Christian Bikers Convene for 'Camp Meeting Revival' In Tennessee

By Tyler O'Neil, Op-ed contributor Friday, September 13, 2013

Members of the Christian Motorcyclists Association pose for a picture together at the kick-off of Motorcycle Awareness Week in this October 22, 2005 file photo. The group's mission is to encourage and conduct, among motorcyclists, public worship, ministry

More than 300 bikers with the Christian Motorcyclists' Association (CMA) are meeting for a rally involving brats and ministry this weekend in Tennessee, and they've been doing so every year somewhere in 50 states.

"We have services on Friday evening, Saturday morning, Saturday evening, and Sunday morning," Jay W. Allgood, Tennessee State Coordinator, told the Christian Post in a interview on Friday. This weekend at Montgomery Bell State Park in Murfreesborough includes "worship, service, fundraising, and training for ministry."

"CMA is a unique ministry, in that our focus is to share the Gospel to those in the motorcycling community," Randal Tebeau, CMA's Southeast Region Evangelist, told CP. The group attends motorcycle conventions across the nation, performing various services to preach the good news to bikers.

"We set up booths, do Bible lessons, give away free water, free coffee," Tebeau explained. Through these services they "meet needs, build relationships, and share the Gospel."

At each statewide event, they also hold an offering, most of which goes to other ministries. "We give 60% of that money to Ministry Partners – Jesus Film, Open Doors, and Missionary Ventures," the evangelist said. The first group preaches the gospel through film, the second stands up for persecuted Christians across the globe, and the third trains churches and leaders to serve many needs, from feeding centers and schools to medical care and church planting.

In 2013, CMA donated $788,070.90 to each group as a result of their 'Run for the Son' fundraiser.

When asked if CMA was connected to the September 11 biker rally this past week, Allgood denied any connection. "CMA doesn't get involved in political matters," he explained. "I'm sure we had members, but when they get involved like that we tell them not to wear our logos because it's not really ministering and sharing the gospel." Allgood even hinted that such political events can be counterproductive to witnessing, so CMA refuses to get involved.

While the motorcyclists' association has over 600 members active members in Tennessee, Allgood expected only 300 to show up at the rally. "We're not like other groups that mandate certain people to go to events," he explained.

In CMA's 37 year history, the Tennessee coordinator estimated about 170,000 people have joined the group, but he could only guarantee about 30,000 active members nationwide. "We probably have between 40,000 and 45,000 members," he argued, because so many cannot attend the rallies.

Most state rallies for 2013 have already happened, taking place between May and September. "In the Southeast region, because it's warm, we push them back," Allgood said. The Southeast, which includes Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama, had 2 rallies in August and will have a total of 4 this month.

Their mission, according to the website, is "to inspire our leaders and members to be the most organized, advanced, equipped, financially stable organization, full of integrity in the motorcycling industry and the Kingdom of God."

Interdenominational and evangelistic, the CMA believes in six tenets:

The Bible as the inspired and infallible Word of God.
One God, eternally existent in three persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The virgin birth and deity of Christ, His explicit atoning death, bodily resurrection and ascension.
Salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ.
The sanctifying power of the Holy Spirit who enables a believer to live holy.
The second coming of Jesus Christ.