Driver Lifestyles
Sharing The Faith
For the professional driver seeking spiritual refreshment, truck stop ministries offer a respite from an often cold, unfeeling world; a place to re-establish contact with one's Creator and to find a sympathetic ear.
The people and organizations who help keep these sanctuaries open and available to the trucking population are a special breed - dedicated, devout and devoted to helping drivers.
One of the better-known groups is the Marietta, Pennsylvania-based Transport for Christ (TFC), a non-denominational organization headed by President and CEO Scott Weidner. Transport for Christ is supported through gifts from companies and individuals.
Its mission? "To win truck drivers to Jesus Christ and teach them to grow in their faith."
Its roots
Transport For Christ was started in Canada in 1951, the vision of Jim Keys, a former trucker who became a Christian through the ministry of Youth For Christ and asked himself, "If there is a Youth For Christ, why not a Transport For Christ?"
He proceeded to put words into action and started the ministry, which at first was a mobile outreach, traveling to truck terminals to hold safety meetings and share the Gospel.
For the first 35 years of its existence, Transport For Christ (TFC) was primarily a mobile ministry, with chapels moving from truck stop to truck stop. In 1986, with only two of six Mobile Chapels in operation, the organization says that between 100 to 120 truckers were coming to Jesus Christ each year.
In1986 TFC placed the first permanent chapel at a truck stop in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, at the request of the truck stop owner.
Operational costs were dramatically reduced, say TFC officials, and many local people became involved in the ministry as volunteers.
From this point on, all new TFC Mobile Chapels were placed permanently at truck stops across the country, typically in the now-familiar 48' x 102" outfitted dry van trailers that TFC calls home. One of the organization's stated goals is that "no trucker should have to drive more than a day without being able to find a TFC Mobile Chapel."
Today, Transport for Christ has active ministries at 30 truck stops across North America. In addition, there are three chapels operating in Moscow, Russia and there is ministry underway in Zambia and Kenya, as well as a representative in Australia.
Its people
An organization is only as strong as the people behind it and TFC's workers are a group of committed Christians, many of whom are retired lay people from the local community. They volunteer their time and efforts to ensure that their chapel is open when drivers come calling.
One of those selfless individuals is Marvin Krabill, who works as a volunteer at the TFC chapel located at the T/A in Lodi, Ohio at the junction of I-71 and I-76.
He begins, "I was not involved in trucking. I worked in a factory building pipe organs for churches and traveling the country doing pipe organ installations. When I retired, I wanted to become involved in the ministry and this gives me the opportunity to do that."
Marvin, married for 46 years with four sons and seven grand children continues, "I'm not an ordained minister, but then many of the truck stop chaplains are not. Transport for Christ trains its chaplains and prepares them for service. I've been with the organization for ten years."
"We're here and available for the drivers if they choose to visit us. We don't go out an solicit the drivers, they come in of their own free will."
"Drivers tell us, 'We're really glad you're here, we need you. You're like our church and family away from home.' It's like an oasis in the desert for these drivers."
Marvin adds, "Chaplain Mike is the lead chaplain and Chaplain Jason is his assistant and both are full-time with the chapel. There are around eight other volunteers like myself."
"We have a Sunday morning and Sunday evening service scheduled, but any time a driver comes in and wants to have Bible study, we're ready. If he just wants to talk, we're available."
Krabill says that the chapel also has a good relationship with the management and employees of the truck stop. Chaplains have conducted funeral services for family member of truck stop personnel and they are very supportive of the chapel's mission. The chapel has been at the Lodi T/A location for fifteen years.
Why do drivers visit the chapel?
Marvin explains, "Loneliness and being separated from his family are the drivers' top concerns. It's a hard, tough life being a truck driver. I've spoken to a lot of drivers who have said, 'If my wife called me and told me I have a good job waiting for me back home, I'd leave the truck right here and head there now!' But the driver has to keep working and take care of his family."
"You know, without these drivers working in this industry though, the country would fold up. We depend on them so much."
"We also have transients stop by the chapel who are trying to get across the country, truck stop to truck stop. It's difficult to know how to minister to those people or how to best help them.
We have to be very careful but do everything we can to help them. If we can provide a place to stay or some food, we do, but our resources are limited."
"Basically, Transport for Christ is here for drivers," concludes Marvin, "here for whatever problems they may be facing and whatever needs they may have. There are a lot of Christian drivers on the road and they can come in just to talk and have fellowship. There are other drivers who are struggling with issues and we're there to minister with them however we can."
The Refuge
Located next to the scales at the 76th Street truck stop on Highway 131, a TFC chapel named The Refuge welcomes its mobile congregation with fellowship, friendship and a sympathetic ear.
Under the guidance of Pastor Kevin Van Horn, who also oversaw the building of the facility, the Refuge's visitors include both drivers and community people.
His background
After his service in both the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force (Europe and the Middle East), during which time he also served in a lay pastoral setting, Pastor Van Horn attended seminary in Louisville, KY.
His pastoral duties have also included working in hospitals as a chaplain and he says,†Words just don't describe how fulfilling that work was. I was trying to bring comfort and solace to people when they were at their most vulnerable. I grew in my Christian faith through that service."
Following his hospital service, Pastor Van Horn says he was unsure of his next career move. He elected to attend truck driving school and began a career driving a flatbed, hauling steel for six months while at the same time serving as a minister for a small church.
It was during a visit to the Mid-America Trucking Show in Louisville that he was introduced to the Transport for Christ mission. At that meeting Pastor Van Horn was offered a chapel in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The only problem was, the chapel didn't exist yet!
Pastor Van Horn eventually accepted the position and the challenge of getting the chapel constructed. The Refuge opened in December 2002 and since January 2003, the chapel has operated on a 24/7 basis.
The work
"Loneliness is a huge concern for the driver," says Pastor Van Horn. "You get a driver who spends 3-15 weeks inside an 8'x8' box and all he has time to do is get out of the truck, use the restroom and maybe catch a meal."
"The only other time he's out of the truck is when he's loading or unloading - the rest of the time he's behind the wheel. His best friend is his windshield and it doesn't talk back. His next best friend is his C.B. and he doesn't want to listen to that."
"When they come in here, they want to talk, they want to get things off their chest. They want to sit and share their trials and tribulations about what God is doing (if they're believers) or about why they're struggling with life (if they're not believers).Drivers and even community members come in just to talk and we have people here to listen."
Pastor Van Horn says that the Refuge holds services on Sunday mornings and evenings with Bible studies available at any time.
He is ably assisted by Assistant Chaplain Rick Campbell, a former truck driver himself. In fact, of the eight volunteers who donate their time to the Refuge, six of them have worked as truckers.
"Transport for Christ is changing lives, literally," says the pastor. "There are 3.16 million truck drivers on the road today and we see about 45,000 drivers in our chapels every year. We've got a long way to go to touch all of them, but once a driver comes into a chapel, we have an opportunity to see them again because they will come back our way."
"We want to lead truck drivers to Jesus Christ, but most importantly, teach them to grow in their faith through discipleship."