God’s Healing Plan in Transition
Recently I saw a social media post from an Army Chaplain who was forced into retirement due to injuries sustained in Afghanistan. The chaplain was struggling with the loss of his health, and his dream career in the Army. He was also worried about where support for his transition would come. Would this support come from the army chaplaincy, his endorser, his denomination, the Veterans Administration, or his Church? I personally know that unexpected transitions can knock us for a loop.
While in college and seminary at ATS, I worked at the Lexington VA Hospital as a work study chaplain providing pastoral care. My tenure as a chaplain was from 1978 – 1983. Even though the Vietnam War was long over, many veterans were there because of alcoholism, drug addiction, mental health issues, PTSD, or physical problems that came about as a result of their service to the nation. I saw the pain and frustration that was present at that time. Today our veterans face some of the same transitional struggles within the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual realms. These warriors and their families are our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, aunts and uncles, and our grandparents. They are struggling. A staggering twenty or more active military personnel and veterans are committing suicide each day. Our veterans cannot afford to solely depend on the VA to provide quality care. Our communities must be aware and responsive. This serves as both a wake-up call and opportunity for the Church. The local Church lives with the pain and joys that come with a military to civilian transition. There is so much at stake for our nation and for our families if we handle this challenge improperly.
Many local churches have Divorce Care and Grief Share Support Groups as well as Celebrate Recovery or Alcoholic Anonymous Meetings. These groups provide needed support and community for people going through difficult transitions.Classes, workshops, or conferences can help the local Church understand some of the issues related in caring for veterans. However most Churches, and Seminaries are not sure how to lead this vital mission. Asbury Theological Seminary has a number of alumni who are on active duty or who are retired military Chaplains who have served, and gone through a variety of transitions. They also have received training in many cases dealing with crisis situations. With their military experience they can bring the care of the Peace Maker to help with transitions and struggles that veterans are going through.
So how does the local Church assist in God’s healing plan? We know that it is not God’s plan or purpose for His children who serve in the military to suffer with PTSD for years. He has great healing and a plan for their lives. He has perfect peace for them. He cares for them and their families. He knows what their nights and days are like. He knows their dreams and their nightmares. Consider becoming a part of this journey of welcoming and strengthening our warrior class who we love. Know the journey and struggles that your people are going through. Pray intensively and purposely knowing that over 20 military members and veterans are 
killing themselves every day. If that number, and those lives have not touched you yet, they will.
We lost our daughter 7 years ago to cancer, and although we experience amazing grace we still hurt. Our nation has sent so many of our people to fight wars. These people have seen, heard, smelled, touched and done things that no one should have to experience. Whether or not you agree with the mission is not nearly as important as whether you will love and care beyond words. Pray for Chaplains, Chaplain Assistants, and Christians who are serving or who have served. Bring the Good News of healing grace and deliverance to people. Be a part of God’s shalom, a shalom that leaves no one unchanged. Jesus came to set the captives free, and our warriors need that touching message. Learn what resources are available to our military and veterans. Talk with your larger Church bodies to see who has served and where they are so that they can be resources for you. Be the Church with a life transforming message. Be a welcoming place that understands and offers real solutions to veterans and active duty military people. Reach out to those who are struggling because they will not necessarily come to you naturally or normally for help. Be the blessing.
Reverend Steve Nelson is a retired Army Chaplain (MAJOR). He retired from the Army in 2004 after 29 ½ years of service. He began at Asbury College in 1973 and then he served in the active army in 1974 – 1977 as a Chaplain Assistant. While stationed in Korea in 1976 -1977 he felt called to leave the army, return to college and then go to seminary to prepare to become a Chaplain. He served in the Army Reserve from 1977 – 1986. He graduated from Asbury College in 1980 and then ATS in 1983. He is a retired elder in the West Ohio Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. He served as a Pastoral Associate for Missions and Prayer Ministries at a PCUSA Church in northwest Ohio for three years from 2013- 2015. He continues to love and be burdened for soldiers and their families. He would love to talk with or share with you or your congregation about ways that you can make a difference in this critical challenge for our nation and Church.
My husband is currently active and we were speaking about the need for a compassion fatigue program for all military chaplains. There is nothing particularly organized and for many it can be a time of burden and burnout. There is no funding, at least in the commands my husband has been in so far, to have any opportunity to have an opportunity to be able to attend a care-giver retreat or even organize one for all chaplains and invite in a speaker to help them attend to their own compassion fatigue or other issues. This has been something I’ve thought about for the past three years. Prayers for our Chaplains is great. A way to provide a break for them to rejuvenate is another prayer I have for them.