“We’re a Christian organization but we don’t want to just do a church event,” Burton said. “There’s something practically for everybody. We want to bring value to the city.”
Ex-Hell’s Angel Russ Clear, now an Ohio evangelist, spoke about his past, including 15 years of incarceration, and the healing power of faith he encountered while in San Quentin State Prison in California.
“Sometimes people have got to go through a mess; I’m not perfect, I’m forgiven,” said Clear, who added he’s both been shot and stabbed multiple times while also inflicting injuries on others.
“The first verse I read in the Bible (from the book of Matthew) was ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.’ God knows what you need.”
This year’s Freedom Fest provided support to the Blue Ribbon Mothers by collecting items to send to troops. Past groups the festival has helped include the Community Pregnancy Center and Hope House, both in Middletown.
“We don’t want to just take; we want to do a ton of giving back,” Burton said.
Burton said he’s performed with bands all five years of the festival, which is how he gained interest in becoming a board member three years ago.
Throughout the day, six regional bands played, including My Brother’s Keeper, the Reece Lincoln Band and the James Potts Band.
Franklin resident David Baker, who serves as president of the Franklin chapter of Christian Motorcycle Association, said his organization has had a presence at Freedom Fest since it began.
“We’ve done it every year so it’s become a tradition for our group to be here,” Baker said.
Other religious groups at the festival included Liberty Bible Academy in Mason and Monroe’s LifeWay Christian Church.
Contact this reporter at (513) 820-2179 or Hannah.Poturalski@coxinc.com.
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