MEMBER ARTICLE
MEMBER ARTICLE
By WENDY Vander Plaats
FORTY years of riding as a group of Christians started with the desire to ride with fellow Christians and friends . Organizing of the chapter began with a trip to a rally in South Dakota , where Herb Shreve gave the message . The South Dakota state representative at that time offered to help the group start a chapter .
Back at home , an organizational meeting was held on June 25 , 1983 . In addition to the SD state rep , 24 men and women attended . At that meeting , they agreed to take the steps to become a CMA chapter .
Picking a name was the next step , and the group voted on the top three at the following meeting .
The name “ Maranatha Cycle Club ” got the most votes . The word Maranatha is used in Paul ’ s first epistle to the Corinthians , signifying “ our Lord cometh .” The official date of becoming a CMA chapter was July 21 , 1983 . They started with 20 members who had already applied to be members of CMA .
According to members that have been there since the beginning and are still a part of the chapter today , Maranatha Riders was one of the first chapters in Iowa , and the chapter grew by word of mouth . Records show the group traveled together and attended rallies . An interesting fact about the chapter is it received a certificate at the 1996 Iowa State Rally for being the “ largest chapter .” Currently , Maranatha Riders have 41 members . We have a supper ride every Saturday evening from May to August . We encourage our members to look for opportunities to be visible in communities in the surrounding area . We are praising God for longevity , guidance , and faithfulness for all these years ! We will celebrate being part of CMA for 40 years on July 22 , 2023 , with an open house from 2-5 PM . It will be held at the city park shelter house in Hospers , Iowa . There will be a supper ride following the open house at 5:00 PM . Join us if you are able ! CMA
Wendy Vander Plaats is a member of Maranatha Riders CMA chapter # 153 in Sheldon , Iowa . 29⎪JULY 2023⎪www . cmausa . org