As more of Alabama’s men and women are called up for active duty in the military, many churches face sending members and staff members, including pastors.
Two Alabama Baptist pastors have already been activated for service. Ernie Carroll, director of missions for Friendship Association, is on alert. About 18 other Alabama Baptist churches have youth ministers or pastors who could be activated.
Chief Warrant Officer Billy Ray Robinson of McIntosh’s Liberty Baptist Church,Washington Association, is stationed out of Fort Benning, Ga., but currently is working in Jacksonville, Fla. “I’m really proud he’s part of the service, and that he’s defending us,” said Robinson’s wife, Sherri. “As a wife and mother, I wish he were home, but I can’t be selfish.”
Currently Robinson has been able to travel back on Sundays to preach. “I believe the church has become stronger as they have pulled together to fulfill pastoral duties,” Sherri Robinson said. She added that the church has been a source of support for her and their teenage son and daughter.
Chaplain Glenn Taylor of Orrville Baptist Church, Selma Association, who left two weeks ago for Fort Stuart, Ga., agreed. “While we’re gone, we’ll have an easy job. We’ll have our minds on one thing, but what we’re worried about is our families. If you’ll be mindful (of needs) as local churches, we can keep our minds on our jobs.”
To aid churches in supporting the servicemen and women and their families, the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions (SBOM) has created the Enduring Freedom Task Force.
Headed by Joe Bob Mizzell, director of the SBOM’s office of Christian ethics/chaplaincy ministries, the force offers resources on ways to minister to military personnel and their families, both inside and outside the church.
“We want to tell them, ‘We love you and … support you,’” Mizzell said. “We also want to demonstrate the love of Jesus through the churches to those called up.”
In fulfilling this mission, the task force has created a Web site, video and brochure for churches. They have also received 200 packets from the National Guard that are available to the families of National Guard personnel. The packets alert them to available benefits and services.
The task force’s Web site, www.alsbom.org/freedom, contains resources, contacts and ideas for ministry. The video, which is available to churches, contains interviews with Alabama Gov. Bob Riley, three servicemen and the wife of another, who talk about the importance of supporting military families and issues they and their service members face.
The brochure was sent out to every director of missions in the state, and is available to anyone else who would like one. It suggests ministering to military personnel by praying for them, reassuring them that their families will be taken care of during their absence and writing to them, either through letters or e-mail.
“It’s amazing how important hearing from home is,” Mizzell said. “It builds their morale, it tells them that people back home love them and care about them.”
Mizzell added that hearing from nonfamily church members would be just as encouraging as hearing from family, since writers could provide another view of life at the church.
The Internet is another idea resource. Dear Abby and the United states Department of Defense have joined with others to provide Operation Dear Abby, at http://anyservicemember.navy.mil. It allows visitors to view and send e-mails to specific branches of service.
Another site, www.presidentialprayerteam.org, encourages visitors to join the nearly 1.4 million people who have already committed to pray for the government and troops. With the free membership comes daily prayer updates by e-mail.
Any visitor can also adopt a service member or submit someone for adoption by prayer. More than 100,000 people have chosen to adopt someone, committing to pray daily for them.
For the families of military personnel, the SBOM task force strongly recommends keeping them involved in church and church activities. Even though they may want to withdraw, now is the time when the fellowship of the church can provide support and assistance. Other suggestions include staying in contact with families, reassuring them and telling them you are proud of their family member.
Some families are losing their main chore-doer and income provider as well. Church members can offer help with repairs, child care and health care.
Mizzell pointed out that for many members of the National Guard and the Reserves, military service is a second job that provides a supplemental income. For those, when they are called up, they lose that income from their primary job, even though the military continues to pay them.
One way churches could help financially is by providing scholarships to those families for church trips and events. In extreme cases, the church might want to offer monetary help as well.
Mizzell said one church has a “Wall of Honor” on which they post names and pictures of members of the military who have been called up, along with their family members. The postings include some information about the famly, so members can generate specific ways to minister.
Central Baptist Church, Phenix City, has begun a shoebox ministry where members fill shoeboxes with supplies and send them to soldiers overseas.
These ideas and others will be posted on the task force’s Web site as they receive them.
Mizzell encourages churches to share what they are doing to show support so that those ideas can be passed on to others. This can be done through the force’s Web site or by calling Mizzell at 1-800-264-1225, Ext. 267. Brochures and the National Guard packets can also be requested by contacting Mizzell.
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