Chaplains Commission Weekly Update
Monday, May 19, 2008 at 10:59 pm
Choice Christian greetings!
Chaplains, better than any group of ministers I know, are great at “expediency ministry.” That means when necessary, chaplains meet the needs of their parishioners without violating good Pentecostal theology. Two things are important: meeting the needs of those we serve, and keeping high standards of Scriptural and Pentecostal integrity. These principles apply when, under emergency situations, you are praying for the dying, offering Holy Communion to a diverse group of worshippers or, in combat, trying to figure out a way to baptize a new convert when a baptistery or stream is unavailable. That is why we often say, you only send a well-grounded Pentecostal chaplain into this wider, pluralistic chaplaincy world. The further one gets out into this complex world, the greater the need for a strong Pentecostal identity. When you are forced to improvise, under emergency settings, you do it with deep thought, prayer and a conscious effort not to violate your personal, ecclesiastical or Biblical convictions. Thank God for our chaplains…meeting the spiritual needs of a vast, diverse population; but, at the same time, maintaining their solid identity as a Pentecostal whose practices are grounded in the Word of God. I know you will be praying for our chaplains and their families.
DON’T FORGET TO SUPPORT OUR JULY 6TH GOD AND COUNTRY CELEBRATION:
We are asking all our chaplains to be an active part of a special “God and Country” July 6th celebration. Next week, all pastors and churches will receive a packet of resources for this special celebration. The packet includes a letter from the General Overseer encouraging the setting aside of this special day as a time to pray for and support our chaplains, their troops and military family members. Also, churches are asked to send an offering to support this ministry. Chaplains are some of our best support in making sure that churches, on this particular day, remember our men and women in uniform. The theme for this service is, “We will not forget them.” A powerful video is being included in the packet of materials. If you are a pastor, we simply ask you to please utilize these resources; and if you are a chaplain attending a local Church of God, please talk to the pastor and encourage him/her to take advantage of this opportunity to support our chaplains and military personnel. The special offering is desperately needed to send to our chaplains Psalm 91 bandanas, new convert packets, goodies during the holidays, devotional materials and other resources for their military personnel. Like never before, we need your support.
NEWS FROM THE FIELD:
1. Army Chaplain (CPT) David Hall, Baumholder, Germany, reports: “I am asking you to pray for one of our soldiers who tried to commit suicide; and for his family.” Chaplain Hall also reports that he is now handling the entire Protestant program for this large military installation.
2. Prison Chaplain Michael Denney, Chillicothe, Ohio, reports: “We need prayer in our prison system throughout Ohio. Our institutions, like many prison systems, are experiencing a huge cutback in chaplaincy personnel.”
3. Hospital Chaplain Beverly Burkins, Burleson, Texas, reports: “Thank you for your prayers for my five-year-old grandson. He is much better; due to prayer! Also, I am glad to report that our hospital recently received an $1100 appreciation award for the purchase of inspirational materials for those experiencing surgery and birth of new babies.”
4. Hospital Chaplain LaVoy Newton, Augustine, Florida, gives this inspirational report: “I was at our local hospital for four straight days, around the clock, in the final stages of Carolyn Andrews’ life, a fellow minister in our church. During this critical time in her life, she showed Christ to everyone who came into contact with her. I was able to lead two of her friends to Christ. Many others were touched both by her stay in the hospital and during her funeral service.”
5. Army Chaplain (CPT) Jeff Bartels, serving in Iraq, sends this report: “I recently had the opportunity to visit and share in fellowship with another Church of God chaplain, Chaplain (CPT) Bill Martin. We attended Seminary together. We were able to encourage each other and pray for each other. Bill is getting ready for redeployment, and I am getting ready for a much needed R and R as I anticipate my last six months of deployment.”
6. Army Chaplain (MAJ) Robert Sinnett, Fort Jackson, South Carolina, notified us that on June 6th, he will report to a new duty station, Installation Management Command, Regional Headquarters, Heidelberg, Germany. I know you will be praying for Chaplain Sinnett and his family as he makes this move.
7. Civil Air Patrol Chaplain John Gordy, Cleveland, Tennessee, reports: “We just completed a Wing Chaplaincy Conference at Fort Benning, Georgia. It was a blessed time of sharing, learning, worshipping and being mentored by outstanding chaplains. While at Fort Benning, I also had the opportunity to fellowship with other Church of God military chaplains.”
8. Law Enforcement Chaplain Robert Proctor, Bakersfield, California, recently graduated with a Doctorate of Ministries Degree from Azusa Pacific University. We are glad to announce that, in addition to his graduation, he was also awarded the “Most Outstanding Student of the Doctoral Ministries Program for 2007-2008.” Send your notes of congratulations to Chaplain Proctor at: bproctor@bak.rr.com.
FINALLY:
Recently, it was my responsibility to consult with a high level military person in Washington, D.C. concerning a very critical matter. Now, how do you gain entry to this Department of Defense Office by means of a phone call; talking to someone you do not personally know, nor do they personally know you? Well, as you would suspect, it began by referring to Church of God chaplains who had served with this individual. In other words, I was able to quickly conduct this business because the person I was dealing respected Church of God chaplains, making reference to their integrity, honesty and outstanding ministry. In this business of relating to professional agencies, departments and even nations, individual chaplains’ reputations means almost everything. We have been blessed because we have a core of chaplains in the military, prisons, hospitals and many other institutions who have laid a foundation of trust and integrity. I must admit that on a few occasions, in this same type process, I have run into a blockade because the person I was talking to had a negative experience with one of our chaplains. While that is rare, it does happen. But, normally, it is just the opposite. When a chaplain’s name is mentioned, either one that has recently been assigned to a chaplaincy position, or one going back as many as 10-20 years, the person on the other end of the phone seems to light up with words like, “Boy, you have some great chaplains!” We are blessed by the product God has allowed us to send “beyond the gates” to a hurting world. They are men and women of integrity, with a passion to care for a wounded world. In their daily walk with Christ, they open doors that would be forever closed to this great ministry.
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
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