Photos courtesy of Refuge Angels Camp, CA

Angels Camp is a small town in northern California known for its rich history, picturesque mountain views, and one the most popular Christian motorcycle runs in all of California—The Refuge Run. The event is hosted by Refuge Angels Camp, a Calvary Chapel congregation led by Pastor Shawn McCamey.

Shawn had served as the youth pastor at CC Sonora, CA, for 15 years when he felt the Lord prompting him to plant a church. He and his wife Connie started a Bible study in the town of Angels Camp, about 20 miles north of Sonora. “Everything goes through Angels Camp,” Shawn pointed out. Its central location makes it a hub for people passing through, and a landing place for many people who may not necessarily “fit in” with other churches. Refuge held its first official service on Easter of 2009 in a small building across the street from the local hardware store.

God is our refuge and help, a very present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1

Inspiration for the Run

Church member Ron Rose approached Pastor Shawn in 2010 letting him know that a popular Christian motorcycle event, which had been running for years, had been discontinued. Pastor Shawn’s response— “Let’s start our own biker run and see how the Lord will use it”—was an idea that would have a far greater impact than any imagined at the time.

During a biker run, groups of bikers join one another and ride caravan-style from one point to another for several reasons: to raise awareness for a cause, make a statement as a club, or for Christian ministry to the larger biker community.

The idea of a biker run came from Ron’s past. A convicted felon, he met Jesus later in life, after serving time in prison. His wife, Julie, started coming to the new church without him. Although he was a believer, Ron wouldn’t step foot in a church, so Julie asked Shawn and Connie to pray for him. Now Ron serves faithfully at Refuge Angels Camp.

From his time in prison, Ron knew some very “rough” people—but he also knew rough people whose lives were changed by the power of the Gospel. He had seen many lives impacted by biker and prison ministries. When the Lord prompted Pastor Shawn and Ron to suggest that Refuge start its own Run, only He knew it would be the beginning of something very special.

According to Connie McCamey, her husband “never owned a motorcycle and never thought that God would call him to reach out to the biker community.” His faithfulness to step out, however, combined with Ron’s passion for reaching the “untouchables” of society, has proven to be a tremendous blessing to hundreds of people.

Refuge’s first run in 2011 only drew 12 bikers; but by 2018, 80 bikers and over 150 people attended. And last year, in 2023, more than 200 bikers and over 400 people participated in the Run.

The weekend-long event kicks off Friday night with worship and Bible study. On Saturday, they enjoy breakfast together, followed by more worship and Bible study before taking a 30-minute ride to White Pines, CA. The event ends with “Hug-a-Biker Sunday”. This gives the church the opportunity to “worship alongside bikers who have come to know Jesus through very diverse and extreme backgrounds,” Connie shared. She marveled at the beauty of “watching a former inmate, who had served time in prison for murder, worship Jesus alongside a 70-year-old grandmother who has served Jesus every day of her life.”

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. Revelation 7:9

Shawn recounted that about five years ago, he and Ron were praying before the event began. Suddenly, some bikers belonging to an outlaw club pulled up to the church. One of the bikers happened to recognize Ron. They had been running with the same biker club when he got locked up. Shawn explained, “As it turned out, both men went to different prisons, then got saved; this was the first time they’d seen each other since going to prison.”

The weekend involves lots of food, fellowship, worship, and even a raffle for a new motorcycle. The event always includes a “Biker Blessing,” when Shawn stands in front of all the bikers and prays for them. They hand out stickers and poker chips commemorating the Refuge Run. “Over the years we have seen many people give their lives to the Lord and get baptized,” Connie reflected. “We have spent hours listening to the stories the bikers share of redemption and renewal.”

An Unexpected Blessing

Enter COVID-19. According to Shawn, he had been experiencing much discouragement during the year leading up to the pandemic. It was during this season that the Lord brought the Amani Children’s Choir from Uganda to them. The choir was touring the U.S. and was scheduled to sing at another local church on March 15th, 2020. That church was unable to have that service because their meeting place, a local elementary school, had just had their first COVID case and would not let them have their Sunday Service. The pastor reached out to Refuge to see if they could host the choir. That week all the scheduled concerts for the choir were canceled, and flights to Uganda were grounded. “One day, everything was normal business, and the next day, the choir from Uganda was stuck,” Shawn relayed. The choir left Angels Camp for the Bay Area with an offer to return if they needed a place to stay. A week later they were back. The choir could not go anywhere else, and they couldn’t go home. They literally took up camp in the church building and parsonage—for five months.

"You’d think it would have been really hard,” admitted Shawn, “but it was actually a tremendous blessing.” The choir chaperones and pastor prayed daily for the church, and the entire community was blessed by the choir’s presence, as the church kept its doors open during COVID. New people began attending because of the choir. And the Refuge Run went on as planned. But this year, it was joined by the community, bikers from across the country, and one Ugandan children’s choir.

Shawn described the scene during the Biker’s Blessing just before the ride: Bikes filled the parking lot. Men, women, and children from all walks of life gathered. Little children from Uganda prayed with ex-convicts, big bikers, and former drug addicts whose lives were changed by the Gospel. “The choir encouraged us,” he continued to share. “God used them at a time when we were about ready to throw in the towel, and the kids brought us so much joy.”

But Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 19:14

The Lord provided for the church’s needs in abundance that year. They were able to raffle off a bike, and there was still plenty of food for everyone. Random people would just drive by the church and drop off checks as donations for feeding and housing the choir.  Pastor James, leading the Ugandan children’s choir, praised God that this was the very first trip when they didn’t have to use a credit card to provide for the children.

The Church is a Refuge

Shawn referred to the cities of refuge from the book of Joshua in the Old Testament, noting, “We wanted to be a place where people could come, be safe, meet Jesus, and be set free.” He concluded, “We may not always understand what God will use to minister to people, and we want to come alongside people in their brokenness; rejoice, weep, and walk with them through their journey.”

Church Website: refugeangelscamp.com

The next Refuge Run will be held June 7-8, 2024. Learn more about it at refuge-run.com

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