About

Joe Bishop - Bus Ministry Fairhaven Baptist Church

Joe Bishop has been around church buses all his life.  He rode as a baby and as a young child along with his parents. His dad drove a Sunday school bus and his mom helped run the program and made sure the riders made it on the bus safely each week.  When Joe was in grade school, he would hurry and get his homework done after school so that when his dad came home from work they could go together to the church on Tuesday evenings to fix the buses so that they were ready for the following Sunday.

When Joe was old enough, he would help his dad by running up to the doors while his dad drove the bus.  Upon graduating from high school Joe knew he wanted to attend a Bible college that believed in the bus ministry.  While attending Fairhaven Baptist College he jumped right into the bus ministry and helped in every aspect from singing songs to playing bus games and even sweeping and mopping the bus after a long day.

Soon Joe followed his dad’s example and became a church bus driver and soon after a bus captain.   At the time he didn’t think twice about the work it would take to get a CDL or run a bus.  He just knew it was a place that needed filled and with God’s help, set his mind to finishing the task.

Joe also worked on campus in college helping Chester Stockman in the bus garage at Fairhaven Baptist Church.  He learned many valuable lessons during that time.  Some were fun lessons to learn while others were lessons that came with a full serving of humble pie.

Upon graduation from college Joe visited the country of Cambodia to help serve with some missionaries sent out from Fairhaven Baptist Church.  Although different from the States, he continued to run a “bus,” using a motor scooter as a shuttle car and a Korean pickup truck as a bus.  This was two years in Joe’s life that he says he will never forget!

Once back in the States, Joe started working for Fairhaven Baptist Church under its internship program.  About that time, he met his wonderful wife Holly. They now have three sweet children.  At the same time the current bus mechanic was retiring. Joe once again answered the call of God to fill a needed position and assumed the position of Fleet Manager and Bus Mechanic for Fairhaven Baptist Church. Joe has been working as the mechanic for Fairhaven’s bus ministry full time since 2009 and continues to this day serving at Fairhaven Baptist Church.

 

Joe wanted to put this website together in hopes that the information contained on its pages might be a blessing and a help to churches across America who are striving to keep their church buses rolling.  You can contact Joe if you think he can be of help to your bus ministry.  Certainly, he doesn’t claim to have all the answers but with God’s help and the knowledge base of others hopefully we can work together to make sure our church buses are running and able to pickup up children for church and reaching many souls for the glory of God.