What is a Chaplain? Service to God and Country
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Chaplains are the spiritual guardians of the United States Military. In times of joy and moments of conflict, they are friend and counselor, shoulder to lean on and spiritual leader. Chaplains offer their ministry to a unique congregation, full of different beliefs, cultures and religions. They accompany the service members wherever they go, from a chapel on a military base, tent in the field, or a ship in the gulf, using the Word of God to comfort and console. The ministry does not stop with our service members, but reaches out to families, spouses and children, a diverse community millions strong. This is a patriotic and selfless opportunity to serve God and your country, to reach out to people in the most demanding and rewarding times of their lives.
World Conference Resolution 1249, Participation in Military Service, Adopted April 19, 1996.
Whereas, The call to the church is to pursue peace; and
Whereas, The church recognizes the moral right and responsibility of persons to make personal choices relating to how they will pursue peace; and
Whereas, As a church we affirm that each person in harmony with his or her understanding of the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ exercises an individual stewardship by choosing to participate or not to participate in military service; and
Whereas, A person may wish to have on record with the church a statement explaining his or her choice not to participate; therefore, be it
Resolved, That a registry for such statements be established and maintained at the headquarters of the church; and be it further
Resolved, That a person making a decision of conscience either to participate or not to participate in military service has the respect, the support, and the ministry of the church; and be it further
Resolved, That as a church we affirm that each person has the moral right to nonviolently and conscientiously object to, or refuse to participate, or to participate fully in military service in response to his or her understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught by this church.
All branches of service to include active and reserve units, VA hospitals, and federal prisons.
Full time active service
Reserve
Candidate
Becoming a Chaplain is one of the most profound opportunities for personal growth you’ll ever have. You’ll experience challenges unheard of in civilian ministries. As a community leader, you will influence the culture of the military and minister to the personal growth of service members and their families. They depend on the moral and spiritual guidance that only a chaplain can provide during the entire cycle of life, through births, baptisms, confirmations and weddings. Whether it’s preaching, counseling or administering the ordinances of your faith, you can build a religious foundation that supports the military family’s spiritual growth.
You will provide spiritual guidance to service members in their environment. You might minister to troops on field maneuvers or deliver a sermon from the back of a Humvee. You might fly from ship to ship, or walk the flight line providing one on one ministry. You will need the flexibility to turn a tent into a chapel, a field table into an altar, or a log into a pew. Many chaplains live on military installations around the country and shepherd their flock from local chapels. Others may find themselves jumping out of aircraft. Wherever you serve, you are an integral part of the lives of service members and their families.
You will be a highly visible and important part of a dynamic community. As a chaplain, you really get to know the service members, and you have an enormous impact on the lives of the diverse cross-section of Americans. As a commissioned Officer, you also receive the benefits and privileges that go with being a military leader: Officer’s pay and allowances, 30 days vacation annually, free on-post or base housing or a housing allowance, medical and dental care for you and your family, as well as retirement benefits. As a Reservist, you can earn a supplemental income while performing ministerial duties.
Meet all of the requirements set by the church to attain endorsement as chaplain. See "Becoming a Chaplain" at http://www.CofChrist.org/military/BecomingChaplain.asp.
For more information about this challenging career alternative contact the Community of Christ Military Chaplain Endorser, Steven McCrosson, at 1-800-825-2806 ex 3074 or e-mail at militaryministry@CofChrist.org
Military services allow service members to note denomination affiliation on identification tags. In many cases service members don't know what to ask for to identify themselves as members of the Community of Christ. The church suggests that service members ask for "CMNTY OF CHRIST" inscribed on identification tags.
Service Members
Individuals who are members of military services should contact the
Coordinator of Military Ministry at headquarters to be provided special
communications from the church and the Association for Ministry to the Military.
They should also make sure that the recorders in the congregations where they
are enrolled have their current address on file. This will assist the church in
providing ministry in various ways.
Members in military service are encouraged to participate in congregations located near their military installation. We also understand that many military members choose to be active within their base chapel community instead of a local congregation because of their unique commonality of military service with others in the chapel, the closeness and convenience of the chapel community, and interconnectedness with other military members from other Protestant denominations. Whichever way service members choose to participate in worship it is important to stay in communications with the church if possible. Contact the Coordinator of Military Ministry militaryministry@CofChrist.org
Congregations
Congregations with military facilities nearby should contact the Chapel or
the Senior Protestant Chaplain of the military installation from time to time
with the current contact information for the congregation. This will allow the
chaplain to refer inquiries. Because of the transient nature of service members,
many will check local phone book listings for congregational contact
information. Congregations are encouraged to assure their phone book listing is
current. Members in the military may visit a congregation temporarily or
transfer their membership for the period during which they are assigned to a
particular base. Involvement in local congregations provides excellent
opportunities for sharing life experiences.
Congregations are encouraged to communicate with deployed service members. If your congregations has members deployed you should communicate with them at least once each month. Congregation which have no service members within the congregation, but would like to offer support, may sponsor a service member. Please contact the coordinator for military ministry at militaryministry@CofChrist.org for more information about how you can become a sponsor.
Community of Christ Association for Ministry to Military
http://www.cofchristpeacekeepers.org/
National Conference on Ministry to the Armed Forces, NCMAF
http://www.ncmaf.org/
U.S. Air Force Chaplaincy
http://www.usafhc.af.mil/
U.S. Army Chaplaincy
http://www.army.mil/info/organization/chaplaincy/
Civil Air Patrol
http://level2.cap.gov/index.cfm?nodeID=5178
U.S. Navy Chaplaincy: Navy, Marine, Coast Guard
http://www.navy.com/careers/officer/chaplain/
Department of Veterans Affairs Chaplaincy
http://www1.va.gov/chaplain/
The Federal Bureau of Prisons
http://www.bop.gov/jobs/job_descriptions/chaplain.jsp
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