Uber Driver Sees Job as Mobile Mission Field

An Uber ride in Brooklyn could turn into a religious experience if you happen to plop into the backseat of Kenneth Drayton.

Drayton is an ordained minister at Staten Island's Christian Word of Hope Ministries, but last August he took up a side job as an Uber driver.

"I only play classical music, my car is immaculately clean and they can sense the presence of God," Drayton told the New York Post. He added that passengers are immersed in "peace and tranquility."

From financial issues to missing children--Drayton says it doesn't take long before his passengers start to open up.

One man on the verge of losing his carpet-cleaning business shared his story as Drayton ferried him from Brooklyn Heights to Linden, N.J.

"He was in the black, but suddenly went into the red after another carpet-cleaning company opened up nearby," Drayton recalls. "All I could tell him was to get involved with the ministry and learn God's way of doing things."

Of course, not everyone is seeking sympathy and counsel from their Uber driver.

"Some people are rude and no matter what I do or say it doesn't do any good," said the minister, who was ordained in 1986.

Still, most people appreciate the roving preacher. Drayton says he receives some large tips and he recently got over 1,000 five-star ratings on the Uber app.

The company also supports his personal touch.

"Driver-partners like Kenneth are the magic behind the app," said Uber spokesman Alix Anfang.