Bow Bending Believers to lead 8-week archery class at YMCA

Provided photo: Merle Fredericks, founder of the Bow Bending Believers, poses with a deer he downed with bow and arrow. He and his wife Mitzi will be teaching an 8-week class for youth on bow hunting, beginning in December.

MEDINA – The Bow Bending Believers chapter of the national Christian Bowhunters of America has announced its fifth eight-week NASP/Centershot archery glass, according to instructor/founder Merle Fredericks.

The eight-week class is scheduled to begin Dec. 7 at the indoor range located in the basement of the Medina YMCA, 306 Pearl St. The class will be from 6 to 8 p.m. every Monday through Jan. 25. The class is limited to 12 students (boys and girls) in grades four through 12.

Students will learn how to shoot a Genesis compound bow and compete with their peers, with emphasis on good sportsmanship. Trophies will be awarded to the top three archers.

In addition, the class will also include archery-related Bible devotionals, developing new friendships and snacks.

To register, call (585)765-2839 or e-mail FredericksMerle1979@gmail.com.

The sport has been a passion for Fredericks since he was introduced to deer hunting by his father at 11 years of age.

“That year, my father harvested his best whitetail buck ever, an eight-pointer that scored 238”,” Fredericks said. “I have been hooked on hunting ever since. Back then, you could not hunt deer in New York state until you were 16 years old. When I turned 16 in 1977, I became a deer hunter and I have hunted every deer season since then. In 1977 I married my wife Mitzi, and a few years after we were married, she took up deer hunting as well. She has been blessed to have harvested many nice whitetail bucks since then. In 2014 her first buck with a bow was a Pope and Young record book buck that scored 144”. She has taken a few nice ones since then.”

In 1985, Fredericks decided to give bow hunting a try, and he has now been bow hunting for 41 years. In 2005 he became a New York certified bowhunting education instructor, and is currently a master instructor.

“I have been blessed to hunt many big game animals all over the United States, and harvest many whitetail deer, mule deer, pronghorn antelope and black bear, with both archery equipment and firearms. Mitzi has also been a certified hunter for almost 15 years.”

After almost 25 years in law enforcement and retiring as sheriff from the Orleans County, he became a member of the Christian Bowhunters of America, and started a local chapter called “Bow Bending Believers.” Since then they have hosted game dinners at Oak Orchard Assembly of God Church. They brought in big name speakers, who presented a hunting seminar and shared the gospel of Jesus Christ.

“My passion is to ‘win souls for Jesus Chrust,’” Fredericks said. “Since 2003, we have hosted three national shoots, many 3D shoots and some youth events.”

In 2014 Fredericks was appointed by the board of CBA to serve as the executive director, a position he has held for 12 years. In 2011 he became an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

In 20-21 he approached Jesse Cudzillo, then director of the YMCA in Medina, saying he was interested in hosting a youth archery event there. It took place in March and 20 kids learned how to shoot a bow and arrow and seven of them became Christians. Cudzillo was so impressed he asked Fredericks if he would be interested in doing more ministry at the YMCA. Cudzillo showed Fredericks the basement of the YMCA, a former Armory. The basement was the former indoor rifle range.

“He told me the range was ours if we cleaned it up, painted it and made it our own,” Fredericks said. “It took several months to clean it out and a local painter donated his time and paint. Since then they have been teaching boys and girls the National Archery in the Schools Centershot/Archery in the churches curriculum.”

In May 2024, Fredericks and Mitzi, Jeff Robinson and John Curtin all became certified.

To date they have taught four eight-week NASP classes. They teach basic archery skills and good sportsmanship and have a friendly competition, where the top three archers are awarded a trophy. Also, about a half an hour of the two-hour class is spent learning the Bible.