Picture a group of men on motorcycles sporting beards and tattoos, leather jackets and doo rags. At first glance, they seem tough, hardened, and intimidating. But if you dared approach, you might notice a white badge that reads “The Brethren”. Believe it or not, these Topeka-based bikers ride for God. The Brethren consists of over a dozen men ranging from 27 to 66 years old. From engineers and railroad workers to welders and construction workers, the group represents men from all walks of life. Their common interests are motorcycles and ministering. So how did this unexpected group of God-fearing men come to be?
It all started in 2007 in St. Paul, Minnesota. Larry Houghton had been riding motorcycles with a group of buddies for several years. “I felt, kinda called to a ministerial position,” he said. “There were a couple of guys who wanted to know more about the Bible and that kind of thing, so we started getting together on Thursday nights in my garage. In no time we had twelve or thirteen men coming. We would read a chapter or sometimes just a verse of the New Testament and we discussed that and just kinda got in each other's lives and helped each other make it through. You know, life is difficult. It’s difficult with a family. It's difficult without a family. So we just started carrying one another.”
The group’s name has a Biblical base. “The Brethren” references Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. “That's why we're The Brethren,” Houghton explained. “Because Christ is setting us aside, and He is not ashamed to call us brother.”
In 2012, Houghton moved from Saint Paul to Meriden, Kansas. He rode by himself for a couple of years doing a little ministry and speaking to men's groups. Then he ran into James Smith, the current president of The Brethren. “We did a ministry in Sturgis, and he and I went several times,” Houghton said. “We were part of a group that washed motorcycles, served pulled pork sandwiches, and offered free oil changes. Some of the guys wanted to hang out and learn a little something about God, so we’d minister to them.”
Back in Meriden, God kept working through people in the community. Houghton met Richard White. He owned a building down on Seward Avenue. He not only offered them space in the building, but also became a founding member of the group! Now, the second Thursday of every month they gather there at The Brethren House and discuss “new business”. This new business consists of helping neighbors in the Topeka area. “We have painted houses, helped with sheet rock, built decks, and done yard work. We’ve even helped with food and Christmas gifts,” Houghton shared. Wherever they see a need in the community, they try to fill it.
You might be wondering how they find these people who need a helping hand. Houghton says it requires making an effort to get to know the people in your community. “The word says, ‘Forsake, not the assembly,’ and that does not mean the meeting in church,” he said. “Because, when you buy a jigsaw puzzle, all the pieces are in the box. Just because people all go to church, that doesn't mean you've assembled. The only way you can assemble is if you get into each other's lives and get to know the people around you.” True to form, when they started The Brethren House, they held an open house and served food to their neighbors to introduce themselves.
Houghton still stays in touch with his northern friends. Every spring The Brethren ride up to Twin Lakes Bible Camp in northern Iowa to get the youth camp ready for the season. “We connect with our old buddies from Minnesota while we check the docks and put the boats in. We set up the beds, put the bunks in place and make sure it’s all ready to go. Then in the fall, we go back and we fix everything that they broke,” he laughed. “If you wanna come help, you gotta get on your bike and ride for six hours, and then when you wanna come home, you ride six hours back.” A couple of members even ride back in the summer, using their own vacation time, to perform any mid-season maintenance that is needed.
“I originally started this because no one sees anyone other than the people that they work with or they're related to. I mean, you still wave at people, but your lives aren't connected,” Houghton explained. “Too many times we're living private lives that are wasting away. So you have to step out and get to know the people around you. Once you do that, you know the needs of people before they even ask.”
To learn more about The Brethren, visit their Facebook page at “The Brethren Project.”
Visit CityLifestyle.com/Topeka to view additional photos from this article.
“This is about, introducing Jesus to men who have realized that their life is not anywhere near what it could and should be.” - Larry Houghton, The Brethren Founder