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By Penny Fletcher
penny@observernews.net
Growing up, Fred Schreiber had five brothers and sisters. Four went to Bible college. Children of a deacon, they all grew up in church.
Almost fifty years ago to this day, Fred became a pastor. Now, his two sons are also pastors. And his wife, Eleanor - well, she’s played piano and organ and taken charge of choirs and study groups the whole 49 years of their marriage.
His daughter in Saint Petersburg also lives a spiritual life.
A nondenominational preacher, Fred says his intentions to retire were overtaken by his realization that he now had time to take missionary trips as his sons were doing.
After moving to Sun City Center in 2000 from 14-years of pastoring a church in Saint Pete, he became pastor of the First Christian Church of Sun City Center.
“I really meant to retire,” he said. “But then I realized I had time to do things I hadn’t been able to do before.”
Although he resigned as First Church pastor three years later, so he would be free to serve in the mission field, he still preaches at Hawaiian Isles Mobile Home Park in Ruskin five months out of the year.
“I love it,” he said. “We hold worship and Bible study in a community center where other days they play poker and have dances. I’m there when the snowbirds are there.”
And when he isn’t preaching at Hawaiian Isles, he’s traipsing around the world doing random acts of kindness. Like this summer when he spent time in South Dakota among bikers and American Indians, doing hands-on labor to benefit people he doesn’t even know.
At 70 he still operates the tools that can build (or in this case rebuild) homes, community centers and other buildings.
“We would have had to pay extra for suitcases to fly out there, so we put our prescription medications and clothes in with the things in our toolboxes and carried them on board,” he said.
Fred and one son, daughter-in-law and four grandchildren aged 7-to-18 took with them carpenters and electricians and plumbers, all raising the money for their own passage. But when they arrived, they could not do the work they’d gone to do.
“The buildings were just in too bad a shape. We had to clean up, get rid of junk, and completely gut the place. Now I am praying others will go and finish what we have begun,” he said during our interview.
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| Schreiber’s granddaughters help unload supplies with other members of the mission team. |
They went to South Dakota because of a relationship one of his sons has made with members of the Christian Riders Association; bikers who formerly were on drugs and alcohol and now spend their time telling other bikers about how Jesus Christ has saved their souls and changed their way of life.
“DQ & Beth Roberts are a wonderful testimony to what God can do,” Fred said of the founders of the Web site, HYPERLINK “http://www.christianriders.org” www.christianriders.org. “They go to the big rallies where there are often 30,000 or more bikers. They go to places like this building we’re trying to fix up for the bikers to have burgers and fries, play pool in, and clean themselves up (in restrooms.) They talk to those who want to talk, and hand out literature. They know some of them are in a bad place because they’ve been there and they were miserable,” Fred said.
The group of 11 adults, six teens and one elementary youth went in preparation for the annual Sturgis Bike Week which attracts motorcyclists of all types.
“So many are great people who just love to ride,” Fred said. “It’s the ones who are on the path of alcohol and drugs they want to reach. In no way do I want anyone to judge people who ride motorcycles badly. DQ and his group go to the rallies because they know many get stoned while they’re there, just like they used to do.”
Fred told me that DQ had just had colon surgery before the trip and couldn’t do heavy work. “He was disappointed, but then he said while in the hospital, he had won a nurse to the Lord.”
Fred says he never knows how God will accomplish his work. “We just go where the doors open to us,” he said.
While in South Dakota, the missionaries worshiped at Crow Creek Bible Church that serves the Sioux Indian tribe. While there, DQ presented his favorite guitar to the Sioux minister as a gift.
“DQ and Beth give their testimony of how 11 years ago they stumbled into Bayonet Point Christian Church in Clearwater – badly into drug and alcohol abuse- and Jesus changed their lives completely,” Fred said. “Now, their preaching blesses us all.”
Already Fred’s 18-year-old granddaughter Melissa has been on mission trips to Bulgaria, Honduras, Costa Rica and India. Like her dad, uncle and grandpa, she’s ready to become a full-fledged missionary herself.
Fred is hoping people will read this story and volunteer to gather pop-up or other Christian books and materials for children; adult Christian books and literature; and other supplies to hand out to the bikers who attend the rallies his son and the Christian Riders attend.
Tradesmen and women who can finish the building they went to South Dakota and started are also needed. He’s also praying to interest others in getting the word into a community that is often forgotten by missionaries; the alcoholics and drug addicts that may be anywhere, especially right here in the USA.
Individuals and groups may learn how to help in two ways; by visiting HYPERLINK “http://www.christianriders.org” www.christianriders.org or by giving Fred a call at (813) 633-7647.
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