2/18/2003 News media contact: Linda Green · (615) 742-5470 · Nashville, Tenn
NOTE: For related coverage, see UMNS story #081
Chaplain
assistant Jayme L. Kendall (left foreground) protects a worship service
in the field during a training exercise at the U.S. Army Chaplain
Center and School in Ft. Jackson, S.C., in this file photograph. Kendall
is now a second lieutenant and a seminary student at Asbury Theologial
Seminary. She is a member of the West Michigan Annual Conference. She
must graduate and serve as a pastor for three years before she can go
into active duty as a chaplain. A UMNS photo by Nella Hobson, U.S. Army.
Photo number 03-59, Accompanies UMNS #082, 2/18/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
A
camouflage cap topped with a cross rests on a classroom table at the
U.S. Army Chaplain Center and School in Ft. Jackson, S.C. Dressed in
green and gray, chaplains look just like any other solider. There is one
big difference: instead of a gun by their side they wear a cross on
their collars. They will not be carrying weapons on the battlefield. A
UMNS photo by Mike DuBose. Photo number 03-58, Accompanies UMNS #082,
2/18/03
No Long Caption Available for this Story
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (UMNS) - The mobilization of U.S.
military forces for duty in Afghanistan or Iraq puts added stress on
United Methodist churches whose pastors serve as chaplains.
In
response, the denomination's Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries
has revised and updated its guidelines for helping chaplains, local
congregations and bishops' cabinets deal with pastors being called to
active duty in the National Guard and Armed Forces Reserve programs.
The
guide was last revised a few days after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists
attacks, according to the Rev. Greg Hill, director of endorsement for
the section.
The material today covers diverse topics, such as
annual conference relationship, the length of mobilization, how to help
the chaplain's family, and questions about housing, health benefits and
pensions. The guide also suggests ways for assisting the chaplain before
deployment, during active duty and after the return home. It contains
expanded resources and links for additional information.
The
guidelines were developed by staff from the United Methodist Board of
Higher Education and Ministry, which includes the chaplains' section;
the Board of Pension and Health Benefits; members of bishops' cabinets;
and chaplains in the National Guard and Reserves.
The guidelines
needed to be enhanced, in part, to ensure that bishops, cabinets,
ordained ministry boards and local churches understood the distinction
between voluntary mobilization and involuntary mobilization, said Hill,
who retired Feb. 1 as an Army chaplain after more than 25 years of
active service.
With voluntary mobilization, a chaplain responds
to a request for mobilization that may be refused or initiates voluntary
service on his or her own. "Voluntary mobilization must be an agreement
between the bishop, cabinet, staff and pastor-parish relations
committee and the chaplain that the mobilization may occur," Hill said.
Involuntary
call-up occurs when a chaplain's unit is activated for duty or an
individual reserve chaplain is called into active duty.
The
guidelines help the church understand its obligations under the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994. The
church is not exempt from providing a comparable position, job
restoration and continued benefits to an employee returning from
military service. Bishops and cabinets must restore a returning pastor
to a church or charge comparable to the one he or she served before
being mobilized.
When the guidelines were written in 2001,
chaplains and reserve units were on active duty for up to 90 days.
Today, given the current crisis with Iraq, troops will be mobilized from
180 days up to two years. The new plan addresses longer periods of
military service, Hill said.
The Section of Chaplains and Related
Ministries endorses ordained ministers to serve as chaplains and
pastoral counselors in settings such as the military, correctional
institutions, and mental and health care centers.
Hill, who has
been director of endorsement since Jan. 1, wants to hear from chaplains,
bishops and boards of ordained ministry if they find the new guidelines
difficult. "We need those comments because this is a major revision,"
he said. "We do not know if this is perfect. … In the future, things
such as law and policies might change, but we are at the point where we
should be now."
Complete guidelines from the Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries may be found at www.gbhem.org/chaplains.
Although
confident in the training and resources that chaplains have to do their
jobs, Hill said his primary concern "is for timely and effective
pastoral care to be provided to military members and their families."
The leaders and members of the United Methodist Church should understand
that "prayers are needed for all military members, their families and
the chaplains as the chaplains go into harm's way," he said.
The
Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries and the worship section of
the United Methodist Board of Discipleship have been inundated with
requests for prayers and worship resources as the crisis with Iraq has
intensified. In response, Hill offers "Prayers for Today" at the Web
site. The prayer provides a way to support chaplains as they depart for
active military service.
The worship section has created an
order of service for men and women mobilized or deployed and an order of
service for a reserve chaplain called into active service. The worship
section also has additional written resources for worship, including
"Praying for Peace in the Face of War." All are available at
www.gbod.org/worship.
For Hill, supporting chaplains is a primary
concern, and he said United Methodist churches and leadership should
put pastoral care ahead of politics.
"During the Vietnam War,
there were soldiers who felt that they were not welcome in the church,"
he said. "I pray that we not exclude military members, none of who had
anything to do with the decisions made by our national leadership.
"We
ask that the United Methodist Church be grateful for the faithful
service our military provides. We also ask that leadership and general
membership of the United Methodist Church pray for all the leaders of
the world, that they may make decisions that are best for their nations'
people which should result in peace."
For more information,
contact the Section of Chaplains and Related Ministries, United
Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministries, P.O. Box 340007,
Nashville, TN 37203-0007; call (615) 340-7411; or e-mail Hill at
ghill@gbhem.org.
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