am not proud of it, but, it is part of my story, he admitted.
So, you are talking many years after your teen years.
Yes, I spent most of my adult life in a motorcycle world, he said. I was an outlaw and I've been stabbed, shot, you name it. In 2001 my big sister died. I had been a functioning addict all my life, and, when she died, I turned to crack cocaine and for three years I was homeless.
Where were you at this time?
I was in Nashville, he answered. I was going to this bar and a biker preacher I met tried to get me to listen to his ideas of reform, but, I didn't want to hear what he had to say.
But, somewhere along the line about that time, you became a different person.
That's true, he confirmed. Two years later, I had been in jail 30 times. I decided my last time in jail right there and then I wasn't going back. I walked into a church of a friend and wound up giving my life to Christ. I never went back to jail and I never used drugs again. I went to a recovery center called, Celebrate Recovery.
How did you handle that personally? You had to have changed in some way.
Well, at first, I thought I had to look like a modern Christian, so, I cut my hair and shaved my beard, he recalled. I even put on a suit and tie. I did that for nine years. I went to school and became an ordained pastor.
All this time, you are still riding your motorcycle, right?
Yes, I was. In fact, in 2016 my mother died and she left me a little bit of money, he recalled. I knew I could either waste it or buy a new Harley, so, I bought a new bike. Several weeks later, a couple other guys from Celebrate Recovery and I started talking about starting a motorcycle group. A month later, we had 40 members and it made me feel like God was telling me to go out on the road and get the word out.
What exactly do you do in your missionary work?
We ordain Christian bikers around the country to be missionaries, he explained. They go through peer support training, Narcan certification, mental health coach training, gospel doctrine and Evangelism training.
Tell me about your Christian recovery motorcycle group.
I am the founder of, Broken Chains, he said proudly. We are a group of motorcycle enthusiasts who have found hope and healing in Jesus Christ. Our goal is to help others realize change is possible. We have 6,000 members and we are in all 50 states and 13 countries around the world.
How do you support your work?
I own a remodeling company and I am also an Evangelist full time. I spend about eight months out of the year on the road, he answered. I am called the motorcycle missionary and I use my appearance, lifestyle and motorcycle to spread the word and break down barriers that keep people from knowing Jesus.
It has to be difficult blending the two jobs. Missionary work and construction.
It is, I keep busy 24-7, I can tell you that. I am trying to get out of the remodeling business so I can preach full time, he confided. I have partners in the business and that's how I can afford to travel. I hope this is my last year.
Are you married?
17 years ago, my mother wanted to see me to see if I was actually sober, he said. I went down to Fayetteville where she lived to see her and prove I was sober. I wound up going to a church there and met my future wife. We've been married 16 years. I have a daughter I have reunited with from a previous marriage and I now see my grandchildren.
I am guessing you are in your mid to late 50s. How long do you think you can ride?
I've got a trike out there, he grinned. A lot of guys don't want to transition, but, I didn't have any problem. I want to keep riding for as long as I can.
What about goals. What do you see in the future?
My wife and I are debt free, we have an RV and sometimes she travels with me and we trailer the bike. We have a home that is paid for and money in the bank. 17 years ago, I was eating out of dumpsters. Today, my main goal is to see other people succeed.
You gave me a copy of your book called, Hope Dealer. Pretty scary picture on the cover.
Yes, it was my first book, he laughed. It's who I am. I can't hide it. My next one is going to teach others how to be a hope dealer. You can be a doctor, teacher, optician, it doesn't matter, and, teach others to have hope.
Jeff, thank you for your time. I wish continued success for you.
Thanks, and, I hope you enjoy my book.
Coming up: another oddities, observations, & ?'s; more POS, and; another in the legacy series.
And, finally. So many authors, broadcasters, columnists, bloggers, podcasters and social influencers write and speak about how complex, vengeful, aggressive or technical our world has become. I suppose some of it is true, but, we shouldn't lose sight of how wonderful life can be too.
Tonight, I was looking out a kitchen window and saw three brothers (ages 3, 4, and, 5) playing in their yard across the street. They were running, laughing, chasing each other and having a great time. As I looked closer, I saw the object of their laughter. Each one was throwing a folded paper airplane and trying to get their aircraft to fly.
The planes soared all of three feet, but, the lack of altitude had not slowed these guys down. If mom or dad would allow them, it looked like the merriment would go well into the night.
Paper airplanes. Just imagine.
HUH? What's up with that?
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