The three great National Presidents of the SOG MC:

Barney McCarthey 1989-1994 * Moggie Levingston 1994-1998 * Tommy Douthat 1998 - 2000

The Sons of God Motorcycle Club was founded in 1981 by Gary Shire from Mansfield Ohio. He had decided in the summer of '79 that God wanted him to start a Christian "Motorcycle Gang." While praying for a name for this new group in 1981, he met a man at "Creation" (a Christian Rally in PA), who had the phrase "Sons of God" on the back of his jacket. It is believed that he was from Baltimore, MD. Gary Shire had the colors made up much as they are today, except with a bottom rocker that depicted his hometown of Mansfield. And thus the Sons of God MC was born. Born Again Bikers !

By 1985 when the Mansfield News Journal did a story on Shire and the Sons of God Motorcycle Club, he had about 15 members (among whom was a man named Roy Levingston who everyone calls Moggie) and potential chapters forming in Akron, OH & in New Jersey.

Enter Barney McCarthy. Barney was a leather vendor in NE PA and a born again Christian, he traveled to Ohio to gain membership in the Sons of God Motorcycle Club. By 1986 Barney traveled to all the Biker Rally's selling leather and flying his new SOG M/C Colors, which now had a bottom rocker that sported the name of the territory that the SOG M/C claimed as their own: "New Jerusalem". Where in the world is that you might say? Look in Revelation Chapter 21 and you will see.

The Club grew rapidly during the late '80's and three main regions developed: Ohio, Mid Atlantic, & the Carolinas. Around 1989-1990 they formed a National Leadership. Gary Shire had left the ministry and so they appointed Barney McCarthy as the National President. John "Slim" Picking was the National Treasurer. The Club really flourished under Barney's leadership and was gaining a lot of respect among the major 1% outlaw clubs all across the nation.

Due to the democratic structure that had been set up, there were to be National Elections every two years, and this brought in negative campaigning (Biblically called: gossip & malicious slander). In 1993 a man from Dayton Ohio by the name of Bill Hodge or "Mt. Bill" campaigned heavily against Barney and in January 1994 lost in his bid for the National Presidency. Barney won with a fantastic 4/5 of the vote, even though he did no campaigning in response. He just stood on his record. Enter Tommy Douthat from VA who goes by 'Soulman'. Tommy was elected as the new National Secretary at the January 1994 election.

Unfortunately, Mt. Bill (who had been the National Secretary & Treasurer up until that election) tried to use the courts to then take the name and emblem of the club as his personal possession, and force the membership to let him be president. This dragged the Club through a 5-½ year battle that ended up in a Federal Courtroom with International news coverage. Barney decided he'd had enough of the division and resigned his membership in April 1994, many other members followed suit. Moggie (one of the original members) became the new National President, and Hank Kaczynski from the Pittsburgh Chapter filled the new National Vice-President slot. Moggie, Hank & Soulman went unchallenged at the 1996 election and unity was at an all time high. Tommy Douthat 'Soulman' was the National Secretary & Treasurer from January 1994 through May of 1998 when he was elected as the new National President. He kept the club's records and the courtcase on track through the victorious trial in June 1999. He voluntarily gave away the National Presidency in May of 2000 & he also retired a short while later, to form the PRODIGAL SONS (of God) MC. WHY?! - You may ask......

In the 1998 elections Soulman became the National President, however two men who didn't like Tommy were voted in as the other two National Officers. One had run for National Secretary & Treasurer with the sole purpose of running against Tommy, not knowing that Moggie was not running for National President and that Tommy was instead, and even though he couldn't balance a checkbook, he was elected solely on his negative campaigning tactics. This made his two year term as National President miserable for Soulman, because they teamed up against him and spent all their time and energy trying to destroy his reputation as a christian.

Again due to the democratic structure that had been set up, there were to be National Elections every two years, and this brought in more negative campaigning through the election in the year 2000. Tommy Douthat (SOULMAN) became the focus of much negative slander and gossip within the club membership. So, in an effort to try to keep peace within the club (which was again riddled with infighting, gossip, slander, and back biting) he cast his own tie breaking vote (as chairman of the meeting) in favor of the other candidate (even though he won re-election to the National Presidency by a majority of votes - but not the needed 2/3 majority)

Unfortunately the newly elected leaders were extremists in the legalistic fundamentalist vein, and the club again lost many members because they began to police each others private lives, and cast out those who they felt committed inappropriate sins (as if any sins are worse than others). Where is the Love by which we are to be recognized as Christians in that !? This caused Soulman and many others to retire or quit from the club. Sadly by practicing doctrines such as ex-communication and "shunning" the SOG has lost the LL&R of brotherhood, and is becoming more of a church, and no longer a motorcycle club for Christians of all denominations and lifestyle types........

 

Many of the ex-Sons of God mc members are now in other groups like the ........