Department of Veterans Affairs offering free training for rural clergy

PTSD attacks the soul. Plain and simple. It is an attack and does not begin within. PTSD only strikes after a traumatic event and it hits humans in all walks of life. We hear more about PTSD connected to combat for several reasons. The biggest one is the number of times these men and women are exposed to traumatic events and the violent nature of the trauma. Another reason is because they are a tiny minority in this country. Less than 1% serve today. With over 300 million people in the USA, we have about 24 million veterans but these are the latests figures from the VA about the number of them needing care.

VA Annual Benefits Reports for 2011
Number of Veterans and Survivors Receiving Compensation Benefits at the End of Fiscal Year 2011 is 3,710,215

Veterans received service-connected disability benefits 3,354,741

Survivors received service-connected death benefits 355,474

Veterans Receiving Service-Connected Disability Benefits at the End of Fiscal Year 2011 by Period of Service
World War II 191,425
Korean Conflict 148,180
Vietnam Era 1,161,473
Gulf War Era 1,203,834
Peacetime 649,829

According to the report the number of veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is 501,280. Yet this nation has a problem taking care of them? The Paul Ryan Budget did not include our veterans as if they are a burden to be forgotten.


Some will say it is the government's job to take care of them so they don't have to do anything when our veterans come home from combat. Yet when the government needs more money to do it, we hear about the deficit and passing on our debt to our children. When it comes to our veterans, this is a debt we owe to all veterans and it was paid for in advance when they offered their lives in service to this nation. Shame on us!

Every single one of us needs to do all we can when they come home. This includes members of the clergy helping them heal spiritually. If you live in a rural area, you are needed for the veterans and their families. Time to step up!

Matthew 9:37-38
New International Version (NIV)
37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. 38 Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Public and Intergovernmental Affairs


Rural Clergy

March 22, 2012


VA Offering Training for Rural Clergy

Finding New Ways to Connect Rural Vets with VA Services



WASHINGTON (March 22, 2012) -- Members of the clergy in rural areas can sign up for free, one-day workshops offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs to educate these community leaders about the concerns of Veterans and the services offered by VA in their communities.



“VA has always recognized that faith is an important healing resource for many Veterans,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki. “These new workshops will provide training that will help community clergy in supporting Veterans in rural areas.”



It is estimated that one-fourth of people who seek help for mental health problems go to members of the clergy. “In addition to providing good spiritual care, we hope clergy will recognize the presence and severity of mental health problems, and know when and how to collaborate with health care professionals,” said Chaplain Jeni Cook, Associate Director of VA’s National Chaplain Center in Hampton, VA.



Workshops will run through June in rural parts of Virginia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee. Community clergy and Veterans Service Organization representatives are invited to attend.



Participants will learn about VA benefits and services and about how to contact local VA facilities to request information or assistance for Veterans.



Workshop topics will include post-deployment readjustment challenges, the spiritual and psychological effects of war trauma on survivors, and the important role of community in helping to reduce mental health stigma and support Veterans and their families.



Seating for the workshops is limited and pre-registration is required. For more information about dates and locations, visit Rural Clergy Training or contact Jim Goalder at 1-800-872-9975 or at jim.goalder@gmail.com.

If you are a veteran with PTSD and need spiritual help you can contact Point Man International Ministries