Church of God Chaplains Commission

Chaplains Commission Weekly Update

Friday, April 25, 2008 at 10:07 pm

Choice Christian greetings!

This week, we welcomed home one of our military chaplains from Iraq, Chaplain (CPT) Barron Wester. As all of you know, Chaplain Wester was the first Church of God chaplain to be wounded in combat. While ministering to a young man trapped in a burning vehicle, he took a sniper’s round. After recovering for many weeks in a military hospital in Germany, he returned to his unit and completed is 15-month deployment. Rather than focusing on his own sacrifices, time and again his email messages gave focus to Soldiers, requesting prayer for their safety and for their salvation. Chaplain Wester represents more than 50 Church of God chaplains who have been deployed to these troubled areas; many of them with multiple deployments. His family, like all of our military chaplains’ families, takes care of their own families during these deployments, while at the same time, look after other military families on their bases. As one chaplain’s wife stated, “I do not have time to grieve about my situation; our base is loaded with too many other needs!” The Church of God is blessed with the very best! We give God the praise for undergirding our chaplains with the Word and the Spirit. With the Word and the Holy Spirit, they know they are never alone; they have a family that loves and supports them, a Church grateful for their ministries and a Lord that centers His greatest presence where the pain is severe. I know you will continue to pray for our chaplains; many still in Iraq and other dangerous areas; and a host of chaplains taking care of the wounded of this world.

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE EAST FLATBUSH, BROOKLYN CHAPLAINCY MINISTRIES:

We just completed a most successful Community Service Chaplaincy Training Program at the Church of God of East Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York. The lead instructors were Dr. Doc Williams and Chaplain San Saylor. Dr. R. C. Hugh Nelson, Senior Pastor, is no stranger to chaplaincy. Everywhere he has been he has caught the vision that chaplaincy and the local church are spiritually bound with a common goal. In this recent course, more than 100 took advantage of the Basic Chaplaincy Course and a Specialized Course on Drug and Alcohol Addictions. To understand the dynamics of chaplaincy ministries at East Flatbush, you must go beyond the courses. The church permeates with a chaplaincy passion. More than 75 at this one local church have been trained for chaplaincy ministries. This ministry is under the directorship of a dynamic chaplaincy coordinator, with a trained and committed Board. Dr. Nelson believes that a local church must love the entire city where it is located. These chaplains at East Flatbush are not doing this as a “tack-on” to some other passion; they are committed to some 20 different types of ministries within their vast metropolitan area. Their ministries include care for the homeless, hospitals, prisons, local courts and a very special ministry to the gangs of their city. Recently, in a street gang event, three young men were killed. It was the chaplains at East Flatbush that intervened, giving care to the families, solace and spiritual security to the community and the housing area where the shooting took place, and taking care of the funeral of the three victims. During the funeral services, hundreds of young people attended and the altars were full. That is chaplaincy at its best. Our congratulations go to Dr. Nelson and his fantastic chaplaincy leaders.

MILITARY CHAPLAINCY NEWS:

1. Army Chaplain (CPT) Neal Durham just arrived in Iraq for a 15-month deployment from his unit in Baumholder, Germany. His first note to us states: “I arrived safely in Kuwait and am on my way to Iraq. Thank God for your prayers. Valerie, my wife, and the kids are handling this deployment much better this time around. I know the Lord is with them.” Please note as you prayerfully read this Update, we are looking for churches and pastors who would want to adopt Chaplain Durham and other Church of God chaplains and their units during these deployments. This would mean you would be responsible for the following: 1) Be in contact with the chaplain on a regular basis by email for prayer and other support; 2) During the holidays, send packages for the chaplain and his/her Soldiers; 3) Help raise funds to make possible Psalm 91 bandanas, devotional materials and other resources for the sponsored chaplain in support of his/her troops. If you are interested in this sponsorship, contact us immediately at chapcm@bellsouth.net.

2. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Taz Randles was recently called up from Reserves for a 3-year active duty assignment. He is assigned to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, D.C. Incidentally, the Command Chaplain at this facility is our own chaplain, Chaplain (COL) Charles Howell. Chaplain Randals notes: “I thank God for this assignment. He is unbelievably good to me and my family! Keep me in your prayers.”

3. Army Chaplain (COL) Charles Howell, Walter Reed Medical Center, Washington, D.C., sent us this note written by a columnist to be published: “One of Walter Reed’s patients told me of riding shot-gun in a humvee when a round came through the door. The Sergeant told how his right arm was almost sheared off. The charge entered the right side of his chest; he woke up a couple weeks later. When he awakened, he was at Walter Reed; thousands of miles away from the incident that took place near Baghdad. He is 28 years old with a chunk of molten metal that went right through him. Now he faces a long recovery as he puts his life back together.” The writer states that there are 160 in-patients at Walter Reed, and 700 out-patients. In his final words, he got to the heart of his message: “If you are not a Soldier, if you do not know or love a Soldier, you will never in a million years understand these patients. These are men and women with serious wounds who would give anything to get back to their units!” This war has taken the lives of 4,000 of our men and women with 35,000 wounded; I know you will pray diligently for these Soldiers, their family members and the dedicated medical staff caring for our sons and daughters.

4. Army Chaplain (CPT) Jerry Hall, Baumholder, Germany, has experienced two 1-year deployments to Iraq. Now, in Baumholder, he works with those coming back from the war zone and those preparing to go. He notes: “We meet with every Soldier who is returning or on his way to Iraq. We hand out hundreds of rapid deployment kits which include Psalm 91 bandanas and other devotional materials. Our Soldiers deeply appreciate our spiritual support.”

OTHER CHAPLAINCY NEWS (Campus, hospital, prisons, industry, etc.):

1. Community Service Chaplains Drew and Cherry Landrus, Crab Orchard, Tennessee, were recently featured in Our Journal magazine regarding their vast community chaplaincy ministries. The article, entitled, “The Little Care Center that Could,” tells of the Crab Orchard chaplaincy outreaches to the homeless, feeding programs, clothing and food distribution, backpacks for needy school kids, medical programs for those in need and many other care/chaplaincy ministries. This article on Drew and Cherry (the parents of Army Chaplain (CPT) Heather Landrus) not only highlights the needs in these smaller communities, but with prayer and ingenuity, the means that have been made available to meet these needs. If you would like information about the way in which this couple has created an extensive care/chaplaincy program in their regional area, contact them at: senseiagl@frontiernet.net.

2. Puerto Rican Chaplaincy Coordinator, Chaplain Ismael Ponce, sent this special announcement: “Thank God, I am a grandpa for the first time! Lydia Marie has given a new spark to all of our lives, and we give God the thanks and glory!”

3. Pastoral Counselor Jairo Moreno, recently retired with 20 years of Navy chaplaincy service, has been hired as a Pastoral Counselor at the Lakewood Church, Houston, Texas. He states: “I will be working as a family therapist in a highly professional and outstanding program.”

4. College and University Chaplaincy Field Coordinator John Unthank, Knoxville, Tennessee, sent us this report of our chaplaincy programs at the University of Kentucky. He states: “Our Alpha-Omega campus ministry is strong at this university. Chaplain Chris Vaught recently conducted a week -long 24/7 prayer vigil on campus. He was allowed to set up a prayer tent and conduct day/night prayer meetings. By week’s end, 47 students were saved and 7 students received the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” If you would like to learn more about our campus chaplaincy programs, contact Chaplain Unthank at: revjeu@yahoo.com.

FINALLY:

If we are not careful, in the middle of so much upheaval, our minds and hearts go into overdrive! How do you process this tense, competitive political primary; or gas at $4 a gallon; or denominations/faith groups that struggle with financial crises and, more so, their identity in a post-modern world? Last week, while in New York City, Pope Benedict celebrated Mass at Yankee Stadium with some 60,000 congregants. The New York newspapers were filled with reflections on his itinerary, which included a visit to Ground Zero, a large Catholic youth rally and personal visits with priests and parishioners. One article stated, “Pope Benedict comes at a time when America has lost its spiritual identity.” The article went on to say that individuals, and for that matter, faith groups, do not have clearly defined value principles. It reminds me of what one writer said, “We are a culture of fragmented values,” or what another writer calls “a de-centered value system.” That is why John McArthur in his recent book, The Truth War notes: “Church leaders are obsessed with style and method, but have lost interest in the Glory of God and are fast becoming apathetic about truth and sound doctrine.” It is in the middle of proclaiming Christ in a post-modern age that our chaplaincy ministries are thriving. These ministries are successful because it is not about “us,” but about “them.” It is about the AIDS victim in the hospital, the Soldier in Iraq, the prisoner on death row. If the Church would look, not on itself, but on the fields that are white unto harvest, we would once again find the truth and center it into our hearts, our families and those ministries for which God will hold us responsible. Continue to pray for our chaplains and their family members.

Sincerely,

Dr. Robert Crick

Director, Chaplains Commission

Director’s e-mail: cricksot@worldnet.att.net

Office e-mail: chapcm@bellsouth.net

Web Site/Page: www.cogchaplains.com

RDC/vja

Categories: Weekly Update