Chaplains Commission Weekly Update – 2/11/2010
Friday, February 12, 2010 at 4:16 pm
Choice Christian Greetings!
One of our primary tasks in supporting more than 3,000 chaplains in 73 different countries is to ensure that they are strong and healthy – body, mind and spirit. These are difficult times; and often, chaplains, like our national workforce, are not asked to do just one job, but several jobs. Our nation is spiritually and economically unsettled with 10% unemployed and another 17% underemployed. Rather than hiring extra persons, employers are laying these extra burdens on their weakened workforce. Employees are willing to carry that extra burden for fear of losing their jobs. The question centers on what does this do to those workers, emotionally and spiritually?
Our chaplains tell us, almost across the board, they are doing a job that used to take two or more chaplains. For example, our military chaplains have experienced multiple deployments and lots of extra duties, which have put a tremendous burden, not only on the chaplain, but his/her family. One chaplain wrote this week that during his last three year assignment, his installation experienced 350 deaths, and the last one died as a result of the H1N1 virus. This young 18-year-old entered the hospital thinking he was dealing with the flu bug. When the chaplain visited the young man, the doctor was prepping him for amputation of his legs and arms. The chaplain wrote, “Maybe, fortunately, the Lord decided to take him just a few hours after they removed his legs.” Can you imagine what it would be like to deal with this many tragic situations? Multiply this responsibility many times as you consider the vast network of all those other individuals, commanders, fellow workers, and the family members connected to the deceased. That gives one an idea of the great demand that is placed upon our chaplains. Of course, personal and family concerns – as with anyone- still persist outside of job duties. In the case of this particular chaplain, his wife had multiple surgeries during his assignment, placing additional burdens upon him and his family.
Are we praying and supporting our chaplains and their families enough? That is the issue that I deal with everyday as your Director. They are under great stress, but carrying out amazing ministries. Keeping them strong is our number one task.
Military Chaplaincy Notes
· Army Chaplain (CPT) Neal Durham, Germany, notes: “I just got confirmation that we will be staying in Germany for another tour. We will be moving to Kaiserslautern to join a special troops battalion.”
· Army Chaplain (MAJ) David Santiago-Cruz, Germany, suffered and has fully recovered from heart surgery. He states, “Continue to pray for the families of three soldiers who were killed as a result of a helicopter crash. This has greatly affected our Stuttgart community. Army Chaplain (CPT) Barron Wester, was directly involved in helping at the scene of this accident. This month, I was privileged to conduct a Strong Bonds Retreat for couples; a retreat that took place in beautiful Garmisch, Germany.”
· Air Force Chaplain, Captain, Victor Pagan, Italy, states: “Pray for the family of one of our soldiers killed in action. On a joyful note, I recently had the privilege of holding a beautiful baby boy in my arms; a child, whose mother almost aborted him. After counseling with her, the Spirit convicted her not to proceed with those plans. To God be the glory!”
· Air Force Chaplain, Captain, Jonathan Hurt, San Antonio, Texas, just returned from a very successful ministry in Afghanistan. By the way, his home church, the Princeton Church of God, Princeton, West Virginia, pastored by his dad, Dr. Ray Hurt, gave tremendous support to Chaplain Hurt during this deployment with packages, Psalm 91 bandanas, devotional material and the like. Chaplain Hurt notes: “I am back at my home base; assigned to the Gospel Service. We are in the process of adopting another child and desire your prayers. The support that I received while I was deployed was unbelievable. The Church of God takes better care of its chaplains than any of the other endorsers that I have ever observed. As a chaplain in the Church of God, I feel supported, loved, and covered in prayers.”
· Navy Chaplain (CDR) David Gibson, Pensacola, Florida, was recently awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, in recognition of his outstanding ministries while serving as Director of Professional Development, Navy Chaplains School, Newport, Rhode Island. Among other citations in this significant award, it stated, “His inspirational leadership delivered a program that resulted in a Joint Chaplains Corps and Bureau of Medicine sponsorship in combat operational stress control and the associated family dynamics. His training products received high praise from the White House, Congress, and the Surgeon General, and they have had a global impact with attendees from the North Atlantic Treaty Organizational Countries and Japan.”
Institutional Chaplaincy Reports (Industries, Campus, Prisons, Hospitals, Etc)
· Prison Chaplain Joseph Miller, Newland, North Carolina, tells us that his daughter was diagnosed with myotonic dystrophy, a mild, yet crippling form of muscular dystrophy. He states, “After much prayer, many tears and fears, and a whole lot of believing and trusting God, our daughter has been completely healed!!!”
· Juvenile Detention Center Chaplain Floyd Coffman, Fairfield, California, was recently given a commendation certificate in recognition of his “Outstanding Service to the Solano County Juvenile Detention Facility.”
· Nursing Home Chaplains Mike and Bonnie Francis, Centreville, Maryland, sent this testimony: “We give the Lord praise as He performed a miracle with a sister who is part of our ministry. The doctors told us and the family that there was no hope. After much prayer, she is now released from the hospital and witnessing to others.”
· Community Service Chaplain Reese Hamar, Huntsville, Alabama, is someone close to my heart. Back in the 1960s, I had the privilege of putting Reese through jump school and watching him develop as a Chaplain’s Assistant. After the military, Reese continued his outstanding achievements in business. In his last note, he asked us to pray for his wife Thea, who is suffering from carsonoid cancer. Chaplain Reese is also a good supporter of Army Chaplain (LTC) Mickey Jett’s ministries in Afghanistan; supporting him with packages of goods and devotional materials for his troops. Can you believe that this relationship with Reese Hamar goes back to some 40 years? May I note that this has been the strength and the reason for the success of our chaplaincy ministries? It is made up of deep, long, and abiding great relationships.
Chaplain of the Week
Chaplain Carl L. Adams, North Hampton, Ohio. Over the years, I have observed this Community Service Chaplain and the significant way by which he has reached thousands for Christ. Let me give you an example of his many ministries this past month. At the Clark County Jail, he had the privilege of ministering to 29 juveniles; one had declared himself totally “burned out” with religion. After several sessions with Chaplain Adams, the young man came back to the Lord and stated, “I feel so wonderful since God came back inside me; he has forgiven me and changed my life.” Even the staff has noted to Chaplain Adams how this man’s countenance is much more serene and peaceful. At the Mechanicsburg Jail, Chaplain Adams, during this month, told of a jail service, where four rowdy inmates tried to disturb the worship. But even in that disruption, an inmate made his way to the altar and wept his way into a new relationship with Christ. In addition to all the other ministries, Chaplain Adams just recently released his new book, “God Prints;” published January 19, 2010. The book contains true-life stories about God being in the midst of troubles and adversity. If you want additional information concerning this book or others written by Chaplain Adams, be advised they are listed on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
Special Report
Prison Chaplain, Dr. Betty Standifer, Chattanooga, Tennessee, reports: “I am one of a team of ministers conducting a revival at our prison. I cover our women’s division. For three nights I preached to 100 women and staff. Each night many came to the altar. Eleven were saved and 78 rededicated themselves back to Christ. I asked the women to bring pictures of their children. During the service we prayed for the inmates and their children. I wish everyone could have seen the inmates holding the pictures of their children heavenward and crying out to God for their children…hundreds of children of all ages. The tears flowed; and I know God heard every prayer!”
Finally
I got many responses from you concerning my discussion of the therapeutic and spiritual process of going “down, in and ultimately up and out.” Most of you agreed that God is taking us, individually and denominationally, down deep into unchartered spiritual waters. Some of you related your own experiences of how your pain, sickness, and in one case, the loss of your employment, led you into a deeper dependency upon God. Many of you applied these experiences to the church today. That is, the church has to be taken down into the deep, dark waters of its soul before it rediscovers those cardinal doctrines that we use to not just quote, but believe. Such expressions as, “I am saved, sanctified, and filled with the Holy Spirit.” These doctrines were our spiritual compass. When that spiritual compass is misplaced or lost, even the smallest task seems insurmountable.
One chaplain wrote, “I have witnessed that the harder one grieves, the more one feels loved. In reality, I have come to believe that grief is one of the many by-products of love.” Another chaplain wrote, “God loves the church so much that He will intensify her pain until she once again discovers and practices the deep tenants of our Pentecostal faith.” So here again, down, in, and hopefully up and out. There will be no recovery until the pain has intensified, and we, the church, recognize and accept responsibility for our pain. We welcome your continued comments. I know of no group more qualified to speak to this matter than our chaplains, who spend their ministry life walking with persons whose lives are riddled with diseases and traumas, such as we witness in Haiti. Chaplains have learned that God does indeed take us deeper into our pain, and eventually, helps us to rediscover our true identity for ministry to a wounded world.
Sincerely,
Robert D. Crick
Weekly Bible Verse
That is why we have a great High Priest who has gone to heaven, Jesus the Son of God. Let us cling to Him and never stop trusting Him.
Hebrews 4:14 (NLT)
Contacts
Director, Dr. Robert D. Crick, cricksot@att.net
Full-time Chaplaincy, Dr. Jerry McNabb, jmcnabb@cogchaplains.com
Community Service Chaplaincy and Training, Dr. Jake Popejoy, jakepopejoy@aol.com
Public Relations and Recruitment, wroberson@cogchaplains.com
Special Projects, Reverend Tom Offutt, tomoffutt@att.net
Prayer and Family Care, Elaine Offutt, elaineoffutt@att.net
General Information, chapcm@cogchaplains.com
Web Site/Page: www.cogchaplains.com
RDC/als
Correspondence
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