“As you were” is a military command that means “return to your previous posture” or, more simply, “go back to what you were doing.” After serving eight years of active duty in the U.S. Navy and nine years of full-time ministry in local Free Will Baptist churches, God gave me the same command when He called me to return to the military as a Navy chaplain.
My desire to join the Navy began as a young child. When I was nine, my father worked at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula, Mississippi, where we participated in a family excursion on the U.S.S. Boxer. I remember that first taste of naval life as I watched sailors fire the phalanx guns, ate on the mess decks, and walked around the ship with my father. After that day, I told him he could go ahead and sign me up!
True to my word, I joined the Navy in 2005. I enjoyed a wonderful career for eight years as an aviation boatswains mate (fuels) second class petty officer. I loved the Navy and have “Honor, Courage, and Commitment” ingrained in me for life. My experience allowed me to see firsthand the great need for leadership, faith, and guidance for people from all walks of life. While I was in the Navy as an enlisted servicemember, I enjoyed ministering to people every day, and I appreciated the opportunity to impart guidance, support, and comfort to those sailors.
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my career in the Navy, I knew the Lord was calling me to full-time ministry. I also knew leaving the Navy after eight years would come with challenges. The Navy provided stability, direction, and a clear career path important for me and my young family. However, God’s call to pastoral ministry was even clearer. I decided to trust the Lord with His timing, direction, and provision, and He certainly made Himself known throughout the transition.
Today, the sacred opportunity to impact the lives of people across the world and help lead them to Christ motivates me to return to the Navy as a chaplain. From an early age, God prepared my heart and life to reach this special group of people. I want to lead them to look to God in times of need. I want to be a beacon for many who desperately need direction, especially in their most critical moments. Military life is not for everyone, but it is for me.
Throughout Scripture, God called His servants to reach people for Him. He often utilized those who dedicated themselves to learning the language, customs, and beliefs necessary to reach specific groups. But, before they could effectively carry out the mission, they were to prepare for the mission. God certainly equips His servants with what is needed to accomplish His call on their lives, but a call to serve is also a call to prepare.
Since 2013, I have been preparing diligently to serve as a Navy chaplain. I worked to fulfill my education requirements, earning degrees from Liberty University, Welch College, and New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. In 2014, I was ordained at CrossPointe Church in Suffolk, Virginia, and had the privilege to serve four years there as associate pastor. In 2018, God called us to Timbers Drive Church in Dothan, Alabama, where I’ve had the honor of being the lead pastor for five years.
The Lord used my prior service, education, and years of pastoral ministry to prepare me to return to the Navy as a chaplain. Without question, the last decade provided the invaluable experience necessary to fulfill God’s calling. Throughout this time, my family has grown stronger, and we are confident in God’s leading. Together, we have learned to trust the Lord, regardless of the challenges in the moment, because we’ve experienced God with us at every step.
Now, God has called me to be “as you were.” It is an honor to return to my post, take up the watch, and serve alongside the men and women of the Navy and Marine Corps. Please pray for my family as we embark on this new, yet familiar, journey answering the call to serve the Lord, our denomination, and our country as a United States Navy Chaplain.
About the Writer: LTJG Josh Alderman serves as a chaplain in the US Navy. Before entering the pastorate full-time at Timbers Drive FWB in Dothan, Alabama, he served on active naval duty from 2005-2013, including two deployments on the U.S.S. Theodore Roosevelt. He is currently a student at Chaplain Corps Training school in Newport, Rhode Island. Josh and his wife Tasha have three children: Blake, Cole, and Hadley.
