Yesterday I was in Canberra, speaking to the national conference of Air Force chaplains (clergy from Catholic, Anglican, UCA, Baptist, Lutheran, Presbyterian, Churches of Christ churches were there – I think that’s all).

These special people do a strategic job, under some difficult conditions. Many of them are ‘reserve chaplains’, some with full-time pastorates (usually near an airforce base) in addition to their chaplaincy duties…

The main issue I’ll be praying about for these guys (they’re all males – interesting 🙂 is for wisdom in some of the counseling situations they get themselves into. This involves, of course, grief counseling – not only for the loved ones of those who are killed or injured in battle, but also for those who are victims of accidents (more common, as we can imagine, in this context than for those of us who live quietly in suburbia). Remember, too, our defence force personnel are sometimes away from home for substantial lengths of time, during which there are extra family and marital pressures…

Rowland Croucher

April 10 2002

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Some interesting points have been made about why it is appropriate to have clergy present with the defence forces. That perhaps does not deal with Gary’s question about what shapes their ministry and how they relate to the institution. Hence this contribution. In brief, Chaplains in any institution, including the ADF are appointed by the church, and are accountable to the church. They must work within the structures of the institution in a way appropriate to both the institution and the church. This means that military chaplains are not there to represent the ideology of the ADF but the theology and pastoral care of the church. They continue to be bound by their ordination vows. Also, in the UCA, the Code of Ethics for Ministers applies to military chaplains as much as to any other clergy, and would be an example of where the provisions in that code about conflict of ethical codes is applicable. As far as I know, no clergy have yet suggested that the code of ethics for Ministers clashes with any institutional ethical requirements. Certainly, no such clash was named during the period when the Interim Code was being revised between 1997-2000. The general question Gary raises about military chaplains has been around a long time. A good start in understanding the role of military chaplains is to read some of the papers of Rollie Busch. I understand that these have been edited by James Haire. I do not have publication details of the collection, but I know at least Rollie published at least one article on military chaplains in Trinity Occasional Papers. Ann (Rev. Dr.) Ann Wansbrough Email:

I’m really struggling with this whole idea of military chaplaincy. As a commissioned officers, don’t military chaplains have to obey the orders of their superior officers, no matter what?

I wonder how, for example, Jewish chaplains in the Israeli army would be dealing with the appalling strategies of their commanding officers at present?

Garry Deverell