At Freymiller, we are committed to giving our drivers full access to the resources and support they need to grow and nurture their spiritual lives. One of the ways we do this is by having a ministry team and pastor on staff. We sat down with Pastor Olen Thompson to learn more about his spiritual journey and his role at Freymiller.
Pastor Olen was a truck driver running routes through Harrisburg, Pa., when he visited a Transport for Christ chapel – in a used semi-trailer – and was saved 30 years ago. He partnered with Freymiller over 15 years ago, when CEO David Freymiller let him use their headquarters in Oklahoma as a base for his own semi-trailer-chapel conversion.
He used the converted semi-trailer to bring the word of God to CDL-A drivers in truck stop parking lots before transitioning as the full-time chaplain at Freymiller’s headquarters. His day-to-day consists of “everything that your normal, everyday pastor does,” he said. From weddings to funerals to supporting drivers and their families through personal crises, Pastor Olen is a helping hand and sympathetic ear to those who need it.
While Pastor Olen connects with drivers on campus through one-on-one meetings and even by encountering drivers in need of prayer as he walks around the parking lot, his ministry team also has a website. It serves as a comprehensive resource for those wanting to know more about ministry at Freymiller and how they can get involved. A new scripture is posted each day, along with church news, upcoming events, the ability to submit a prayer request, and recordings of Pastor Olen’s sermons.
The sermons are given in person every Sunday at 9 a.m. and cover a wide range of topics. While they’re usually brief in length so that drivers and diesel mechanics alike can fit them into their busy schedules, Pastor Olen’s door is always open to those seeking guidance and support.
“People are searching for answers to life’s problems, and I can point them to what the word of God says about it,” Pastor Olen said. “People come in wanting prayer, and direction for themselves and their families; they want someone to go with them and support them, to ease their worries.”
Pastor Olen creates personal relationships with the drivers and their families and does whatever he can to show them the love of Christ. “One morning, I had a guy call me; his brother was in the hospital in Charleston, S.C., and he didn’t know what to do,” Pastor Olen said. “I walked next door and got in touch with the right people to help get him home.”
He and his team keep in touch with drivers throughout the years, offering them consistent support wherever their professional driving careers take them. He provides drivers with free Bibles, and Bible studies specific to whatever challenges they’re facing. And when he found himself facing his own personal challenge, he said the Freymiller family was there to support him.
“Five years ago, I went into the hospital for stints, and within a couple of days, the outlook wasn’t looking good,” he said. “Freymiller stood with me through the whole thing. David Freymiller told me: ‘If there’s anything you need, let me know.’ You couldn’t ask for a better group of people than the Freymiller family.”
Your faith should always come first. Feel like your carrier isn’t prioritizing your spiritual journey? Connect with Freymiller today.
