It began with a father and a son. In 1972 an Arkansas pastor named Herb Shreve bought a motorcycle to close the distance between himself and his rebellious teenage boy. At his first rally he found a field full of riders who did not know Christ, and in 1975 he resigned his pulpit to go after them. Fifty years later this is the largest Christian motorcycle ministry on earth.
The method has never changed: members turn up at ordinary, secular motorcycle rallies wearing the CMA patch, and they stay. They help. They talk when someone wants to talk. Their own summary of the work is “here if you need us”, and their vision is four words — changing the world, one heart at a time.
Two things surprise people. Membership is completely free, with no dues, and you do not need to own a motorcycle to join or to attend. And one single ride each May — Run for the Son — has raised more than $118 million over thirty-nine years, of which sixty per cent goes straight back out to three other ministries.
- Founded
1975, in Arkansas. The story starts in 1972 with a motorcycle bought to reach a teenage son
- Founder
Rev. Herb Shreve, who resigned his pastorate to start it. He died in 2011, aged 77
- Led by
John Ogden Sr., chief executive and chairman, with a named board of nine and a full leadership page
- Based in
4278 Hwy 71 South, Mena, Arkansas. Post: PO Box 9, Hatfield, AR 71945
- Reach
803 chapters across 49 states, and 32 countries on their own live map
- Cost
Membership is free. No dues. To stay active you give or spend $20 in a year — or simply attend one event, or do the training
- Do you need a motorcycle?
No. Ownership is not required to join, and you may attend meetings and rides without joining at all
- How to join
Three steps: accept Jesus, be at least 12 and complete the free Member Training, send in the questionnaire. Takes one to two weeks
- What they believe
A published Doctrinal Statement in six points — Scripture, the Trinity, the virgin birth and deity of Christ, salvation through His blood, the sanctifying Spirit, the second coming. Deliberately short, so it crosses denominations
- Denomination
Interdenominational, and structurally so: chapters may not favour a denomination in their name and are discouraged from meeting in church buildings
- You get
Local chapters; rally evangelism; free Member Training; Seasons of Refreshing conferences; a National Rally each June; the Youth Movement for ages 12–17; CMA Kids; mission trips; HeartBeat magazine
- Run for the Son
One ride, the first Saturday in May. $6,424,518 raised in 2026, and over $118 million across 39 years. You need not be a member to take part
- Where that money goes
40% stays with CMA for home missions; 20% each to the Jesus Film Project, Global Christian Relief and Missionary Ventures
- Free of charge
Membership, the Member Training workbook and videos, the full 2026 Handbook as a PDF, the electronic HeartBeat magazine, and the new-believer resources
- Legal status
A registered 501(c)(3) charity since April 1980, EIN 75-1645187. ECFA accredited since 2003
- Financial reporting
Form 990 filed every year and public through ProPublica. 2025: income $8,078,307, spending $8,371,991. They do not post the audited accounts on their own site, which is why MinistryWatch grades their transparency a C while rating their efficiency five stars
- Outside ratings
Charity Navigator: four stars, 97%, with a perfect 100% on Accountability & Finance. MinistryWatch: 130th of 1,472 ministries for financial efficiency
- What the leader earns
$51,525 base pay on the 2025 return; MinistryWatch puts total compensation at $99,354. All executive pay together is 4.6% of spending, and fundraising costs run at 1%
- Europe
18 European countries, among them Germany, Latvia, Romania, Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria. There is no CMA in Poland — a new country is started through CMA USA
- Contact
+1 870-389-6196 · orderonline@cmausa.org
- What we checked
The IRS record, the Form 990, ECFA, Charity Navigator and MinistryWatch all agree and are current. We found no report of harm, fraud or misconduct
Worth knowingTheir handbook requires that cash be counted by two people who are not family before it leaves the room, that cheques carry two unrelated signatures, and that incoming officers inspect the books before taking office. These are exactly the controls whose absence usually comes before a scandal.
Embassy of the Kingdom