wfn.org | Episcopal Church consecrates fifth bishop for Armed Services

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2000-033

Packard consecrated fifth bishop for Armed Services, healthcare 
and prison chaplaincy

by James E. Solheim

     (ENS) In a colorful ceremony that blended religious and 
military symbolism, the church consecrated a Vietnam War hero, 
the Rev. George Packard, as fifth suffragan bishop for the Armed 
Services, Healthcare and Prison Ministries February 12 at 
Washington National Cathedral.

     Fifteen bishops crowded around Packard as he kneeled before 
Presiding Bishop Frank T. Griswold, having answered that he felt 
persuaded that God had called him to the office of bishop, and 
that he would fulfill the trust, be faithful in prayer, "boldly 
proclaim and interpret the Gospel of Christ," and encourage 
baptized people "in their gifts and ministries."

     Bishop Packard then received the signs of his office--
vestments, a Bible, a ring, a pectoral cross and a crosier from 
his predecessor, Bishop Charles Keyser.

     Blending in with the bishops and clergy were high-ranking 
chaplains from the Navy, Air Force and Army, as well as chaplains 
from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Federal Bureau of 
Prisons and medical centers. Many were friends and colleagues 
from Packard's days with the First Infantry Division in Vietnam 
where he received a Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for valor.

     After service in the Army, Packard graduated from Virginia 
Seminary in 1974, and transferred his commission to the Army 
Reserves as chaplain. He served parishes in Virginia and New York 
and six years as canon to the ordinary in the Diocese of New 
York. With the approach of the Gulf War he was assigned to the 
Pentagon in 1991, serving as full-time chaplain during Operation 
Desert Storm.

     A 24-hour Vigil for Peace and Reconciliation was held in a 
chapel of the cathedral prior to the consecration, sponsored by 
chaplains and the Episcopal Peace Fellowship. A similar vigil was 
held 10 years ago before Keyser's consecration. Greetings and 
prayers from chaplains around the world who could not attend the 
service were included in a book presented later to Packard.

Historical context

     In sketching the historical context, Bishop Richard Grein of 
New York said in his sermon that consecration is something the 
church has been doing for almost 2000 years. However, he 
contrasted the consecration of Packard with the consecration of 
two American priests by conservative primates in Singapore, 
suggesting that "this one is about the unity of the church. This 
is about the orderly consecration of a bishop."

     Grein quoted Archbishop Michael Peers of the Anglican Church 
of Canada, who argued that "bishops are not intercontinental 
ballistic missiles, manufactured on one continent and fired into 
another as an act of aggression." Peers said that the 
consecration was "an open and premeditated assault on Anglican 
tradition, catholic order and Christian charity," as quoted by 
Grein.

     The church asks in each age what it wants and needs in a 
bishop in a new millennium, Grein said. And we are finally 
realizing, at what many are describing as the end of a modern 
era, that technology has not made life better, that we are facing 
a world where many feel helpless in the face of so much evil.

     Remembering his own consecration, Grein said that the weight 
of hands on his head was "very symbolic of the office." The hands 
mean that "we are about heavy matters, very substantial matters," 
marked by collegiality and continuity. "Hands also represent 
enormous burden," he added, as well as "great giftsthe power of 
the Spirit laid upon you." And he urged the new bishop to 
remember that, as Cyprian said, bishops must stay together, that 
they must bear responsibility with other bishops for leadership 
of the church.

Russian Orthodox bring gifts

     Special music for the service was provided by the choir of 
Christ Church in Georgetown--which sang a song written and 
dedicated for the new bishop, the Motet Choir of Virginia 
Theological Seminary, and the United States Naval Academy Gospel 
Choir.

     In a moving surprise, Packard's counterpart in the Russian 
Orthodox Church, Bishop Savva, brought greetings from Patriarch 
Alexy II and presented Packard with a panagia, a medallion that 
is a sign of office in the Orthodox tradition. Savva also paid 
tribute to Keyser, who led a team of chaplains to the Russian 
church when it was attempting to reestablish its chaplaincy after 
the fall of communism.

     Packard's office supervises the work of over 200 chaplains 
in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Civil Air Patrol, Federal Bureau of 
Prisons and Veterans Affairs Hospitals. 

     Although chaplains have served people in the military since 
the colonial era, supervision by the churches is a recent 
development. The office was established by the House of Bishops 
in 1964 when Bishop Arnold M. Lewis was elected first bishop for 
the Armed Forces. "The role of the office has expanded greatly in 
the last decade," said the Rev. David Henritzy, who supervises 
healthcare chaplaincy for the office. "We are entering a new 
era," said the Rev. Jackie Means, who coordinates prison ministry 
for the office.

A changing ministry

     Packard inherits a very different kind of ministry, one that 
has been reshaped considerably. In an interview with Episcopal 
Life days before his consecration, he said that his ministry 
symbolizes the new emphasis now being placed on reserve forces as 
peacekeepers--in addition to the traditional role of combatants. 

     The House of Bishops elected Packard last fall, passing over 
active duty chaplains to name a chaplain who had served in the 
Army Reserves for more than 20 years. "We can no maintain a long-
standing peace without supplementing the military with the ranks 
of reserves," he said. "As we move into the new millennium, the 
character of the military [is changing] to reflect a certain 
balance between reserve forces and active forces. Our military 
commitment in Kosovo, for example, has an increasing presence of 
guard and reserve troops." Packard sees the three facets of the 
office linked by a common theme of reconciliation. Military 
troops are often serving as peacekeepers. And reconciliation is 
certainly a component in health care and in a ministry to prisons 
where two million people are incarcerated.

--James Solheim is director of the Episcopal Church's Office of 
News and Information. Jerry Hames, editor of Episcopal Life, the 
church's national newspaper, contributed to this report.