■ THE MINISTRY OF CHAPLAINS
CHAPLAINCY—LEADING THE WAY
FOR MINISTRY TO THE NEXT GENERATION
■ by ROBERT D. CRICK local pastor, are now allowed into low- prison, and university campus chaplains.
income housing areas, public-school sys- Chaplaincy is leading the way for the
R
ESEARCHERS have determined tems, college and university campuses, jails, church to be known not only for its fer-
that the next generation of prisons, and so on. Without training and vent, Pentecostal worship and lifestyle,
potential Christians will not come endorsement, legally, most of our ministers but also for its professional chaplains who
to us; we must go to them. Additionally, and laity are shut out. respond to the individual and family
it is determined that the only way to With more than 100 full-time and needs of their communities.
reach this new generation of potential reserve military chaplains, the Church of This issue of the Evangel describes this
Christians is through a genuine concern God is noted as selecting and training the vast core of chaplaincy caregivers. They
for their care needs. Chaplaincy is one of best, with tremendous results. However, this are there when the crisis occurs—whether
the best ways in which to do this. requires a long training and endorsement it is combat, a terrorist attack, a flood or
The Church of God Chaplains Com- process. The same is true for hospital, tornado, or another emergency—to pro-
mission was formally organized in 1978. vide a necessary and spiritual response.
At that time, we had only 12 chaplains. Chaplaincy is not simply a place of min-
Today, we represent more than 3,500 istry, but a way of thinking about reach-
chaplains, in some 40 different types of ing a wounded world. It is, without prej-
institutions, serving in 71 countries. udice, the willingness to go into some of
Through our full-time community service life’s most difficult places to offer oneself
and, now, our lay chaplaincy programs, as a presence and a help to those in
we are able to reach into nooks and cor- need. For this reason, chaplains will con-
ners everywhere. tinue to influence all phases of our min-
Local churches are being revolution- istries in a most significant way.
ized through our local church chaplaincy
program. Chaplaincy can mobilize a Robert D. Crick has served as the director
church to pastor an entire community. of the International Church of God Chap-
Trained chaplains, who are endorsed by lains Commission since it was formally
our commission, the state overseer, or a established in 1978.
Fast
was raising their two young daughters and nary, the tragedy of 9/11 stunned the
working part-time. Then God did some nation and the world. Not only would
rearranging of their lives and opened up Jeff and Amanda be going into the mili-
Track to
the opportunity to enroll in the Church of tary, but into a military at war. After grad-
God Theological Seminary—the first step uating from seminary and completing the
Frontline
in becoming a military chaplain. Army Chaplain School, Chaplain (Cpt.)
Jeff had grown up in the military, the Roberson’s first assignment was with the
son of a career Air Force officer. He gradu- 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell,
Ministry
ated from high school at a military base Kentucky. When he got there, his unit
in Germany. He lived all across the states was in the midst of nonstop preparations
as well as nine years overseas, from Guam to deploy to Iraq.
A
LTHOUGH Jeff Roberson felt a to Europe. Amanda had grown up in cen- It was a fast learning curve for both of
calling to military chaplaincy, tral Illinois, far from any military connec- them. Amanda’s “military training” was a
the responsibilities and circum- tion, living in the same hometown until one-week basic orientation course for
stances of life always seemed to be work- she left home for college. chaplains’ spouses at the Army Chaplain
ing against this possibility. He was a School while Jeff was completing his
schoolteacher living near Austin, Texas,
A Military at War
Army chaplaincy training. Arriving at Fort
who also served as assistant pastor at the In 2001, two weeks after the Rober- Campbell, she quickly began to learn a
Taylor Church of God. His wife, Amanda, sons moved to Tennessee to begin semi- new language and culture totally different
8 EVANGEL • AUG 2009
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