CMA INTERNATIONAL
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By JAMES Jamieson
CMA
South Africa has been through a very trying time over the past few years with the change in national leadership and then the COVID-19 Virus thrown into the equation .
However , the ministry has been more than efficient it has been effective and growing . Paul said , “ because a great door for effective work has opened to me , and there are many who oppose me ” ( 1 Corinthians 16:9 , NIV ). This has been the message to CMA South Africa . We can be very efficient , but we need to be effective too . Effectiveness is measurable .
We can honestly say again that last year ( 2020 ) was a year full of unknowns and buckets full of noteworthy challenges . All because of the worldwide COVID-19 virus . This is however , not feedback on the challenges the COVID-19 virus bought about but rather a testimony of God ’ s CMA ministry in South Africa . His providence , faithfulness , and power .
I ’ m glad to report that in spite of the uncertainty the virus has brought and the countless , everchanging restrictions on gatherings and travel , the CMA South Africa family has shown their resilience and creativeness . Instead of staring at what we ’ re not allowed to because of the various restrictions , CMA South Africa looked at what we can do .
Many members have lost their jobs or are enduring severe salary cuts amplified by rising daily expenses . This has led to many of our regions initiating drive-by “ Food Runs ” to collect and distribute food and other everyday essentials to our members in need . So great is God ’ s faithfulness that we ’ ve been able to even assist our
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broader , local communities . This makes even so much more humbling to report that amid this pandemic , some of our regions even raised record amounts for Run for the Son .
With all the events on the motorcycle calendar either canceled or postponed , it seemed like the “ fields were closed for harvest .” Questions like “ where do we go now ?” And “ what do we do now ?” frequently came up . So back to the drawing board we went , seeking the Lord ’ s guidance for what laid ahead . Shortly after , the ignition keys were turned , and the roaring engines ushered in an exciting year for CMA South Africa on this unknown road . The guys found new and innovative ways to reach the motorcyclists in their regions whilst strengthening existing relationships with the biker fraternity . We saw growth in new members in our Gauteng South , Mpumalanga , KwaZulu-Natal , and Gauteng North regions . In some cases , we even celebrated the return of members who left the CMA ministry years ago . This growth includes not only our chapters , but also the small groups hosted by many of our chapters in collaboration with their local churches .
CMA members nationwide joined the motorcyclists of the nation to ride in awareness for violence against women and children , the alarming rate of farm murders , and violent attacks on the greater farming community . In some areas , the thousands of motorcycles roared on the highways for kilometers . CMA ’ s participation in
this event opened countless doors in the motorcycle community . Many members assisting other bikers with overheating motorcycles and boldly showing Jesus to others as they ministered to and prayed for many motorcyclists . I must admit that this event also had the added benefit of showing that CMA South Africa is alive and growing .
During this time , our Gauteng North Leadership joined forces with their local church and launched a young adult movement to show Jesus to this age group . We have also launched a young adults group in our greater Johannesburg region . Within one month , they grew from little over 20 young adults to close to 50 . It is still early days for this new initiative , but we look forward to the growth and welcoming new believers to the family of Jesus .
Sadly we were unable to host our annual National Rally due to restrictions on gatherings , but I can report with great joy that our regional leaders did not let this deter them and they seized the opportunity . Our larger regions will now host Regional “ National ” Rallies in their areas , with the smaller regions joining them .
I cannot end this feedback before acknowledging and giving thanks to our CMA board , National Leadership , and each and every CMA member for staying on course , remaining steadfast in faith , and for keeping CMA SA mission true .
We know that now , probably more than ever , it is vital for CMA SA to continue to adapt to the constant change in our society if they are to remain relevant in the motorcycle community . However uncomfortable change might be at times , it is often vital to change in order to continue with growth . Therefore , we reaffirm that this is
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23⎪May 2021⎪www . cmausa . org