Military chaplains fuel faith
Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest? He said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’’ Matthew 22:35-27, NRSVUE
Clergy serving as military chaplains have similar roles to those of local church pastors. They lead worship services and ceremonies, build relationships, and provide emotional and spiritual support.
Two clergy with connections to the Dakotas Conference, Rev. Joel Higgins and Rev. Brad Kattelmann are living out their call and showing military professionals the love of God and the love of neighbor.
Military chaplains serve as agents of the United States Constitution for the freedom of religion. They ensure that military members can practice their faith through worship, prayer, and religious accommodations.
The Army, Navy, and Air Force offer qualified clergy the opportunity to be commissioned as military officers in the role of chaplains. Chaplains must complete the training requirements and be endorsed by a denomination. They must also have three years of experience before applying to a military branch under specific requirements and policies.
The process took different paths for Higgins and Kattleman. Higgins entered special training to be a military chaplain after serving eight local congregations in the Dakotas. Kattelmann entered ministry with the intention of entering the military chaplaincy role.
Higgins reaches people for Christ as a military chaplain.
Rev. Joel Higgins. Dakotas Conference file photo.
"There are times that I can be a pastor to people who don't have a pastor and are in tough situations. There are lots of times that I have been at the hospital with people who have not had any pastoral support. Being invited to conduct a wedding because the couple doesn't have anyone else to officiate it is special. It has extended my ability to be in ministry for Christ into places I didn't think I would ever be able to walk into." These are the words of Rev. Joel Higgins, currently deployed as a military chaplain in the Middle East with the South Dakota Air National Guard.
Before he became a pastor, Joel Higgins enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He liked the camaraderie and teamwork of his naval colleagues. When he was deployed, chaplains supported the crew.
Higgins missed the teamwork and collegiality of the military. Pastor Joel connected with the South Dakota Air National Guard and found a niche in the chaplaincy.
Today, Higgins is wearing a U.S. Air Force uniform. He is deployed with the South Dakota Air National Guard in the Middle East. He is on leave from his appointment at Kimball Avenue United Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa. This is his third deployment. Higgins was previously deployed in the Navy and is now with the Air National Guard.
Being a military chaplain takes time away from the local church. Higgins said, "It is not just the pastor that is impacted. It is the local congregation as well. There has to be an understanding that I will gone for a couple of weeks at a time and maybe be deployed. It is a sacrifice for both parties. It is an honor to serve."
Read more about Rev. Joel Higgins's service.
Kattelmann builds God's kingdom as a U.S. Army chaplain.
Rev. Brad Kattelmann. Dakotas Conference file photo.
"Our entire society is struggling with faith, spirituality, and religion. The best thing people can do to support the military is build the kingdom of God in their community. Be the hope and voice of Christ in their community. When people leave the military, they need to go back home. They need to go back to communities that are healthy, vibrant, welcoming of diversity, and centered on love of neighbor and love of God. Holding up the two most important commandments," states Rev. Brad Kattelmann, a Dakotas Conference elder who has served as a U.S. Army chaplain for 16 years.
Brad Kattelmann grew up in a family that served in the United States Army. His mother was a dietitian, and his father served as an engineer.
"I understand the culture of the Army and what families go through because I grew up in the Army. Based on that and my call to ministry, being a chaplain in the Army lines up well," said Rev. Brad Kattelmann, serving in extension ministry at Fort Cavazos Army Base in Texas.
Kattelmann first felt his call to ministry and the military chaplaincy as an undergraduate at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska, when he attended a retreat.
After completing a Master of Divinity degree at Iliff Seminary in Denver, Colorado, he served the United Methodist Churches at Wall and Wasta, South Dakota, for three years.
Kattelmann shares, "That experience was very formative. I would never trade that experience. The Army is not as forgiving as churches for new clergy. The Army expected you to walk in and know how to do worship services, preach, funerals, baptisms, and weddings. Churches give you more grace if you are a new pastor."
What fuels his soul to continue to serve? "Mentoring and supervising really feeds my soul. Seeing newer chaplains get it and learn how to be effective in the context. In many ways, it is a missionary culture. Helping new chaplains be effective in the Army context and impact people's lives is the most rewarding," said Pastor Brad.
