Germany's first motorcycle pastor retires

By Joern Perske Dec 15, 2011, 3:06 GMT

Berlin - Ruprecht Mueller-Schiemann has just completed his last service as a Protestant minister at his church in the town of Grundau in western Germany.

He drove his motorbike directly to the church altar and began his sermon while wearing his motorbike leathers.

After 30 years the 62-year-old has retired. Known as 'Rupi' to his friends, he has completed an unusual chapter in the history of Germany's Protestant church: 'I'm the first motorcycling minister in Germany and I'm also the oldest,' he says with some pride.

For many years he was also the only minister to tend to Germany's flock of motorcyclists.

He began his ministry in 1981 in an attempt to promote peace among the motorcycling community's different factions in the state of Hessen.

Preaching road safety was another of his tasks. 'We were no longer satisfied with only acting when it was too late, with providing comfort after something bad had happened. We decided we had to take preventative measures,' says Mueller-Schiemann.

'There are 20,000 motorcyclists and their families in the state of Hessen,' he says. In addition to motorcyclists Mueller-Schiemann also ministered in sanatoriums and clinics.

'At the time bikers came to us and said they wanted a church,' he recalls. In the beginning hundreds of people would come to the services conducted at different locations in the state.

Recently his ministry extended to organizing rock music events in churches. Tens of thousands of people have attended a big annual event organised every spring to mark the start of the motorcycling season where the Reverend 'Rupi' gave his blessing while mounted on a motorbike.

Mueller-Schiemann is circumspect when it comes to estimating what effect he has had on his flock.

'If I managed to prevent one fatal accident, then I'm already on the winning side. I think I can say that I at least managed to get my listeners to reflect a little,' he says.

He can also say that he helped bring people closer together. 'Bikers and motorcycle police officers suddenly began greeting each other at festivals.' Mueller-Schiemann says: 'I can retire and say that I left a trail behind me.'

With Mueller-Schiemann's retirement an era has drawn to a close and another one is beginning.

His church has announced that it will continue providing a post of motorcycle minister.

Germany's Association of Christian Bikers has welcomed the announcement. 'The position should not be allowed to remain empty,' says Andreas Goering, spokesman for the association.

Today, Germany has several motorcycle ministers spread around the country.

'Large services are held for bikers in Hamburg and Hanover,' says Mueller-Schiemann who is hanging up his helmet with some sadness.

He's happy to have more free time, with less long journeys and more time to spend on his bike, a BMW 1100 RW. He says he never earned quite enough money for a Harley Davidson.

And what now? 'I'm going to enjoy the power of nature and the motorbike more in future.'

He has one big wish: 'We need to pay much more attention when we're on the road so we can maintain a connection between people and ensure that the dream of unlimited mobility does not turn into a nightmare.'