Taking Christ to the Ends of the Earth

By Terry Austin

I never ran from the call to preach the gospel, but I did run from the call to the chaplaincy. My understanding of answering the call to preach included pastoring or being an evangelist. I honestly had no idea how many opportunities existed to fulfill God’s call to take Christ to the end of the earth (Acts 1:8).

I learned ministry involved every area of life. The Gospel of Christ is not defined or limited by borders, laws, or political agendas: the Gospel of Christ is worldwide and to whosoever. Wherever and whenever we have the opportunity to serve our fellow man, we have the opportunity to share the Gospel of Christ with them.

Allow me to share a few examples. Lieutenant Chaplain Rick Cason serves as the chaplain for the Tattnall County Sheriff’s Department in Georgia. He not only serves his community as pastor of Ebenezer Free Will Baptist Church, he serves his county’s law enforcement officers by supporting them and keeping the Gospel of Christ and the love of God in their thoughts. Brother Rick serves alongside his fellow officers, congregation, and community by going the extra mile as a chaplain for first responders.

Another example is retired Army Chaplain (MAJ) John Carey. He does something similar by serving as staff chaplain for Murray-Calloway County Hospital in Murray, Kentucky. Brother Carey has consolidated his gifts to serve both civilians and military veterans in a community-wide effort to heal the scars and challenges of life. He visits over 20 people a day, offering hope and healing in order to further the gospel and the patient’s quality of life.

Taking Christ to the ends of the earth means we use every means of communication and service at our disposal to tell our world Jesus Christ has paid the price for sins, and anyone can have peace with God. Serving as a chaplain in any capacity, for any agency, is one way to proclaim the gospel and serve God and our denomination. North American Ministries is the endorsing agency for the National Association of Free Will Baptists. As such, the mission is to endorse chaplains for the military and other agencies.

If the Lord is calling you to serve in this unique role, I hope you consider serving as a chaplain. In whatever agency you hope to serve, or are serving, I pray you are fulfilled in your ministry and have a great sense of accomplishment. I trust you will continue serving Christ and introducing Him to your community or agency.

If you serve as a chaplain in any capacity, I would like to know where and how you are serving. Please email me at chaplainaustin@gmail.com.

About the Writer: Terry W. Austin is chaplain support officer for North American Ministries. Learn more about Free Will Baptist chaplain ministry at www.fwbnam.com.