wfn.org | Reserve chaplains balance civilian, military duties

[NewsDesk@UMCOM.UMC.ORG]

Jan. 16, 2001   News media contact: Tim Tanton·(615)742-5470·Nashville,
Tenn.  10-71B{012}

NOTE: This report is a sidebar to UMNS story #011. 

By Davie Burgdorf*

FORT JACKSON, S.C. (UMNS) -- In the U.S. Army Reserve, chaplains are just as
busy as their active-duty counterparts.

"I enjoy military ministry," said the Rev. Matthew B. Horne. "It's a
wonderful ministry and experience."

Horne, the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church in Rock Hill, S.C., is a
lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve and serves as the head chaplain
for the 81st Regional Support Group based at Fort Jackson.

Although they don't have to perform the same roles of the active-duty
chaplains every day, they have their own challenges. For a minimum of one
weekend a month and two weeks a year, military chaplains serve the spiritual
needs of 700 to 900 soldiers through counseling and worship services.

Most of the U.S. Army Reserve contains combat service support and combat
support units, such as transportation, finance, chemical and medical units;
the Army National Guard mostly contains combat units, such as infantry,
artillery and armor. All of them need chaplain services.

Although rare in peacetime, chaplains in the Reserve must be ready to
minister to soldiers and their family if a service member dies, Horne said.
"When there is a tragedy or accident, they are on the scene." 

Such an event occurred during a drill weekend in November in one of the
units under the command of the 81st RSG. Horne sent a chaplain to help. A
30-year-old Reservist in good physical condition died from a massive heart
attack during a two-mile run.

In addition, Reserve chaplains also conduct certain ceremonial functions,
offer prayer at staff meetings, conduct memorial services and increasingly
conduct military funerals.

On a few occasions, Reserve chaplains have had the privilege of conducting
weddings for soldiers, Horne said.

In addition to their spiritual duties, chaplains conduct mandatory classes,
dealing with such subjects as suicide awareness, sexual harassment,
consideration of others and Army core values.

Shortage

Like many other branches of the military, the number of chaplains needed is
greater than the number available. Chaplains from mainline Protestant
denominations, including United Methodist, Episcopal, Presbyterian and
Lutheran churches, are especially needed. Catholic priests are also in short
supply.

"I believe there is a trend toward lower participation by mainstream
denominations," Horne said. "I don't know what to attribute that to."

Seminaries for the mainline denominations don't put much, if any, emphasis
on military ministry, he said. "There's probably less of an appreciation for
military ministry in mainline denominations."

Many potential Baptist and Pentecostal pastors are ready to serve, but the
military tries to reflect the religious affiliation of society as a whole.

"We can't have 100 percent United Methodist or Roman Catholic," Horne said.

'The largest friction'

Just like their active-duty counterparts, Reserve chaplains must be ordained
clergy and endorsed by a denomination. They need a bachelor's degree and a
seminary degree and must complete the officer basic course. In addition to
the military's requirements, a pastor wanting to serve as a Reserve chaplain
must get a recommendation from the bishop, district superintendent and Board
of Ordained Ministry.

Like other members of the Reserve and National Guard, chaplains still have
their regular job -- ministering to the flock at their home church. This can
be challenging, Horne said.

"To me, this is the largest friction between ministry and the military is
that one day you have to be serving one and not the other," he said.

Many Reserve units accommodate chaplains by allowing them to serve their
home church on Sunday morning and perform church services for soldiers on
Saturday.

United Methodist clergy appointed to a church full time can work no more
than 10 hours per week away from their congregation. That isn't a problem
for most Reserve chaplains, since drill weekends typically last only 16
hours -- two eight-hour days. Special allowances are made so they may attend
their two-week annual training.

If mobilized, Reserve component chaplains deploy with their units. By church
law, special arrangements are required to be made to accommodate the local
church and the family of the chaplain being deployed.

"The ideal situation is when the church sees Reserve ministry as a part of
their ministry -- to provide clergy (the chance) to give pastoral care to
soldiers if and when they are mobilized," he said. "That is why we are
here."

# # #

*Burgdorf is editor of The Advocate, the monthly publication of the United
Methodist Church's South Carolina Annual Conference. This story originally
appeared in that publication as part of a longer report.

*************************************
United Methodist News Service
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