Pastor & President
Marty Owens
My name is Marty Owens. I am the President of Crusaders Set Free M/M we have been making big changes in our ministry and are now located in Owensboro, Ky. We have an afternoon meeting every Sunday (where there just happens to be a devotional) in Owensboro at 3pm with a late lunch/early dinner being served.
Our ministry is more like a mission than a church. The message to us is clear through the simple gospel of Christ. It is a message of freedom, not only freedom from sin but mostly freedom to over come through love and compassion. Christianity teaches us that being Christ like is to be without sin and/or to abstain, but the truth is many of us have daily struggles that nobody knows about. Here at Crusaders Set Free, we live a life of freedom and let God change us through a personal relationship. In all reality, people give up on God because they just can’t be “good enough.” Let me encourage you to never give up. He is always there for you and we will be to. Out of all the rules and commandments in the bible Jesus said in Mark 12:30,”These two are the greatest: To love the Lord God with all your heart, mind, and soul and to love your neighbor as yourself.There is no greater commandment than these.” So no matter who you are or what you have done, you are welcomed at Crusaders Set Free.
Sergeant at Arms
Jonathan Owens
Being a Crusader is a way of life, not a fashion. The main thing that you will see is that regardless of who you are or what you do, nobody is perfect. In order for a man to find himself he must first learn to lose himself. Just know that if you need us we will always be there.
Road Captain
Chris “Hoo-D” Nantz
Although we have different paths through life, we all do the same thing. We have to make choices. Some easy and some are very hard. These choices are what shape our lives.
When faced with a fork in the road, choose the harder of the two. This will always work out better than taking the easy way out. By choosing the hard road, we are not only better preparing ourselves for problems to come but we are also setting a good example for those around us. KEEP THE FAITH!
Vice President
“Papa” John Pepple
So I had the question put to me, “Tell me why and how you to became a member of the Crusader Set Free Motorcycle Ministry?” Well, to tell you the truth, when I first started attending the church back in 2003, I had no intention of becoming a member of the congregation. Much less being a Crusader. I’d attended that first service just to humor a friend. She’d told me about this preacher and how he’d opened her eyes to the Lord in a way no other preacher had, so I agreed to go to keep her from constantly bugging me about it. Not five minutes the sermon I felt as though this preacher knew me intimately and was speaking directly to me. Needless to say, the first service I’d attended really got my attention. When this preacher would explain a verse from the bible, he would do it in a way the common street person could understand, in their terms. That was the first day! From that point, I was content to just attend the services. The more services I’d attended, the more I found The Crusader Set Free Motorcycle Ministry was giving me something I really needed in my life. A closer relationship with God. As I continued attending, I’d found these folks to be a really close net group of people that shared many common interests with me. One, being a love of motorcycles. Two, a willingness to help those less fortunate. And three, acceptance with open arms without being judged. Those being the major interests. But it was the sense of brotherhood I was akin to. I’d discovered CSFMM’s (Crusaders Set Free Motorcycle Ministry) major purpose was a Christmas program aimed towards the underprivileged children in the area. They saw to it that these kids had food baskets and Christmas presents to open Christmas day. This was something that I felt compelled to take an active roll in. Again, that was back in 2003. Within a year, I’d felt a pull within me to become a contributing member to The CSFMM. So I’d asked to join in 2004. I spent a few months as a probate (A prospective member who spends a probationary period of time within the organization, so that members could evaluate their worth to the ministry.) I was eventually accepted into the CSFMM organization as a full patch-wearing member. In the few years that I’ve been with the ministry, I’ve seen many folks come and go. A few have gone on to inspire others. There was even another Motorcycle Ministry created because of CSFMM. As Brother Marty Owens, our minister, once put it. “The Crusaders are a front line ministry, we are at the bottom of the mountain and gather in those who would go on to climb that mountain and grow their personal relationships with God.” Along my path with CSFMM, I’ve felt compelled to pass on some of MY life experiences and became an ordained minister in 2007. Today, I share ministerial responsibilities with Brother Marty. I hold the Vice President’s position within the CSFMM and together with Brother Marty as President, are taking the word to places other folks wouldn’t dream of going. My love for the Crusaders Set Free Motorcycle Ministry members parallels the love I have for my family and I love my family very much. I firmly believe that if you attend just one service, you will find a new way to grow your relationship with God and will be enriched by it. I hope to see you all grace us with your presence some day.
May God bless you and keep you…
“Papa” John Pepple