Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church’s Fleet Expansion

The Challenge: Serving a Growing Community with Limited Transportation Options

Pastor Randle leads a vibrant multi-location church spanning six locations across Louisiana. Over the past 25 years, his ministry has experienced tremendous growth, and with that growth came an increasing need to serve the community beyond Sunday services.

“We are a very vibrant church and have many ministries. We really do a lot of outreach,” Pastor Randle explains. “We take children places. We allow them to venture out and dream big, as we do things to help them to see beyond their own hometowns.”

The church already operated two 15-passenger vans and two 25-passenger buses, but there was a critical gap. When planning trips for larger groups across state lines for youth activities and community programs, the church faced a significant obstacle: no access to charter buses in their rural Louisiana community.

“You have to travel two hours [to rent a charter bus], and the buses are very expensive,” Pastor Randle notes. After a few expensive charters, the math was obvious: “It’s a better investment for us to just buy our own bus.”

Finding BusesForSale.com: A Simple Search with Surprising Results

The search process began simply enough. “I Googled buses for sale. [BusesForSale.com] was the first one that came up,” Pastor Randle recalls.

What happened next set the tone for the entire experience: “I left a message really thinking that no one would get back in touch with me, and then Bryan called.”

That quick and personable response was just the beginning. Pastor Randle connected with the BusesForSale.com team and immediately found the bus his church wanted on the website. While there was an initial detour—spending two to three weeks exploring a newer, more expensive bus option through a financing partner—Pastor Randle stayed focused on his church’s actual needs.

Finally, he dropped the financing partner and circled back to his original contact at busesforsale.com, explaining the original bus fit their price range and would allow them to purchase now.

The Solution: Professional Service and the Perfect Bus

Once refocused on the right vehicle, everything fell into place. Bryan was able to help them commit to the original bus and the process moved quickly. “In no time at all we were able to get in it,” Pastor Randle says. From reconnection to closing took just three to four weeks.

Throughout the process, Pastor Randle appreciated Bryan’s accessibility and responsiveness. “One thing that I appreciated about Brian was he always accepted my calls,” he explains. “As a busy pastor, my time is valuable. He would call me back and deal with my concerns immediately. He did not have me waiting. He was always there to answer texts or calls or emails.”

Most importantly, Bryan stayed focused on what Pastor Randle and the church actually needed, as opposed to trying to get them into a newer or more expensive bus.

The Results: A Church and Community Transformed

The bus arrived in early July 2025, and the impact was immediate and far-reaching. The reception went viral within their community. “We had a reception party when the bus arrived. It was all over Facebook. We got calls everywhere—congratulation calls. It really created quite a stir.”

Beyond the excitement, the bus serves its practical purpose perfectly. The Randle 2008 Krapf MCI bus “runs like a brand new bus” and “looks like a brand new bus,” according to their local mechanic, who confirmed it was a great investment.

Now, community members know they have access to comfortable, affordable transportation without traveling hours to Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, or New Orleans. The bus enables the church’s members to travel together comfortably, whether for trips across multiple states or journeys just an hour away.

Looking to the Future

Pastor Randle’s experience has made him a loyal advocate. “We plan to have a fleet of buses, and I’m coming back,” he says. “If I’m going to get that type of service, that type of quality vehicle, and that type of timely manner, there’s no other place to shop but BusesForSale.com. I’m not going anywhere.”

His recommendation to others is simple and heartfelt: “If they’re looking for a bus, they need to start with BusesForSale.com.” Stories like Pastor Randle’s remind us that this business is about helping communities stay connected, one bus at a time