When the pastor of Plymouth’s Church of the Pilgrimage, an avid cyclist, announced he was going to participate in a charity ride, parishioner Julie Witherew remembered thinking: “He’s biking where?”
Alaska. That’s where the Pedaling Preacher – better known as Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton – is headed next month to take part in the Fuller Center Bike Adventure 2025, which raises money to build decent housing for people worldwide. For 10 days, he about 30 other people will cycle through 600 miles of wilderness, up mountains, down into valleys, and through woodlands, in all kinds of weather and with the possibility of encountering dangerous wildlife along the way.
“They’ve warned us about moose and bear,” Garvin-Leighton said. “I grew up in Maine, so I can handle moose. I’m not so sure about bears, though.”
With a grin, he added, “Of course, if we encounter a bear, I just have to pedal faster than the next guy.”
Wildlife aside, Garvin-Leighton is busy preparing for the cross-country trek. He rides his titanium-frame bike, a Lynskey Pro GR, 40 to 50 miles a week as part of his training regimen. You may have seen the Pedaling Preacher – clad in a bright orange cycling jersey and a black helmet – riding around town.
“There’s a lot of elevation in Alaska,” he said. “Not so much in Plymouth.”
For the past year, the 60-year-old pastor has ministered to the spiritual needs of his congregation at the large white clapboard-covered church at Town Square. Garvin-Leighton leads Sunday worship and other special services for Church of the Pilgrimage, which is affiliated with the United Church of Christ denomination. Prior to Plymouth, he served at churches in Florida, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Maryland, as well as campus minister at University of California Davis and Piedmont University.
In 2012, Garvin-Leighton decided to combine his cycling and ministry avocations. He learned about the good work done by the Fuller Center for Housing, which was started by the same people who founded Habitat for Humanity, but with a “Christ-centered” focus. Both organizations use “sweat equity” to help families in need build and repair affordable homes in communities across the country.
His first ride was an ambitious undertaking, “from Seattle to San Diego – about 1,700 miles in 21 days,” said Garvin-Leighton, who was pastor of a Colorado church at the time. “It was a big challenge, but I liked the cause. I regularly pick up a hammer and assist in building homes as part of my ministry.”
He repeated the adventure in 2021, this time with his wife Mindy, now a graduate student at Bridgewater State University. Also a committed cyclist, she agreed to join him on the lengthy bike ride along the Pacific coast but declined her husband’s invitation to ride in Alaska this year.
“’Once is enough,’ she told me,” he said.
Though grueling, Garvin-Leighton loved biking along the woods and shores of the Northwest. He recalls riding past the stunning beauty of towering redwoods on the Avenue of the Giants in California’s Humboldt Redwoods State Park. He also remembers the blistering heat of the San Fernando Valley, near Los Angeles.
“It was 130 degrees on the pavement and our tires were melting,” he said. “We also had to watch out for wildfires.”
In addition to getting in shape, the Pedaling Preacher is focused on fundraising for his charity ride. To participate, he needed to raise a minimum donation of $3,600 (he’s currently tallied more than $4,000). He’s also responsible for a $900 registration fee, as well as airfare and other expenses.
“The registration fee that I pay covers administrative costs so the donations all go to building homes,” he said.
Fortunately, Garvin-Leighton’s congregation is wholeheartedly supporting the Alaska adventure.
“When I heard about Rev. Tim’s Alaska bike ride, I immediately signed up to contribute,” said parishioner Rick Dower of Plymouth in an email. “It embodies that part of our church Statement of Faith that commands us to be ‘servants in the service of others.’ Rev. Tim and other church members recently traveled to North Carolina to assist people devastated by Hurricane Helene last year. That trip was supported by the Fuller Center for Housing.”
Added church member Witherew, also of Plymouth, “I think it’s wonderful that Tim is willing to take on something so big to help others. He really leads by example. My family and I were happy to donate and support the effort to help families get the housing they need.”
The route begins Aug. 15 in Fairbanks. It goes near Kenai Fjords National Park and past Mt. Denali, America’s highest peak, before ending in Anchorage on Sept. 1.
“Alaska is so remote,” he said. “There is no cell coverage on a lot of the route. It really is our last wilderness.”
To donate to Rev. Tim Garvin-Leighton’s Fuller Center Alaska Adventure, visit here.
Dave Kindy, a self-described history geek, is a longtime Plymouth resident who writes for the Washington Post, Boston Globe, National Geographic, Smithsonian and other publications. He can be reached at davidkindy1832@gmail.com.