MOSES LAKE - They started trickling into the Grant County Fairgrounds Tuesday.

Motorcycles of every variety, operated by motorcyclists from all over the country, arrived in Moses Lake.

The Christian Motorcyclists Association (CMA) is in town and they're ready to spread the gospel.

Every other year, the organization holds both eastern and western motorcycle rallies, said Bob Sandberg, a member of CMA's board of directors.

Every morning at 9 a.m. and every evening at 7 p.m., the organization will hold a service with a different speaker, he said. The services will also feature worship music.

The event features youth ministries for people 13 and older, and a children's ministry for children 4 to 12.

Seminars are held Wednesday through Saturday on subjects ranging from evangelism to training a ministry team.

All of the events at the rally are free and open to the public, said Sandberg.

Moses Lake first hosted the CMA western rally in 2007, said Sandberg.

"People like it up here," he said. "It's good riding to get here."

The CMA was founded in 1975 by Herb Shreve, a Baptist pastor from Arkansas, said Sandberg.

Shreve bought a motorcycle to ride with his son and the pair would attend secular motorcycle rallies. Shreve felt someone needed to bring the gospel to the motorcyclists at the rallies.

"That started as one man on one bike," he said. Today, the CMA has 10 full time evangelists on staff to cover different parts of the country, a youth evangelist, and an evangelist-in-training, he said.

The CMA ministry goes to motorcycle rallies across the country and offers to help operate them, he said; adding that it's part of their ministry, so they don't charge for their services.

Shane Wilkins, of Othello, was first made aware of the CMA about 10 years ago, he said.

His brother-in-law was a member of the Auburn chapter and asked to stay with him while he attended a rally, he said. Wilkins went with him to the rally.

Around that time, the Moses Lake chapter of the organization, the Glory Bound Riders, was being formed. Wilkins is now the chapter president.

Wilkins said he is looking forward to seeing all the people from the organization's headquarters in Arkansas that he reads about all year.

"It's kind of cool, everybody coming from Arkansas, to actually see them in person," he said.

Mike Bridges drove to Moses Lake from Mississippi to attend the rally. He's been a member of the CMA for 15 years, he said.

"I wanted somebody to ride with, a Christian organization to ride with," he said. "I was through with the drinking and the drugging and I didn't want to hang out with those guys anymore. CMA is an organization that, like God, they take you as you are," he said.

Deacon Dickie came from California and has been involved with CMA for five years, he said.

Dickie was clipped by a semi-truck and wound up in the hospital in a coma, he said; adding that he was not a Christian at that time.

"Christian motorcyclists found out about it and came in and started praying for me," he said. "When I came out of the coma I had an experience with the Lord, came to Jesus and thought, these are the kinds of people I want to be with. Stopped the drinking and all the partying and drugs and everything. That accident with the semi-truck was the best thing that ever happened to me."

The CMA rally runs until Saturday with plenty to do throughout the day.

"We're glad to be here," said Sandberg. "The weather has been great, it's a great facility and the town is friendly."

More information on the CMA is available online at www.cmausa.org.