BE AN ARMY CHAPLAIN
It is difficult to describe a day in the life of an Army Chaplain. The ministry is as varied as the tasks asked of the British Army.
As an Army Chaplain, you’ll accompany your regiment on training exercises in the UK and abroad and also deploy with them on operations. You’ll provide moral, pastoral and spiritual care to service men and women and to their families.
Training for operational tours starts a year or so before deployment. From a ministerial perspective these are wonderful periods, not just to hone your skills so that living rough becomes bearable, but also getting to know your ‘parish’ with whom you will spend around six months in a foreign field. Enduring and enjoying hard work together builds relationships and trust, which others can rely upon in more difficult times.
When deployed, you’ll offer daily prayers, Sunday service, the Eucharist and even the occasional baptism. Whilst there is rarely an evangelical revival, prayers are said and faith is professed and this provides many with a tangible sense of God. The opportunities to be with those for whom you pray in the cookhouse, on patrol, and back at base, for six months at a time, 24 hours a day is unique. The opportunities to discuss God and faith are astounding. Part of this is because there are fallow and quiet periods during the six months, it isn’t always crash and bang, and soldiers often use the chapel, be it a tent, garage or isocontainer as a quiet space. There isn’t much privacy on operational tours, and to be able to sit quietly on your own for a few minutes is very much appreciated. Chapels, where hope and peace can perhaps be more easily found, play an important part of the life of both Chaplains and Soldiers.
An equally important part of your role is supporting the families of those Soldiers deployed overseas. This work involves talking with close and extended families, and giving them some of the emotional tools which may help when their loved ones are serving overseas.
The work of remembering the sacrifices made by those who have deployed, those who stood and waited for their return, those who supported all of us, and those who sacrificed will carry on. To continue offering the hope of God to all who undertake such work whilst carrying the burdens of military life, Chaplains must continue their ministry of presence and love. Because of this the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department needs more clergy to ask themselves whether God may be calling them. Not to take up arms, but to take up the wonderful burden of Army Chaplaincy. Perhaps you could spare some time at prayers to ask whether this might be a calling for you?