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Merwin Rhoades was raised in a religious home, but did not know the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior until after becoming an adult. Merwin came to know Jesus Christ as his personal Savior through a trucking ministry while working as a long haul truck driver. A few years later God moved Merwin away from hauling freight. First Merwin got his family into church where they were all grounded in the true word of God. Then Merwin answered God's call to take the Good News of Jesus Christ to the trucking industry where he has been serving God as a chaplain since 1987.
After sensing that God may be wanting them to start a new trucking ministry Merwin and his wife, Debbie, prayed for God's clear guidance. When God's timing and plan were made clear, they started Steering Wheel Ministries out of their home in Sutherlin, Oregon in 1995.
What is the BEST way to minister to a mobile group of people who may be able to get to their home church only three or four times a year? You take the church to them where they are. Steering Wheel Ministries is doing this by holding Chapel Services in truck stops. The plan includes two 18 wheel and one or two mini mobile chapels to go to truck stops that are not suitable for stationary chapels.
The GOAL of Steering Wheel Ministries: Steering Wheel Ministries is a non-profit non-denominational, home mission, Christian organization dedicated to reaching the trucking industry for Jesus Christ one soul at a time by proclaiming the gospel in such a way that it is easily understood, to build them up in their faith in Jesus Christ, and to teach them how to properly share this faith with others.
Our First 18-wheel Mobile Chapel is on the road. This chapel was 14 years in the making and it all came together in God’s time, not our time.Follow the chapel construction report page about the progress of this and our second 18-wheel mobile chapel.
Steering Wheel Ministries is in the process of putting the final finishing touches on our first 18-wheel mobile chapel.. We have compleated converting a forty-eight foot freight trailer into an 18-wheel Mobile Chapel complete with chaplain's quarters. We are now getting ready to build our second 18-wheel mobile chapel. These mobile chapels will be just that, mobile, so we can reach out to a group of truckers that are unreached at this time.
Steering Wheel Ministries is working hard to reach even more of the trucking industry for Jesus Christ by bringing truckers information that will enrich, strengthen, and maintain their Christian life. This is being done by ministering at truck stops, in the homes of truck drivers and their families during crisis situations, as well as through chapel services in truck stops, and distribution of Bibles, Christian CDs, tapes and books, all are free for the asking.
We will have to wait until we get to Heaven to find out what the Full Impact of our efforts really have been. All we know now is that we see many each year who are committing their lives to Jesus Christ as their Savior, receiving their first Bible, and being encouraged to keep going with Jesus Christ. Then there are the marriages that are kept from divorce. This is what we know about right now. There are hundreds who come to our Chapel Services, and talk with our Chaplains each year for one-on-one Biblical encouragement - right now only God knows the rest of the story.
Steering Wheel Ministries is supported solely by donations given by those who want to have a part in "Building A Respectable Image In The Trucking Industry Through The Power Of The Shed Blood Of Jesus Christ."
