by Madge Watkins, Church Bus driver and guest columnistA Brief History of the Church Bus
Since back when men said they would one day ride in church buses, and others called them mad, the church bus has taken a rolling role in our Christian transportation heritage. It is believed by some that as far back in 1712 in Germany intrepid ministers would go from door-to-door, rousing sleepy church-goers and carry them to church, under penalty of stoning.
In America, some form of organized church transportation did not mobilize until the 1880’s, thanks to the untiring efforts of Rev. Jason Venable of Rockbridge County, Virginia. Dismayed by his dwindling congregation due to his rabid insistence on church attendance, Rev. Venable took to carrying sleepy parishioners by horseback, and even piggyback if necessary. The surprisingly robust Venable continued this tradition up into the 1920’s, when the Ford Motor Company rolled out the 1921 Model K, the first multi-passenger vehicle designed exclusively for church transportation, much to the relief of Rev. Venable and others preachers like him.
Rumbling into the 1930s almost saw the demise of the church bus when over 84% of the drivers nationwide were thrown out of work when the newly-formed US department of transportation mandated the class B Chauffer’s license for church transportation. Church bus drivers cried “Foul” for nought, but by World War II DMVs across the south and northeast reported surges of applications for the coveted license.
1941: Church Buses Go to War
Determined to not be left out of the war effort, the church bus heeded the nations call to battle in their “axles against the axis” home front initiative and the “Fumes over Europe” campaign. In America, with almost 12% of our church bus drivers at war, the gallant church wives put aside their aprons and apple dumpling recipes and valiantly stepped in behind the wheel. For the remainder of the war, these women, dubbed “Dolly the Drivers” manhandled the yellow monarchs of the byways by rising an extra hour early on Sundays and climbing onto a cold bus. Some church buses even drove the extra mile, delivering chocolates and nylons to our fighting boys overseas, or at least to the distribution centers.
When the war clouds dissipated, both our fighting boys and the church buses came home. Rubber and sugar rationing had rendered the church buses weak and poorly maintained. And while some had blamed tire blowouts during the war on “poor design” and “inferior rubber”, more sinister whispers suggested that tires had been shot out by Japanese snipers intent on crippling the church bus industry, wreaking havoc among our morale on the home front.
Next Week: Church Buses of the future
Since back when men said they would one day ride in church buses, and others called them mad, the church bus has taken a rolling role in our Christian transportation heritage. It is believed by some that as far back in 1712 in Germany intrepid ministers would go from door-to-door, rousing sleepy church-goers and carry them to church, under penalty of stoning.
In America, some form of organized church transportation did not mobilize until the 1880’s, thanks to the untiring efforts of Rev. Jason Venable of Rockbridge County, Virginia. Dismayed by his dwindling congregation due to his rabid insistence on church attendance, Rev. Venable took to carrying sleepy parishioners by horseback, and even piggyback if necessary. The surprisingly robust Venable continued this tradition up into the 1920’s, when the Ford Motor Company rolled out the 1921 Model K, the first multi-passenger vehicle designed exclusively for church transportation, much to the relief of Rev. Venable and others preachers like him.
Rumbling into the 1930s almost saw the demise of the church bus when over 84% of the drivers nationwide were thrown out of work when the newly-formed US department of transportation mandated the class B Chauffer’s license for church transportation. Church bus drivers cried “Foul” for nought, but by World War II DMVs across the south and northeast reported surges of applications for the coveted license.
1941: Church Buses Go to War
Determined to not be left out of the war effort, the church bus heeded the nations call to battle in their “axles against the axis” home front initiative and the “Fumes over Europe” campaign. In America, with almost 12% of our church bus drivers at war, the gallant church wives put aside their aprons and apple dumpling recipes and valiantly stepped in behind the wheel. For the remainder of the war, these women, dubbed “Dolly the Drivers” manhandled the yellow monarchs of the byways by rising an extra hour early on Sundays and climbing onto a cold bus. Some church buses even drove the extra mile, delivering chocolates and nylons to our fighting boys overseas, or at least to the distribution centers.
When the war clouds dissipated, both our fighting boys and the church buses came home. Rubber and sugar rationing had rendered the church buses weak and poorly maintained. And while some had blamed tire blowouts during the war on “poor design” and “inferior rubber”, more sinister whispers suggested that tires had been shot out by Japanese snipers intent on crippling the church bus industry, wreaking havoc among our morale on the home front.
Next Week: Church Buses of the future
