Two Disciples pastors from America’s heartland rode their bicycles 380 miles from Missouri to the General Assembly in Indianapolis in support of the work of Reconciliation Ministry. Sondra Bowers, senior minister of Red Bridge Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in the Greater Kansas City Region, and John J. Yonker, senior minister at First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Columbia, Mo., completed the trip in four days.

Yonker, 62, and Bower, 46, left Columbia in the Mid-America Region early on July 25 and arrived in Indianapolis about 5 p.m. July 28, the day before the Assembly began. The cyclists were accompanied part of the way by Yonker’s wife and Karen Yount, regional minister for women in the Greater Kansas City Region.

“It was great. We had wonderful weather,” said Bowers. However, the western part of Indiana was a bit challenging, she recalled. “Our last day was pretty hilly but we made it,” Bowers said. They cycled an average of 95 miles a day. Both ministers said they trained for the grueling trip for weeks.

“Reconciliation is a great cause and I’ve always supported it,” said Yonker, who had cycled 570 miles from Kansas City to Louisville for the 1987 General Assembly. “We are not doing this for the publicity but for a very worthy cause.” Yonker also has participated in two half marathons over the past couple of years.

The ministers were greeted by other Disciples at Avon Christian Church, (Disciples of Christ) in Avon, Ind., a suburb of Indianapolis where they  received refreshments. They were joined at Avon by Angela Herrmann, director of web site development and coordinator for environmental education and advocacy with Disciples Home Missions. Herrmann cycled the final 14 miles to the Indiana Convention Center with them. 
 
“They were happy to see me but they were probably even happier that they had almost made it,” said Herrmann. “To do a multi-day,100-plus miles bicycle ride is pretty impressive, especially for John, who is an older guy. It’s a good way to bring awareness to reconciliation issues.”

So far, Bowers and Yonker have raised more than $6,000 through donations in support of their trip from their regions, congregations and friends.

By:  James Patterson