God Speed Ministry’s 20th Anniversary

April 22, 2004, Thursday, Rockingham Dragway, NC- SUDDENLY!!!!!

I’ve heard that God does “suddenly’s” but have never experienced one such as this. Gary & I met with Scooter Peaco, who filled in for Bill Bader, to discuss the ministry for next year. (Previously Bill had said he would give us a year to put together a new ministry for IHRA.)

Skooter wanted to know how fast we thought we could put this together. IHRA wanted to make the announcement at the ACDELCO nationals in VMP in 3 weeks. 

The prior ministry had severed communications with IHRA. They were no longer providing chapel services for the events. Bill Bader and IHRA wanted to move soon. But not until we were 100%. As Scooter said, “You have only 1 chance to make a good first impression.” 

The ministry would be its own entity. IHRA promised to support it in presence and spirit. They wanted something they could be proud of and give it their blessing…..in JUST 3 WEEKS!!!!! 

How could we ever put this together in 3 weeks? But then I realized that even though Gary and I were not prepared to do this and were completely caught off guard, God wasn’t. He knew before we did. We simply had to rely on Him to show us His plan. 

IHRA had also asked us to keep it quiet because they wanted to tell the other ministry directly rather than them hearing it through the grapevine. They also wanted to make a “big deal” of their announcement at Virginia Motorsports Park in 3 weeks.

Not only did we only have 3 weeks to create a new ministry but now our “hands were tied” as we had to do it quietly.

Gary and I told our daughters the new details. We talked to Steve & Brenda Corker, Rusty & Theresa Cook at the event.

Do not despise these small beginnings, for the LORD rejoices to see the work begin, …..” Zechariah 4:10

April 24, 2004, Saturday, The Name Game

Our main concern at this time was a name for the ministry. We had to have a name before we could find a domain, register a corporation, set up bank account, everything!!!

Scooter had said that the name was the image of the ministry. It needed to roll off the

tongue, not be too wordy or too many syllables, yet say what we were about.

I began to put concepts and ideas on paper, then ask people to suggest names for a motorsports’ ministry. As they gave me their reaction and what it brought to their minds, they also began to give me their ideas of names.

Ideas were bounced throughout the tower Friday and Saturday: Cross Roads 

Motorsports Ministry, Perfect Light, Straight and Narrow, Take the Stripe, Racers 

Association of Christians for Everyone (R.A.C.E.). I liked Cross Roads and Perfect Light but nothing was definitely “it”. 

Saturday night after the race, Aaron Polborn, IHRA VP and marketing guru, was on his way out of the tower when I asked him to give me his professional opinion. He looked at what I had on paper, “That one’s ok, that’s good.” He tossed them back on the counter and turned to leave. Over his shoulder he said, “But if it were mine, I’d call it God Speed.”

That was it! It said everything good about God – His blessings, His provisions, His journey with us, His blessings for a safe journey.

Monday, April 26, 2004 Birth Pains

I went on-line to search domains. I typed in Godspeedministry. It was available in .org,

.net and .com. I called Allen Cook with 1320 Web Services who registered it immediately. “I’ll get right on designing a web site for the ministry,” he promised. 

I called Eugene Grigg, attorney at law and my uncle. I asked him to draw up a charter for the ministry. He said that would require a Board of Directors for the ministry. Steve & Brenda Corker joined me and Gary as the first Board of Directors.

I called Travis Mangum, CPA of Mangum & Associates, to ask what we had to do to become a tax-exempt ministry. He said we needed to file a 501(c)3 form. “Begin to write a business plan and put together a budget with the projection of income for the next 3 years.”

WOW! I had thought the hardest part of this ministry was to find Divisional Chaplains. Now I was overwhelmed with all the business aspects of the ministry that I had never even considered. 

So much to do. We also have to build an identity: signage, banners, business cards, decals, logo, web site, offering envelopes, shirts and ??????? Who were to be the Divisional Chaplains? Someone with a heart for God, who wants to grow His kingdom. Lord, show us Your shepherds! We needed a PA system for us and what about the divisional races? Can we tie into the FM transmitter at the National events? Telephone for the ministry, bank account, EIN…………..?

But all day the ideas came from God. Gary laughed as I shared with 

him the ideas that evening. His laugh was one of amusement and wonder. This was way bigger than the 2 of us but God was preparing the way.

All that week, ideas literally rained from heaven. I took “dictation” as fast as possible for the vision, the “Blessing decal,” to sketch what I saw in my head for a logo, and so much more. There were so many ideas God shared that week. It was miraculous.

Later, Roland Osborne, author and publisher of Christian Motorsports Illustrated, wrote an article about this week. He titled it, “How to Start a Ministry in 6 Days.”

Thursday, April 29, 2004. 10:00 p.m.

“Everything is on hold with God Speed Ministry.”

That was the email we received from IHRA. They had given their word to the current ministry that this was their last year. They would honor their word. I would still preach at VMP as they had promised me but there would be no announcement of a new ministry.

To say we were shocked is an understatement. We felt as though the rug had been pulled out from under our feet and we had fallen hard, having the breath knocked out of us.

But as we cried and prayed, God begin to bring sense of it all.

He knows I procrastinate.

He knew I needed the initial push to get started.

He had shown us enough of His hand in all of it for us to know God wanted to something new. “Behold, I will do something new; Now it will spring forth; Will you not know it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:19 became our comfort.

At 2:00 a.m. we committed to God that we would see this ministry birthed, even if it never became the ministry of the IHRA. We had seen His hand at work. God was doing something new. But for what?

May 4th, 2004. A Ministry is born!

God Speed Ministry became an official entity, a living ministry to serve the Lord God Jehovah.

2004 Recap

God Speed Ministry did 5 IHRA events. The IHRA ACDelco Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the Mooresville Pro Am over the PA system and in the Grandstands, Piedmont Pro Am where we instituted the “Holy Drive-In” where people drove their golf carts or brought lawn chairs to our pit area for chapel service, another Pro Ams, and the IHRA Fall Nationals at Rockingham Dragway.

We had 5 chaplains. Gary & Renee Bingham of Kings Mountain, NC; Rev. Bill Dickerson of Dickenson, TX; and Joe & Debbie Sannutti of Baxley, GA.

At the Mooresville Pro AM people wanted to donate to the ministry. Wonderful! Because this ministry was to serve the people of the IHRA, it was decided to give all the offering that day to help Satch Gragg with medical travel expenses for his son, Elliott, who was diagnosed with leukemia. (Elliott beat the cancer! Praise God.)

Supporting the racers is a foundation stone of God Speed Ministry. Through the years we have supported our racing family financially for various needs. The one most often is helping with uncovered expenses incurred during medical events. As one young wife and mother said when her husband was going through cancer said, “Well, at least we won’t lose the house thanks to the generosity of our community.” That’s one impact of God Speed. 

IHRA announced God Speed Ministry as the official ministry of the IHRA in November of 2004.