Australia has more than its fair share of outlaw biker gangs, with the main ones being imports from the USA. The Hells Angels, Outlaws, Bandidos & Gypsy Jokers being the imports, whilst their home grown ones, such as the Rebels, Commancheros, Black Uhlans, plus others that have American & British club names that are not affiliated such as the Coffin Cheaters & Satans Slaves. One club is different from all these and that is the God Squad Christian Motorcycle Club, located originally in Sydney, then in Melbourne, coming under the leadership in 1972 of one John Smith. Born in 1942, John Smith was a teacher and a church minister who took up biking and slowly brought men in the outlaw world of bikes into his club. In a world where rival clubs try to annihilate each other, differences are put aside when it involves Mr Smith and the GSCMC. He officiates at biker weddings, christenings, and of course, funerals. He is respected around the world.
He has also helped set up clubs in other countries, such as New Zealand, UK, Norway, Finland, and has emerging or support clubs in the USA, Germany, Netherlands & Ukraine. I have seen one christian biker club member in Manchester; they were called the Jesus & Lords. He is a welcome guest in clubhouses throughout Australia, New Zealand & UK, and speaks all over as he works to help reduce offending by youngsters, he has addressed the United Nations Human Rights Committee, and put his neck on the line in Central America and the far east in helping the poor people of this world. Mr Smith, like all bikers, loves music and his particular favourite type is blues - certainly endears him to me. He wrote his autobiography back in the late 80`s entitled "On The Side of The Angels" which I did have but lent it to a friend who had become a christian, but then we never saw each other again. Not exactly a crime story but it is firmly situated in the biker world so I deem it worthy of inclusion.
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