Ministries Making a Difference
Chaplains who run into battle—literally or figuratively—with weapons of a different kind
Last week, the Army Chaplains Corps celebrated 250 years of ministering to U.S. soldiers. In 1776, Gen. George Washington himself requested that chaplains be added to the army to “meet soldiers’ religious and spiritual needs, and to support good morals and morale,” according to Army Chaplain (Maj. Gen.) William Green Jr., the 26th Army chief of chaplains.
Now, chaplains serve in every branch of the U.S. military, as well as throughout a variety of government and private institutions. Coupled with the rise of workplace chaplains, spiritual and emotional support has become more accessible to people throughout the country.
Wherever they serve, Chaplains are the ones running into difficult places—battles, prisons, hospitals, hospice, the aftermath of tragedy and trauma—to provide spiritual and emotional care. At their best, chaplains carry with them weapons of a different kind, those not of this world—prayer, wisdom, and a strength from above.
That’s why, this week, we’re dedicating this column to chaplains and the difference they make.
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Assemblies of God 461 Response Chaplains traveled to Texas last month to minister to first responders after the devastating floods swept through the Texas hill country. Stemming from Psalm 46:1, the disaster response chaplains keep water coolers filled and mingle with responders as they process tragedy, trauma and exhaustion, offering a listening ear and prayer.
Corporate Chaplains of America—the nation’s largest full-time chaplaincy agency—supports businesses by providing dedicated care for employees. It is fulfilling its mission to “build caring relationships with the hope of gaining permission to share the life-changing Good News of Jesus Christ in a non-threatening manner” by serving 1,000,000 employees and their family members through nearly 2,600 company locations, according to CCA. Corporate Chaplains of America has 4 stars and an A transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a high donor confidence score of 97.
Shawn Oberg, an Assemblies of God Chaplain in Springfield, Missouri, is encouraging churches to develop ministries to senior citizens in their local communities. He says isolation takes a toll on older citizens, whether they live on their own or in nursing homes or assisted living communities. Regular visits that focus on listening, small gifts, worship music and prayer can be a lifeline to “shut-ins,” particularly.
Marketplace Chaplains USA is another chaplaincy agency that works with companies and their employees. The ministry, started in 1984, provides emotional and spiritual guidance to employees through times of crisis, stress, and change, such as layoffs, restructuring or family strain. Some companies Marketplace Chaplains works with include Christian Brothers Automotive, David Weekley Homes, and Gordon Food Service. Marketplace Chaplains has 5 stars and a C transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database, and a high donor confidence score of 97.
Chaplains with the Billy Graham Rapid Response Team (BG-RRT) are often one of the first on the scene after a tragedy or natural disaster. Most recently, teams deployed to Texas in July to minister in the aftermath of historic floods that killed at least 130, and also to West Virginia in June after flash floods killed at least seven. The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association has 0 stars and a C transparency grade in the MinistryWatch database. It has a low donor confidence score of 27—MinistryWatch does not recommend donating to BGEA, primarily due to its lack of financial transparency/efficiency and its board composition.
MinistryWatch now has more than 1,000 ministries in its database. Learn more about how we rate these ministries based on three main areas: a ministry’s financial efficiency, its financial transparency, and its donor confidence score.
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