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A growing number of niche evangelical ministries focus on “meeting people where they are”: transporting their message to the diverse environments where people spend their time, both for work and leisure. Founded in 1951, Transport For Christ (TFC), an international trucker ministry, has strategically placed dozens of so-called “mobile chapels” (semi-tractor trailers-turned houses of worship) at major truck stops across the nation. Chaplains offer worship services and Bible study sessions for drivers passing through, and for anyone else who wants to join.

Used with the permission of The Ohio State University. Produced with support from the American Religious Sounds Project.

In the new religious movement Eckankar, humans are thought to be connected to God through a spirit that can be “heard as sound and seen as light.” For practitioners, sound itself is a religious experience. One of the cornerstones of Eckankar is the HU song: By repeatedly singing the word HU, which they believe to be ancient word for God, Eckists say that they can alter their inner landscape and consciousness, raise energy, and become closer to the divine.

Used with the permission of The Ohio State University. Produced with support from the American Religious Sounds Project.