Serving on the road

Liberty bus driver Rick Edwards shows the love of Christ during his daily route

Richard Edwards is no ordinary bus driver. He is a counselor, teacher, encourager and friend — all from behind the wheel of a white Liberty University bus.

minister — Rick Edwards leaves a lasting impression on the students he drives. Photo credit: Kari Moye

Minister — Rick Edwards leaves a lasting impression on the students he drives. Photo credit: Kari Moye

He also happens to be a husband, father of four children and grandfather of three grandchildren.

Edwards, who prefers to be called “Rick” or “Bus Driver Rick,” did not start out as a bus driver, though it is something he said he always dreamed of doing.
“I love driving big things,” Edwards said. “It’s one of my earthly passions.”

Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, Edwards left his hometown at age 17 to pursue ministry, something he believed God was calling him to do.

Passionate about both youth and music ministry, Edwards worked with Life Action Ministries (LAM) for 10 years as both a music director and camp director. LAM is also where Edwards met and married the love of his life. The two are preparing to celebrate their 35th anniversary Oct. 12.

After 21 years of ministry, Edwards, his wife and his two youngest daughters moved to Romania as missionaries with Friendship International. There, Edwards helped a group of Romanian pastors develop Light House Camp in Buteni, Romania. He also worked with a group of Hungarian and Romanian students traveling, singing and sharing the gospel.

Three years later, the Edwards family moved back to the United States, and Edwards assumed a pastorate in Wyoming
for four years.

It was then time for yet another move, this time to North Carolina, where Edwards was a pastor and chaplain for the Williamston fire department for three years. He and his wife, who is a floral designer currently working with bloom by Doyle’s in Lynchburg, also owned a floral and antique shop in Williamston.

Even with years of ministry under his belt, Edwards said he did not really consider himself a pastor.

“I never really felt like a pastor,” Edwards said. “I am an encourager. … I love building lives, and I love doing anything I can to bring a smile.”
Following the short time spent in North Carolina, Edwards moved to Colorado Springs, Colorado, after Friendship International asked him to take over their program, which operates in Romania, Hungary, Scotland and Chile — all places Edwards has visited.

However, the Lord had a different plan in mind.

At the time, Edwards and his wife were reading “Abba’s Child,” by Brennan Manning.

The book changed Edwards’ life. “Brennan was a man who … never got over the fact that he was loved by Christ,” Edwards said. “It just seemed to permeate everything about him. That grabbed my heart like nothing (else) had in 37 years of ministry.”

The Edwards family realized there was no difference between full-time ministry and not being on staff at a church.

“I wanted to be working where people needed Jesus,” Edwards said. “I just wanted to be a light.”

For Edwards, being a light involved driving buses. Lots of them.

Edwards, who had always wanted to drive a motor coach, started driving for Grayline Tours of Colorado Springs and began a new kind of mission work.

“My desire was to be different,” Edwards said. “That’s what Jesus calls us to be.”

After a short time as a driver in Colorado, Edwards relocated to Virginia to be with family. Within two days of the move, God opened the door for
Edwards to drive for Liberty University.

Edwards began working second shift Monday through Friday from 2:45 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. for the Cornerstone apartments route, and 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. for Main Campus, something he struggled with at first.

“When I got here, I was so angry at the Lord (because) I had to give up motor coach,” Edwards said. “That’s how much I loved it.”
Slowly but surely, God began to change his heart.

“The spirit of God just hit my heart with, ‘Rick, you don’t know who’s coming through the door, because one day, one of these kids could be a follow-up to Billy Graham, a follow-up to Bill Gates, a wealthy businessman (or) a nurse,’” Edwards said.

That was Edwards’ turning point.

And, after one semester on the job, Edwards had the opportunity to live his dream again — driving a motor coach. “Any day in a motor coach seat is a great day,” Edwards said.

The best part of bus driving for Edwards is the passengers.

Bruno Yupanqui, a graduate student at Liberty, said Edwards radiates positivity.

“I always ride around campus with headphones on. … Even with them on, you can still feel his presence emanate a positive environment within his bus,” Yupanqui said. “While I choose to be antisocial at the wrong times, this guy is pretty cool.”

Edwards said he loves talking with his passengers about anything and everything.

“I love it when they ask questions,” Edwards said. “I love knowing where they are. You can’t meet somebody until you know where they are.”

Topics range from marriage to missions to majors. If someone wants to talk, Edwards will listen — sometimes for two or three rounds.

Edwards’ encouraging efforts are not just limited to bus rides, however. He also has a Twitter page (@busdriverrick) and encourages students to follow him for words of encouragement throughout the day. He currently has 875 followers.

“Rick has gone the extra mile in creating a Twitter account,” Timothy Spencer, assistant director of Charter Services at Liberty, said. “He has exemplified the kind of person we want working at Liberty. His love for Christ first, his family, the students. … I would say Rick doesn’t come to work, he comes to his mission field.”
Edwards knows that life, like bus driving, is not without its challenges.

“The kids may look at me and think that I’m always happy,” Edwards said. “But that’s not life. Life has its challenges. But we always have the privilege to experience joy.”

Life is exciting for Edwards because he said he is living for an audience of one, “driving the king’s chariots around.”

Edwards said he is honored to be a part of the Liberty transit staff, a group he described as both diverse and fun, and a group that has taught him so much.

“Mr. Edwards is a very hard worker, very passionate for what he does,” Ted Sweet, transportation and transit manager for Liberty, said. “His passion is (for) the students, and he’s very helpful with the transit department.”

Having been a driver for a total of 35 years, Edwards knows that on the road trip of life, God drives the bus. He is just along for the ride.
Bus driving is not a job for Edwards, but a ministry. It is a passion. A calling. A privilege. And he simply wants to let people know how much God loves them right where they are.

“I don’t care what color, shape, height or width (the passengers) are,” Edwards said. “I try to love them when they come through the door, and just be a bright spot in their life.”

GRAF is a feature reporter.

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