Christ’s Sons Roll With the Gospel : Rugged Band of Christian Motorcyclists Spreads God’s Word

Once a week, leaving dozens of huge motorcycles in a row outside, a band of bikers sporting ponytails, leather jackets and tattoos stomp into a building in Anaheim.

Each carries a Bible, and below the Harley-Davidson emblems on their jackets are the words, “Christ’s Sons--Live or Die.”

Inside, as the 35 bikers join several hundred others, the Rev. Phil Aguilar begins the worship service.

“We allow anyone to come into our church,” Aguilar said. “We don’t care what kind of bike he rides.”

Aguilar is the spiritual leader of Christ’s Sons, a band of bikers who cruise the roads and freeways of Orange County, bringing the Gospel to the streets.

He also is one of their own, a biker who became a Christian a decade ago while serving time at Chino State Prison.

Each week, he and Christ’s Sons hold services at Set Free Christian Fellowship at 320 N. Anaheim Blvd. for other bikers and the general public.

“God doesn’t care about your appearance,” said John Ochoa, the group’s vice president. “He cares about your heart.”

Ochoa, 24, a native of Orange, said he was introduced to Christianity by a fellow biker four years ago.

“We used to get together and party, sit around getting wasted,” he said. “Then one day he told me he accepted Christ.” Ochoa, who works as a mechanic, said he saw “something different” in his friend and became a Christian soon afterward.

Ochoa stopped drinking and using drugs. “The desire just went away,” he said.

Another member of the congregation, biker Jim Brady, a former helicopter gunner in Vietnam, said he was facing a 10-year jail sentence in Oregon for possession of LSD 15 years ago when evangelists came to minister to inmates.

At first, he was not receptive. “I’d fight ‘em, threaten ‘em, tell them to stay away from me,” the burly 41-year-old said. Eventually, however, he became a Christian.

Brady said all drug charges against him were later dropped, even though he was, he said, “guilty as all get out.”

Now Aguilar, Brady, Ochoa, and the other members of Christ’s Sons ride together, trying to share their experiences with other bikers.

They spend time at bikers’ swap meets looking for parts for their motorcycles and preaching to other motorcycle clubs.

According to James Rasmussen, president of the group, Christ’s Sons is one of about 10 Christian motorcycle clubs in Southern California.

Aguilar said his bikers’ ministry is just one of the many Christian groups headquartered at Set Free.

His church also has a group of low-riders and former street people who minister to others like themselves.