Life and faith on the road with The Salvation Army’s biker ministry
- 19 hours ago
- 7 min read
BY MARINA LEY*
When William Booth, co-founder of The Salvation Army, said, “Don’t be deceived by appearances, men and things are not what they seem”, he could hardly have imagined that a group of motorcycle-riding Christians would be the ones to prove just how true those words are.
Leather jackets, roaring motorbikes and biker boots stuffed with Bibles: this might not be the first image conjured when you think of a Christian evangelist. However, The Salvation Army Motorcycle Ministry (TSAMM) is here to prove you wrong, one piston at a time.
How it all began
Connecting the snow-covered roads of Norway, rural Indonesian mountain ranges and bustling city streets in the Netherlands, is the unifying sound of revving motorbike engines. The cacophony of radical salvation.
In 2014, local Christian biker club, ‘The Holy Riders’ was founded in Norway. From these humble beginnings, TSAMM has now blossomed into one of The Salvation Army’s most exciting and rapidly expanding initiatives. Founding member, Bjorn Edvart Andersen (TSAMM, Norway), had recognised the pre-existing popularity in Christian biker groups and began to establish a similar but distinctively Salvation Army biker group; from the crest-covered leather jacket, to serving those in need without discrimination through faith-based action.
Motorcycling and my belief in Christ are based on the same thing: freedom. The freedom found in Christ and the freedom on the road.
Shared passions
TSAMM is a masterclass in showing how lives can be transformed in spectacular ways when like-minded people have the freedom to bond over shared passions. Bjorn says, “Motorcycling and my belief in Christ are based on the same thing: freedom. The freedom found in Christ and the freedom on the road.”
This radical ministry created a domino effect across other Salvation Army territories. Once word got around, it wasn’t long after that the likes of the USA, Indonesia and the Netherlands were dusting off their leathers and following suit. Brothers (and founders of TSAMM Netherlands), Henk and Martin Schipper, fondly remember how building intra-territorial connections, born from the shared passion of motorcycling, was crucial in establishingtheir own TSAMM. They attended two ride-outs with ‘The Holy Riders’ and forged a strong bond with the Norwegian TSAMM. The experience inspired them to start their own group in July 2025.
(Salvos Online is working on a story on the Australian motorbike ministry – watch this space!)
Now, the Netherlands’ chapter host their very own successful ‘MotorCafe’ – a space for likeminded bikers to socialise and share fellowship. In addition, they host the popular ‘Ride for Salvation’ event, an all-inclusive annual ride out uniting bikers from both TSAMM and any riders who want to join regardless of their faith or background.
We cannot just be a church waiting for people to come in. We have to be part of the neighbourhood.
Embracing creative freedom to inform unconventional methods of ministry resonates across TSAMM groups. Members from the Netherlands and Norway spoke about using pre-existing common ground as a foundation for building a wider community to connect people socially and spiritually.
While the approach may initially seem unconventional, Mirjam Kuijt (TSAMM Netherlands) suggests that it is precisely this unconventionality that renders it profoundly Salvation Army – “We know William Booth liked to seek very different ways to spread the gospel. So, if I must stand on my head to spread the gospel, I think then using the motorcycle is an even easier way!”
Distinguishing TSAMM from other forms of ministry, is that they are not solely reactive, but proactive. Jan-Willem van Schaik (TSAMM Netherlands) highlights that real change begins the moment one immerses themselves in a community, gaining a deep understanding of who they are and what they need. “We cannot just be a church waiting for people to come in,” he stresses. “We have to be part of the neighbourhood.”
Jan affirms the importance of utilising shared connection and trusting relationships, to initiate spiritual conversation. “If there are many people who have an interest in motorcycles, it’s just a means to connect with them. You then get involved in each other’s lives and, hopefully from that you can have a conversation about the real things that are important.”
Mutual trust
From building relationships, to mounting a bike, trust spans all corners of TSAMM. Speaking about a mission trip to Kalamanta, Yusak Tampai (TSAMM Indonesia), illustrated how biking demands trust among fellow riders, due to its inherently dangerous nature. ‘We ride across numerous rivers and through jungles. Many of our colleagues are falling over on mountainous tracks … they’ve fallen and almost lost their lives. That’s when you really feel we are together.”
Such acute encounters with vulnerability and mortality bring human bonds, trust, and connection into sharper focus, rendering them immediate and deeply significant. By the time they arrive at the village they are serving, often after a perilous journey, they are already attuned to the value of relationship. Consequently, when TSAMM are welcomed into local residents’ homes, conversations of faith arise with a natural depth and openness, fostering a shared and deeply enriching ‘fellowship’ that strengthens and encourages both host and guest alike. Relying on one another while experiencing the fragility of life firsthand deepens both trust in one’s faith and in one’s community.
Faith in the neighbourhood
TSAMM Netherland’s focus on strong social bonds has been shaped by the Dutch campaign ‘Faith in the Neighbourhood’ (launched in 2020), in which several community projects were realised, designed to build social networks. But the desire to establish social connection through shared activities is integral to TSAMM across countries and regions. This often creates a space for faith-based conversations to emerge naturally as a by-product. Bjorn says, “It’s about having an open door, and an open heart.”
While TSAMM may not stand on street corners, preaching with a Bible in hand, the iconic red crest of The Salvation Army helps people to understand that faith lies at the foundation of TSAMM’s work, and, consequentially, inviting conversations about faith more organically.
What are your dream routes?
Martin Hessel: “I would love to ride my current motorcycle (Royal Enfield Super Meteor) across the bridge between Denmark and Sweden.”
Jan Willem van Schaik: “My favourite route so far has been the Grossglockner High Alpine Road in Austria. Next, I’m planning to cross Austria all the way to the Stelvio Pass. Dreaming, dreaming and more dreaming …”
Mirjam Kuijt: “My dream is to ride my motorcycle (Honda NC750x) through the villages of Italy and France on balmy late-summer evenings – which I’m actually going to do this (northern) summer.”
Yusak Tampai: “If it was in Indonesia, I used to dream to ride through the Sulawesi roads, and across the Java roads. That would have been nice. The dream. Or across alpine mountains in Europe – beautiful.”
TSAMM in action
Initiatives and services run by TSAMM varies across different regions, with each TSAMM group typically responding to the needs that are specific to their local communities.*
Norway has established a highly successful bike workshop for 13 to 18-year-olds, of whom many live with learning difficulties. Due to the success of the workshop, many young people have learnt skills that have equipped them to join trade schools and carve out strong careers.
Bjorn speaks candidly about the role of faith in TSAMM, “Most of them haven’t heard anything other than what they have learned at school about Christian faith. We can be role models for them, Christian role models.”
The Netherlands echoed the same desire to nurture pre-existing projects whilst thinking ahead. “I hope our TSAMM community will grow and that people will feel they belong to something and make new friendships, get a network, and maybe start thinking about the questions of life,” says Jan. “We are constantly open to ideas and we pray for that. For example, there are trucker groups such as ‘Truck Aid’ who give individuals diagnosed with certain illnesses/disabilities a day where they ride alongside them in their truck. We could do a similar thing with our motorbikes and sidecars!”
What binds these ministries together is not the motorcycles themselves, but the values they carry: freedom, trust, service and community.
In Indonesia, TSAMM is perhaps less unconventional given that motorbikes are the country’s most popular mode of transportation. Due to Indonesia’s unique socio-political and geographical landscape, TSAMM often works with other ministry providers to provide food parcels and emergency aid to families in need, in rural, hard-to-reach areas. Motorbike mission trips have also resulted in longer-term projects being realised, such as fundraising for building toilets in a deprived village, and a spiritual revival meeting in Besoa Pedele.
Riding into the future
When William Booth urged his followers not to be deceived by appearances, he issued a challenge that still resonates today. The Salvation Army Motorcycle Ministry is living proof that faith and ministry do not need to look a certain way to be authentic, effective and beautiful. Whether navigating mountain tracks in Indonesia, hosting a workshop for young people in Norway, or sharing fellowship over coffee in a Dutch MotorCafe, TSAMM meets people exactly where they are: on the road, in their neighbourhoods and in the realities of everyday life.
What binds these ministries together is not the motorcycles themselves, but the values the riders carry: freedom, trust, service and community. The Salvation Army’s ability to connect with people on their terms is perhaps its greatest strength. In choosing presence over performance and relationships over results, TSAMM embodies this strength of mission that is active, courageous and deeply human.
* The Salvation Army TSAMM groups operate in many Salvation Army territories including: Australia, Canada, North America, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Iceland.
*Marina Ley is Staff Writer | Administration and Editorial Assistant and part of the Communications team at The Salvation Army International Headquarters in London, UK
This article is courtesy All the World.
