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Christianity Today, August (Web-only), 2007 |

Not Just Chaplains

Parachurch organizations are filling in the gaps through ministry to troops and their families.

Susan Wunderink | posted 8/21/2007 08:54AM

As the chaplaincy tries to fill several hundred vacant positions, parachurch missions to the military are supplementing chaplains' activities with programs, materials, and missionaries. Worldwide, Christian ...

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Malachi Guy

Posted: August 27, 2007 8:46 AM

Joe, At least from my experience working in this setting (10 years) your statement is completely inaccurate. I am currently in Germany and how we are working here is how we have worked for the past ten years. We currently attend the main post chapel as per our chaplains instructions. The reason for that is it has the "heavier youth concentration". At the same time, we make time to attend all the services on a rotating basis. We are part of parish councils in each of our chapels and our youth group is not representative of just one main chapel. In fact, currently our youth group consists mostly of "non-chapel" attending youth as well as a healthy dose from each chapel. Our strategy is not to "look for the main chapel" or seek out "higher ranked families". Our heart and passion is to minister to military teens regardless of rank, race or denomination. If your experience was different, you have my profoundest apologies. My prayer is that it was an exception and not the rule.

John	Posted: August 26, 2007 2:53 PM


My favorite military chaplain, is the Reverend Lennox Yearwood-he speaks the truth about the occupation of Iraq and the Guantanamo Bay detainment camp. Groups like Christian Embassy, just suck up to the powerful and condone what's going on-SHAME ON THEM.

fra59e

Posted: August 22, 2007 1:44 PM

Problems arise when fundamentalists assume that their fringe view of Christianity is typical of Protestantism - let alone of Christianity. It is not. Fundamentalists have no authority to speak for Christianity as a whole. And in any case the US Government and the armed forces under its direction exist to serve the American people, not God or the church. The loyalty of every servant of the people must be not to the Bible but to the Constitution of the United States. Those who cannot accept this do not belong in the uniform of the United States military. The uniform of the Salvation Army is available for them.

Joe David

Posted: August 21, 2007 7:30 PM

The problem with each of these parachurch organizations is that tend to minister to a narrow population. The more charasmatic, and nontraditional (read that, nonevangelical) congregations, families and soldiers and those who are racial minorities are very often ignored. Cadence, and Malachi and each of the others named look for the main post chapel folks where the higher ranked families are, and often never step foot in the more populated services where there is a heavier soldier and youth concentration.

Raymopnd Takashi Swenson

Posted: August 21, 2007 2:35 PM

For members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS chaplains facilitate access to chapel services and benefits for Mormons, but do not necessarily lead LDS congregations. All LDS adult males are eligible to be ordained as ministers, which many do as they serve two year volunteer missions at age 19. When several LDS service members gather, they have authority and experience to conduct all kinds of church services. LDS chaplains have generally earned an MA in religious studies, often after other military service. Support to LDS soldiers and families of deployed soldiers comes from local congregations, as well as from married couples serving as volunteer unpaid missionaries for a year at a time, usually after the husband has retired from military service, and therefore able to come and go on the installation. Such missionaries help transport servicemen to off-base churches, or if they must stay on base (as during Basic Training), help conduct meetings.

Joan	Posted: August 21, 2007 12:05 PM


Great reading, thanks for the information!

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