Lawton man to celebrate 50 years of driving church bus

Lee Gleaves will celebrate 50 years of bus ministry at 11 a.m. today at Bible Baptist Church, 7501 W. Lee.

Gleaves began picking up kids at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Altus under pastor Hoyt Lemon. After moving to Lawton in 1975 to run the respiratory therapy department at Comanche County Memorial Hospital, Gleaves joined Lawton Baptist Tabernacle. Before too long, he was bringing children to church in his pickup camper, so Pastor Bob Warner decided to give him a bus route.

In 1994, Gleaves and his family joined Bible Baptist Church under Pastor Gene Burnham, and he once again ran a bus route. The route was disrupted in 2020 by COVID-19.

It is estimated that Gleaves has brought thousands of children to church on his bus routes, with many giving their lives to Christ. At age 13, he trusted the Lord as his Savior at First Baptist Church in Berlin, Oklahoma. His best friend took him to church to hear the gospel. This experience in his early years instilled in him the need to take young people to church so they could hear the gospel.

Those unable to attend services today may send a card to Bible Baptist Church, 7501 W. Lee, Lawton, OK 73505.