military chaplains by CH (CPT) Richard Anderson Find out more about the ministry of Free Will Home Missions at www.homemissions.net.   The First Amendment of the United States Constitution declares, “Congress shall make no law neither respecting an establishment of religion nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” While the establishment clause forbids the institution of one religious faith over another, the free exercise clause allows for the practice of all religious faiths. These two clauses—the establishment clause and the free exercise clause—serve as the foundation for the Chaplain Corps. This mission of the Chaplain Corps is to provide members of the military and their families opportunity to exercise their constitutional right to freedom of religion.

Many regulations have been designed to accommodate the various practices of all religious faiths, as long as such practices do not have an adverse impact on military readiness, individual or unit readiness, unit cohesion, health, safety standards, or discipline. For instance, Air Force Policy Directive 52-1, para 1.7.3 states, “Commanders through the chaplain service accommodate the religious practices of assigned personnel and family members by providing resources for a comprehensive religious program.”

Religious accommodation includes but is not limited to the following areas: worship opportunities, dietary practices, medical practices, Sabbath observances, and wear of religious apparel (cf. AFI 36-2706; DoD Directive 1300.17).

Military chaplains serve in a pluralistic setting where all religious faiths are recognized and accommodated. Yet civilian pastors also serve in a pluralistic culture, surrounded by community members who embrace a multiplicity of religions and world-views.

Neither military chaplains nor civilian pastors are expected to serve the people within their sphere of influence in a generic manner. Both are expected to be people of integrity, faithful to their calling, and loyal to their denominational teachings and practices. At the same time, however, both must be respectful toward those with whom they disagree. Unfortunately, many military chaplains, like many civilian clergy, have compromised their deeply held theological beliefs in an attempt to become all things to all people. How tragic!

Because military chaplains have been endorsed by a particular denomination, they adhere to the faith and practice of their respective denomination. In order words, chaplains provide pastoral acts and care consistent with their denominational tenets. For example, as a Free Will Baptist chaplain, I serve the Protestant community of faith within our nation’s military as a faithful Free Will Baptist minister. I preach, teach, baptize, etc. in the exact same manner as I would in any local Free Will Baptist church.

On the other hand, military chaplains also respect the free exercise rights of those from different religious faiths and provide for their individual needs. In other words, if a military member requested a place to practice his faith, I could accommodate his appeal by providing for him a specific location. The nuance is clear. Military chaplains provide pastoral ministry to those of like faith and indirectly provide for the needs of those from differing religious traditions.

Although military chaplains support the free exercise rights of all members of the United States military, the chaplain’s support must never be misconstrued as agreement with those from different religious traditions. As a Christian, it is my deep conviction that not all religious faiths are equal. Indeed, I recognize only “one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5; cf. John 14:6; Acts 4:12). I preach the message that reconciliation with God results from a personal relationship with the crucified and risen Jesus—not from some world religion!  

About the Writer: Richard Anderson serves in the United States Air Force as a Free Will Baptist Chaplain and is currently serving as the Senior Protestant Chaplain at Lajes Field, Azores, Portugal. He is married to Faith (VanWinkle) Anderson, and they have two sons, Jack and Jonathan Wesley. Chaplain Anderson can be contacted at Richard.Anderson@lajes.af.mil.