Seminary Grad Keeps on Truckin'
By Laura Lehman Amstutz
Jeremy Byler will drive a truck from Virginia to San Jose California to transport goods from Mennonite agencies.
Jeremy Byler is always looking for ways to combine his love of trucking with his love of ministry. This summer, he has an unexpected opportunity to do both.
Byler, a 2006 Eastern Mennonite Seminary (EMS) graduate from Harrisonburg, will be driving a semi-truck from Virginia across the country to San Jose, Calif. The truck will be filled with display items and resources from Mennonite agencies east of the Mississippi river. These will be delivered to the biennial Mennonite Church USA convention being held July 2-6 in San Jose.
Byler may not be a stereotypical truck driver. His MP3 player is full of lectures by theological heavyweights like N.T. Wright and Stanley Hauerwas as well as sermons from pastors and lectures from his favorite professors at EMS.
"Truck driving and faith have always been two of my biggest interests," said Byler. His father and grandfather were also truckers; and as a youngster he listened to music, watched movies and read stories about truck driving.
"Truck driving is in my blood," he declared. But something else is there too – a strong faith and a desire to deepen it. This desire took Byler to seminary in 2003.
Byler helps Phil Helmuth wrap pallets for transport.
"I felt a call to seminary, but not so much to typical pastoral ministry," said Byler.
After seminary, Byler returned to truck driving to put what he'd learned into action.
"I like to turn the theoretical into the practical. I want to bring the gospel to people I come in contact with in trucking," said Byler.
"The fact that I claim Jesus as Lord and pledge my allegiance to Jesus means that I want to live my life differently," he continued. “I want to make a statement to other people who are Christians who might think that their job isn't part of their faith. I try to bring my daily life into congruence with my Christian faith."
Byler and his father, Jay Byler of Pennsylvania, are leaving early Wednesday morning, June 27, with a load of materials from EMU and other Harrisonburg area agencies. They will make stops in Ephrata, Pa., at Mennonite Central Committee's Material Resource Center and at Mennonite Publishing House, Scottdale, Pa., before going on to pick up items from Bluffton (Ohio) University.
Getting a semi-truck and driver to deliver materials to San Jose was the brainchild of EMU development officer Phil Helmuth. Usually, agency representatives travel by car or plane to various Mennonite conventions and each takes his own materials along, but since the convention is in California this year, this just wasn't possible.
The truck and trailer have both been donated by local Harrisonburg businesses. InterChange, a local company that stores and hauls goods, has donated a trailer. Byler works for InterChange and they are giving him time off to make this special trip out west.
Pac Lease, the leasing company that works with Truck Enterprises, has donated the truck. Byler will actually be driving the truck he regularly drives for InterChange. Prior to attending seminary, Byler drove truck three years in Harrisonburg and in Pennsylvania.
While in Pennsylvania he used to drive truck to California with his wife Jody.
“I look forward to driving out west,” Byler said. "I'm also looking forward to driving with my dad. I rode with my dad as a kid, but we've never driven together. Now I get to drive too.”
And as another plus, “I’m glad that I’m able to use my enjoyment of driving truck to benefit the larger Mennonite Church.”
posted 6/26/07
