As America progresses into tomorrow there is a call for all lifestyles to be accepted. As lifestyles are to be accepted, Christian beliefs come under more scrutiny. For Chaplains working in a military that is becoming a melting pot of all that is America, pressure for them to not be offensive is increasing in strength.
Since the repeal of the ban on homosexuals in the military and the Supreme Court striking down the constitutionality of the Defense of Marriage Act, things have become more difficult for Christian Chaplains in the military. While their duties have become more difficult, nothing has change in regards to the law of religious freedoms.
The Associated Gospel Churches (AGC) is an organization which recruits and stands by Chaplains when they find themselves in situations of discrimination or pressures to conform.
“There are a lot of challenges. Our country is embracing what the Bible calls sin and making it legal. While our country can do that, they can’t do it without consequence,” said Steven D. Brown, President of the AGC and a retired United States Navy Captain.
Part of Brown’s job now is defending Chaplain’s right to preach the gospel within the military. When Chaplains get flack over preaching from Second Timothy verse three which talks about perilous times and likens it to our present time, the AGC is there to defend them. When a senior officer takes down a Chaplains words from their website because he doesn’t like the content, the AGC is there to defend the Chaplain’s rights. When a Chaplain is receiving pressure to allow a same sex couple into his marriage retreat, the AGC is there to stand by that Chaplain and defend their beliefs.
When the AGC endorses a man to be a Chaplain in the military they are saying, this man meets all of the religious credentials to represent us and the churches we represent in the military. When they send him to be a Chaplain in the military the AGC expects him to be the kind of Chaplain that they endorsed him to be.
“We’re not sending him into the military to become some generic Chaplain that compromises to accommodate everybody. We expect him to be faithful to the church that sent him,” said Brown.
The AGC represents independent churches that are not a part of a main line denomination. Chaplains are allowed to talk about sin because that is what the AGC has endorsed him to do, and if others don’t like then it is too bad. The military doesn’t have the right to tell a Chaplain what to speak religiously in a worship service.
Another part of Brown’s duties is trying to anticipate the problems that Chaplains are going to have and to be proactive in preparing them for when those problems come so that they can freely continue to proclaim the gospel.
“Our focus is not on the problems. Our focus is on the gospel. We want to win men and women to Christ and disciple them. That’s what we are called to do. We do have to deal with government problems when they do try to stop us. The temptation is to always focus on the problem and not on the main thing, and that is proclaiming the gospel of Christ,” said Brown
Chaplains have a constitutionally protected liberty to preach the Word of God, but the future is going to be tough. Brown anticipates a future with a lot of talk, in the military, about unit cohesion and good order and discipline. There will be talk about dignity and respect among service members. When a Chaplain refuses to do a same sex marriage because of what he believes biblically, has that chaplain disrespected that couple?
“Might he be discriminated against,” said Brown. “And the answer is yes, he could be.”
The AGC is rooted in the Great Commandment (Mathew 22:36-40) and the Great Commission (Mathew 28:18-20), and recognized by the Federal Government as an official Ecclesiastical Endorsing Agency, The Associated Gospel Churches exists to represent historic and classic fundamental churches, for the purpose of recruiting, endorsing, and supporting ordained men to serve as Chaplains (Pastors in uniform) in restricted access institutions.
The AGC was founded 75 years ago in 1939. They visit seminaries, present military ministry, prison ministry, hospital ministry, and public safety ministry as opportunities for them to serve Christ as Chaplains. The AGC also speaks to pastors who are currently serving the Lord in the local church. They inform pastors that there is this need in the military for men and women to know Christ. Pastors are asked to consider becoming a Chaplain. For those that might be too old or might be young enough but don’t want to leave their church, the opportunity to be a reserve chaplain is available. As a reservist the Chaplain is allowed to stay in their own church, but still have access to the local military base to share the gospel of Christ with those who do not know Him.
Brown believes that there is nowhere in the world that Christians should not be going to reach the lost with the gospel and making disciples. Some places are hard, but it doesn’t matter how hard it is the commission remains. Brown is faithful that God will make a way.
“The light shines the brightest the darker the day,” said Brown.