Answering the call to become a Chaplain

by
Chaplain Kathie

Many times in my life I was told, "You missed your calling." because friends thought I should have been a minister. Considering I'm Greek Orthodox and a female, that was not something available to me. While I have a deep devotion to God and my faith, there was something missing. Since 1982 I've been working with veterans suffering from PTSD. I felt that was my calling and never thought of doing anything else aside from working regular jobs to pay the bills. One of those jobs brought me to the doors of a Presbyterian Church where I was hired to head up Christian Education. I loved it and part of my job was preaching to the children. The economy hit the church and the position was eliminated two years later.

One of the interim pastors, a wonderful man, decided he wanted to enter into hospital chaplaincy. While he was training, he called me to address questions the chaplains in his group had about PTSD. From that day on, I knew that was where God was trying to lead me. I was already doing the work but had a few more things to learn. Considering I did not have a degree in theology, it was hard to find an organization to offer the credentials I needed, but I was lead to the International Fellowship of Chaplains. I am certified, licensed, ordained and insured and have my credentials hanging all over my office wall.

If you have ever considered becoming a Chaplain, I can vouch for it 100%. There is nothing more spiritually rewarding than being a Chaplain and nothing better I can think of than taking care of our troops and in my case, the veterans as well. In my own life, God has comforted me in the darkest of times, and believe me, we've been thru hell and back. He has lead me to others offering support to me as I regained the strength to go on helping others. Calmed my nerves with public speaking more times than I can remember and gave me the words to use when I could find none.

Above all of this, working with our warriors and their families has restored my faith in human nature and the magnificence of the soul. Problems in their lives, traumatic events they are exposed to take them into the darkest of thoughts. Reconnecting them with God, no matter what faith they have been lead to, restores hope by the Grace of God. When they endure the worst humans have to offer, they end up either blaming God or believing He has abandoned them. It is the Chaplain's job to provide the reconnection to their spiritual well being and showing that they were sent by a loving God to help them. But restoring that does not end there.

When they are filled with God's mercy and love, they then take that into the relationships they have with their families and friends and most of the time, they in turn reach out to someone else in need of comforting. When they do not have someone to do this, they take the hopelessness, sense of abandonment or judgment into their families and communities and in turn hang onto anger. Chaplains are there for the warrior to take care of their wounded soul and for all they will come into contact with after. You are part of their futures.

Now it appears the Air Force is making it easier for you to train to become a Chaplain with scholarships. If you feel God has been calling you to serve others, answer His call. I can assure you that serving His children will strengthen your own faith in Him and in others. You're heart will be broken over and over again but restored over and over again in doing His work. We are all called to work with different groups of people because their needs vary. I was called to work with veterans and have met some of the finest individuals this nation has because of this.

Pray on it and then see where you are being lead to and go where you are being called without trying to find excuses for not doing it. He'll find a way. After all, if He can take a Greek Orthodox female into a Presbyterian Church so that I could finally answer my calling, think of what He can do for you if you answer Him as well.

New scholarships available for chaplains

Staff report
Posted : Saturday May 2, 2009 8:20:26 EDT

A call to the chaplaincy can only come from God, but the Air Force wants to make answering that call easier.

Struggling to fill a shortage of chaplains, the service is offering scholarships for commissioned officers, or anyone currently enrolled in a commissioning program, to earn a master’s of divinity degree. Two scholarships, which will pay tuition and a stipend, will be funded in fiscal 2009.

Because Roman Catholics are the most underserved religious population in the Air Force, these two scholarships will likely go to Catholics, said retired chaplain Rev. John Kurzak, director of chaplain accessions for the Air Force Recruiting Service. The Air Force has only about 70 Catholic chaplains to serve a population that makes up 25 percent of the service, according to the Air Force. More than 25 bases have no Catholic chaplain.

Future scholarships could go to chaplain-hopefuls of other faiths as the needs of the Air Force change.
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New scholarships available for chaplains