A U.S. Army Chaplain is currently locked in a brig in South
Carolina as government officials investigate whether he engaged in
espionage.
A U.S. Army Chaplain is currently locked in a brig in South Carolina as government officials investigate whether he engaged in espionage. The case of Captain James Yee, a Muslim and graduate of West Point, caused me to find out more about military chaplains.
The Rev. Gary Piepkorn, pastor of Morgan Hill’s Christ Our King Lutheran Church, graciously agreed to talk to me about the chaplaincy. He is an active duty chaplain carrying the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and currently serving at Onizuka Air Force Station in Sunnyvale.
Chaplain Piepkorn explained the military supplies clergy for the armed forces so members can exercise their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of religion. But the military cannot certify religious personnel – it is left up to individual denominations and faith groups. They put forth and recommend for accession to the military their own clergy whom they’ve educated and who have served a congregational ministry. There is one chaplain for approximately each 1,000 service personnel, in rough proportion to the religious preferences of those in military service.
Chaplains, besides being endorsed by their religious bodies, must meet such general requirements as education (holding a master’s degree), being physically fit and possessing leadership abilities.
Military chaplains have many duties. They must be pastors to the men and women assigned to them, meeting their spiritual needs. Usually this includes holding worship services, but since there is no chapel at Onizuka, he leads no worship there.
Counseling is an important function. This includes trauma care, family assistance and premarital counseling, as well as performing any resulting wedding ceremonies.
The military function, of course, is crucial. A chaplain must be with his/her troops, offering a religious presence in all situations, what they affectionately call “A visible presence of the holy.” Though they worship in accord with their faith group traditions, they provide other ministrations common to all religions to meet the needs of all the troops.
Chaplains are addressed by title (“chaplain”), not by their military rank. They can then approach junior enlisted and senior officers equally. This also allows them to advise senior officers on issues such as morals, morale and the welfare of the troops.
They are also protected by the Geneva Convention as noncombatants. They never carry firearms, though they may be accompanied in combat by a “chaplain’s assistant” who is armed.
No matter what a chaplain’s military rank, he or she would never be in command of military personnel, despite having to meet the same rigorous requirements as other officers.
Chaplain Piepkorn has had a wide variety of ministerial experiences. An Agricultural Economics graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Master’s of Divinity degree from Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, Ind., he has previously served civilian parishes in Texas as well as chaplaincies in both the Navy and Air Force in exotic locations (Norway, South Africa, England, South Korea) and domestic bases (New Mexico, Texas).
Piepkorn calls the life of a chaplain “an incredibly exciting kind of ministry, a pastoral ministry in a narrow sense that’s not for everyone. It helps to be athletically-oriented with a military mind set that allows you to be part of a team carrying out orders.”
The civilian congregation Pastor Piepkorn serves on weekends meets at the Morgan Hill Grange Hall, 40 East Fourth Street. Sunday’s Schedule is Divine Worship at 9 a.m. and Sunday School classes for all ages at 10:15 a.m. For more information call 850-5852 or check the Internet at www.ChristOurKingLutheran.org.
Chuck Flagg teaches English at Mt. Madonna High School. Write him c/o The Dispatch, P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, CA 95021.
