Just off of Interstate 84 from Exit 17 near Troutdale, Oregon, truckers can find something a little different at the far end of the TA travel Center. Of course, all the usual amenities are here, a place to get a good meal, a hot shower, and to stretch out and watch TV, but those that make their way to the nondescript building on the outer edges of the truck stop will find the Trucker’s Christian Chapel, one of more than 100 such chapels found in truck stops across the country.
These truck stop chapels are the work of Glenn Cope, an 80-year-old former long haul trucker who came up with the idea decades ago after he’d been driving for more than 35 years and saw the need for a spiritual oasis for those on the road.
In 1987, Cope convinced a truck stop operator who was located about 35, miles outside of Dayton, Ohio, which is where Cope lived at the time, to donate a room for a chapel. When the chapel was in place, Cope contacted a local church and was able to get volunteers to hold drop-in services a few times a week.
Seeing how well it went in Dayton, Cope found himself wanting to spread this idea further.
“I started one in Kentucky,” he said. “Then all over the place. A driver would tell me someone was building a new truck stop, or I’d visit an existing stop during my runs and give my pitch.”
The Troutdale chapel has been around for more than 25 years, starting when the truck stop was owned by Burns, Bros. The company paid for electricity and maintenance and allowed this addition at other sites as well. When the company sold to Travel Centers of America, the partnership continued.
Even though Cope is the founder and original driving force, there is no official leader, no central office, or board of directors. Each chapel is run at a local level and no money is collected. The only mission is to help truckers.
“There are a lot of problems and frustrations out on the road,” Cope said. “Sometimes, the only thing that might help a driver comes from the spiritual side.”
After his vision began to deteriorate, Cope retired from trucking, but continued to travel to help these truck stop chapels. Eventually, he was no longer able to do this either.
“My health changed,” he said. “At my age, I just can’t do the things I used to do.”
However, things soon fell into place for Cope. He and his wife had been longing to move closer to family, when a truck stop in Aurora needed a chaplain. With this location an easy drive from his daughter in Vancouver, it made perfect sense. He and his wife now live at the Aurora Travel Center in their 56-foot trailer.
“My wish,” he said, “is that I draw my last breath in that chapel.”
Two years ago, the chaplain at the Troutdale location passed away after running the place for 20 years. Cope stopped in, despite the taxing schedule, holding services in both Aurora and Troutdale until a replacement could be found.
It didn’t take long for Cope to meet Greg Johnson who lives in Troutdale with his wife of 52 years. Johnson, standing at 6ft 5 and a solid 275 at 71 years old, is a presence among any group of truckers.
“Greg wanted to help out,” said Cope. “He did such a good job that it’s now his chapel.”
The Troutdale chapel doesn’t boast any pews, choir, or collection plate. Johnson and his wife, Cyndy, put out small signs in the back of the truck stop when they arrive to let truckers know the chapel is open. They hold regular services on Sundays and Wednesdays.
“Sometimes no one shows up,” Johnson said. “It is what it is. My goal is not numbers, I’m just here.””
The Troutdale truck stop chapel is non-denominational, with a focus on learning and discussing the Bible. Everything in the room is free, food candy, coffee, and the bible.
“Church has always been a part of my life,” says Johnson. “I like sharing God’s word, it’s rewarding, and I feel blessed,”
“We have all kinds of truckers come in here,” he said. “Different denominations and faiths. But we are all brothers.”
He noted that he and his wife never quite now what to expect from their time spent at the chapel.
We had a man stop in who was down on his luck,” he said. “He was from Arizona and knew nothing about the Bible but wanted one. We gave him a bilingual Bible.
“Sometimes we see a person once and then not again for six months,” he continued. “We’ve had truckers come in to debate about God or ask questions.”
He noted that truckers stop at the chapel for a wide variety of reasons. Sometimes, it’s for answers, sometimes, a request for a prayer, and sometime, it’s just dealing with a lonely or hard day.
“Sickness, dealing with difficult times in their lives,” said Greg Johnson. “It’s a lonely life sitting in that truck 10 hours a day.”
On the table are stacks of prayer cards that truckers can fill out before they leave.
Please pray for my son, one says.
To get a good job that is closer to my home, another asks.
Someday I want a good wife.
The chapel has seen visitors from all over the United States and beyond.
“We don’t always believe the same way,” he said. “We agree to disagree, and that’s OK.”
Source: OregonLive
