Church of God Chaplains Commission

“Team Cooperation”

As I am sitting here in my office at the Chaplains Commission, the beautiful summer weather of yesterday has gone and now the dark rainy cold sky of an approaching winter has taken its place. The temperature is dropping and in just a matter of hours everything has drastically changed. It reminded me of the warm April day that tornadoes ripped through the southeastern states, taking the lives of hundreds of people. A few weeks later another storm would devastate Joplin, Missouri, with more lives and property lost. This is not even counting the devastating hurricane disasters on the east coast and Haiti.

It is also hard to believe that during this year, in which we still have two months left in 2011, we have already exceeded 2010’s record of 81 federal disasters. As of September of this year, the U.S. has issued 86 disaster declarations. And, the amazing thing in all of these tragedies is how our various Care Division departments responded with a front-line team ministry. In a matter of hours of the tornadoes hitting the southeastern states, David Lorency, Director of Operation Compassion, had already begun the process of establishing on-site disaster centers in more than 31 areas in five states. Hundreds of semi-truck loads of supplies and thousands of pounds of food were on the way. Within days, specially equipped trailers were in place to serve the crowds of people needing a hot meal. As a part of this unique team, Dr. Jake Popejoy, Coordinator of the Community Service Chaplains for our Chaplains Commission, established chaplaincy on-site centers to respond to the counseling and ministry needs of the crisis responders and the victims of the storms. And, last year, it was this same team that was on the forefront of response when Haiti was virtually destroyed by a hurricane with an unthinkable loss of life and property.

This summer I was privileged to attend the Alabama camp meeting when Bishop John Childers presented the Care Division team of the Chaplains Commission and Operation Compassion, an official state commendation for their outstanding response and commitment to care for the people of Alabama during the April tornadic crisis. I want to personally express my appreciation to David Lorency for the great working relationship and team spirit that we have between the Chaplains Commission and Operation Compassion as we respond to crises around this country and overseas. I commend each member of our crisis team for your dedication and a job well done.

Donnie W. Smith, D. Min.
Director

Vocational Chaplaincy News

“Gross Gott” (Great God) is the familiar greeting among the German Bavarian population where I have had the privilege this week of participating in the Ministry to the Military Fall Retreat and the follow-on Church of God Military Chaplain Conference in beautiful Garmisch, Germany.

Bishop Robert Moore, International Coordinator of Ministry to the Military, allowed me to share the pulpit with Dr. Wallace Sibley, Secretary General, and Pastor Tom Sterbens, New Hope Church, to minister to a couple hundred military families and MTTM Center members from across Europe. The Lord smiled upon us with the blessings of His Spirit touching lives in each service. The altars were filled each day with those hungry to have the Lord move in their lives. It was a refreshing time in the Lord.

Five of our eight Church of God military chaplains stationed in Europe were able to attend the retreat and conference. In the photo below you will see standing on the floor Air Force Chaplain, Capt, Lance and Christine Giannone and daughter, Army Chaplain (CPT) Neal and Valerie Durham and children, Richard and Brenda Pace, Army Chaplain (COL) Dave and Cindy Moran; and standing on the hearth Army Chaplain (CPT) Raymond and Connie Pettitt and sons, and Army Chaplain (MAJ) Roderick Swanson. We missed seeing Army Chaplain (CPT) Dasha Somaratna who is deployed to Afghanistan, Army Chaplain (MAJ) Everett Franklin who is in a course in the States, and Army Chaplain (CPT) Baron Wester who was participating in unit operations.

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The Ministry to the Military and Church of God Military Chaplains share a calling to minister to military personnel and their families. The Chaplains minister from within the military and go wherever their troops go, including warzones. The MTTM Centers minister from a civilian model that provides a more permanent church setting. Bishop Moore and I are committed to working together in cooperation and mutual support to reach and care for the military personnel, and their families, who serve our Nation.

News from the Field

Congratulations to Air Force Chaplains Matt Boyd and Jonathan Hurt who were both selected for promotion to MAJOR! This is a key promotion in the career of a military chaplain in that it normally allows a chaplain to complete a full career before mandatory separation.

In August, Clinical Chaplain John Cocoran participated in a mock disaster with the Cincinnati Fire Department, University Hospital, and the South West Ohio Critical Incident Stress Management Team. The scenario was a Care-Flight helicopter crash on the landing pad with a fatalities and injuries.

Army Chaplain (LTC) Joe Melvin attended the International Conference on Violence, Abuse, and Trauma in support of his command. He also participated in the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists Conference for Counseling Supervision Training.

Richard L. Pace, D. Min.
Endorser and Coordinator, Vocational Chaplaincy Ministries

Community Service Chaplaincy News

Greetings from Oradea, Romania! Since the last update, I have been to Hungary to teach an intro to Chaplaincy Course with Bob Schmidt. We are scheduling a full Community Service Chaplaincy course for the last week of December and anticipate 45 Hungarian ministers and Laity to participate. Fortunately we have been asked by various denominations if they could send representatives. Praise the Lord! We look forward to these upcoming classes.

In addition to the Hungarian classes which are being scheduled, we have made chaplaincy contacts in the south east of Romania and will begin teaching in January with this group of dynamic ministers. I had the opportunity to visit an Orphanage this afternoon. We are looking at a partnership with the city of Oradea and one of our Gypsy Churches, which is headed by a Church of God Chaplain, to address specific needs with the underprivileged. Please keep us in your prayers as this process continues.

Updates from the Field

Community Service Chaplain John Moore, Empire, Alabama reports the following: “We are still working with our church at a food bank once a month. We are helping teach Sunday school, and having a good time on Thursday’s with Celebrate Recovery. We are seeing lives changed every week. We had two to graduate the other week.”

Community Service Chaplain Maribel Garcia, Berwyn, Illinois reports: “During the month of July and August 2011, I conducted workshops on domestic violence in Asuncion Paraguay. A wonderful thing happened, when I spoke about the need for a shelter for battered women and children. A couple from one of the largest churches in Asuncion, donated 3 pieces of land, so that we can build a shelter, a clinic, and a
school. Praise God! Then 4 lawyers from the same church and three architects, pledged their services to make this happen. There were also several families that own businesses in the city willing to raise enough money to finance the project. This is truly a miracle! I have my organization; Break The Silence Foundation, NFP in Chicago, IL. I am so grateful to the Lord for this. I was honored to represent our chaplains in Asuncion Paraguay.”

Community Service Chaplain Benjamin Junion, Maryville, Tennessee requests the following: Prayers for a grandparent to be and family and friends’ financial needs. Also help with Kairo’s outside prayer ceremony, Juvenile and weekends for on the road chaplains.

Community Service Chaplain Anthony Clarkbanks, Semmes, Alabama requests the following: “Continue to pray for my wife, she is getting better; thank you very much. Chaplain Clarkbanks also attended and participated in the opening of the first State Military Cemetery in Spanishfort, Alabama. Helped with the saving of a young man’s life at Baptist Hospital who wanted to commit suicide; he
gave his life to Christ in the process.”

Community Service Chaplain Pat Dew, Madisonville, Kentucky asks for prayers for Outreach into her community. Please pray for God’s intersession for so many marriages that the enemy is attacking. Her counseling hours are increasing and Chaplain Pat has been asked to be a part of Community outreach for Muscular Dystrophy kids.

Community Service Chaplain Hilton L. Brannan, Cleveland Tennessee requests that we pray for the following: “Please pray for 30 of my co-workers at the Whirlpool call center in Canada who were informed 10/05/2011 the center they work in is closing and their positions moved to Cleveland TN and Benton Harbor MI effective immediately. That is difficult to face in this tough economy, especially just before the holidays. Pray that God opens new doors of employment quickly for them. Please pray also for those participating in this weekend’s Prophecy Conference Oct 14-15 here in Cleveland TN at the T L Lowery Ministry Ctr. I plan to attend and be blessed with some fresh insight into how current world events line up with Biblical Prophecy. Chaplains serve a worldwide community of people and it is exciting to see how God’s hand and Spirit is moving throughout the nations.”

Church of God Chaplains Commission Hispanic Coordinator: Capellan Abel Cuen

Comision de Capellanes de la Iglesia de Dios

El mes de Octubre nos ha dado la bienvenida con una fiesta de colores aqui en Cleveland TN. Verdaderamente es una alegria mirar los cambios en la naturaleza y darnos cuenta que la creacion no esta estatica sino que se renueva constantemente demostrando la maravillosa Gloria de nuestro Senor.

De la misma manera en la Comision seguimos avanzando en nuestro proyecto de capacitar a los pastores y lideres de nuestra iglesia para el trabajo “afuera de la puerta” tal y como lo encontramos en Hebreos 13:12-13 “Por eso también Jesús, para santificar al pueblo mediante su propia sangre, sufrió fuera de la puerta de la ciudad. Por lo tanto, salgamos a su encuentro fuera del campamento, llevando la deshonra que él llevó”
Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)

Este fin de semana pasado (Oct 13,14 y 15) estuvimos en Houston TX. En la Iglesia de Dios Bellaire en donde los pastores Francisco y Olivia Mejia nos recibieron con mucho gusto y una atencion de Excelencia durante todo el curso, la verdad que no pudimos tener un anfitrion mejor para este Seminario de “Capellania de Servicio Comunitario”

Agradezco la participacion del Pastor de Zona Baltazar Pedroza, los pastores de distrito Jose Arnoldo Munoz y Francisco Mejia y la participacion decidida del pastor Guillermo Mendoza y todos los lideres y miembros valientes que participaron en este curso.

Me siento muy orgulloso del nivel de la clase tanto en su aprovechamiento como en la participacion atinada de todos en las clinicas magistralmente presentadas por el Capellan instructor Sam Saylor.

Por lo mismo quiero darle una mencion especial a nuestro instructor Principal en esta clase de Houston 2011; Sam Saylor quien viajo desde Dakota del Norte para estar con nosotros y compartir todo el conocimiento clinico que tiene y sobre todo en su especialidad con respecto al tratamiento posttraumatico del Incidente Critico.

Al final tuvimos el honor de graduar 41 nuevos Capellanes de Servicio Comunitario del nivel I y con tanto entusiasmo que ya estamos preparando las ceremonias de entregas de credenciales y tambien el seminario en el que estudiaremos el nivel II.

A DIOS SEA LA GLORIA!

Please continue to pray for and support the vast Hispanic Chaplaincy ministry that is moving across the nation within the Church of God and other denominations. We truly need God’s blessings upon this movement.

Dr. Jake Popejoy
Coordinator, Training and Community Service Chaplains