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The chaplaincy exists to fulfill the First Amendment, according to Dolinger. First Amendment religious rights in the military are tricky to maintain, due to issues of representation and free speech. Recent controversies about conversion and evangelism, highlighted by a lawsuit accusing the Air Force Academy of religious intolerance, have made some well-established military ministries skittish.

Both parachurch organizations and military personnel have to be aware of divisions between a soldier's official duties—even if they include providing religious services—and other activities. Blurring the lines can be considered an ethical breach. On July 27, the U.S. Department of Defense's inspector general released a report on the alleged misconduct of nine military personnel. Two of them were exonerated in the report. The officers, including four generals, appeared in a Christian Embassy fundraising video filmed in the Pentagon. The Department of Defense objected that their endorsement (in uniform, and without the permission of superiors) gave the "appearance of government sanction," violated regulations on wearing uniforms, and provided a selective benefit to the Christian Embassy. The Department of Defense has not decided what disciplinary action to take.

Dolinger sees a distinction between proselytizing—which is forbidden—and evangelizing. "Proselytizing involves trying to force people to join a particular group" by using rank to corner or intimidate someone. "I would say that any group that comes in evangelizes," he said. "But I don't think we'd let anyone in who'd proselytize." Since organizations that personally minister to troops are working through the permission and with the knowledge of the chaplain, they are generally careful not to cause offense.

"The military is a pluralistic environment," said Campbell, "so if anyone is going to succeed here, you need to be pluralistic." "Pluralism"—taken here to mean the ability to function as a minister in a multi-faith environment—is held up as the ideal for troops, chaplains, and ministries that work on bases.

To Campbell, the principle of respect guides the ministry. "That translates to speaking freely about what I believe but not criticizing what others believe," he said."We try to create an environment of dialogue, not monologue."

Campbell explained that to maintain the trust of the military and school administrators he works with, he takes an indirect approach to kids' spiritual questions. "We put them on a path to self-discovery. We really stick to basics: How do I understand my Bible? How does it affect my relationships? Where does Jesus fit? When it comes to denominational stuff (baptism, etc.), we direct them to the chaplains."

Campus Crusade Military Ministry's frank, evangelistic approach falls within those parameters. The Campus Crusade website explains the gospel in several places and provides resources for chaplains both in the U.S. and in foreign militaries. The organization offers rapid deployment kits including Bibles, devotionals, and tracts, which chaplains can request and distribute to their units. The organization has delivered more than 1.5 million kits since September.

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August (Web-only) 2007, Vol. 51