Ukraine (MNN) — Military chaplaincy is when the church’s walls stretch all the way to the battlefield.
The war shakes the very foundation of people’s mental state, leaving them weary from the weight of pain, grief, and the constant threat of attack. This is why military chaplains are irreplaceable during the war in Ukraine. Eric Mock from the Slavic Gospel Association says, “The role of the chaplain is to be an ambassador of Christ, to be an ambassador of hope in a situation that might seem hopeless.”
Military chaplains are pastors who choose to serve those affected by war: defenders, their families, civilians, and children. Some minister in field or civilian hospitals, while others risk their lives on the front lines.
“They go because there may be one soul that may perish apart from the gospel, and the ache on their hearts over the one soul is enough to compel them to go to the front lines,” says Mock.
Chaplain praying and preaching with soldiers (photo courtesy of SGA)
SGA partners with Ukrainian chaplains, especially from the Ukrainian Baptist Union, providing leadership training, hospital aid, summer camps for children, and more. There are currently more than 300 Baptist union chaplains that are on the front lines, and that includes, in addition to that, another 500 volunteers.
Chaplains are there with soldiers who might never have thought to ask questions about eternity or faith — until the fragility of life and the threat of death confront them daily. Field hospitals, remote clinics, rehabilitation centers, and even families who have lost loved ones are asking for chaplains. “It made a tremendous impact, and we see the demand for even more chaplains coming. This is religious freedom. They’re not being blocked. They’re not being told, ‘Please don’t talk to our troops.’ They’re openly saying, ‘Please come.’ Even [some of the] doctors who do not believe in God, who may reject the idea of salvation by grace, are welcoming them,” says Mock.
One might assume that a chaplain’s ministry ends with the war, but the reality is far different. The scars of war run deep, and the chaplain’s ability to empathize with suffering and help carry burdens remains essential long after the fighting stops.
“These chaplains wade into the storms of their life, and if today the fighting stops, the peace in their soul is still missing,” Mock says. “We can foolishly think that if we stop this war, the difficulties will end and life won’t be hard anymore. And it’s just not true.”
Pray for soldiers, their families, and civilians in occupied territories. Pray that chaplains will find ways to bring hope despite the darkness. Pray for the salvation of souls facing death. And pray that many men will come to faith.
Consider how you can get involved, visiting SGA website — helping war widows, supporting summer camps for their children, meeting the needs of field hospitals, and more!
Header photo courtesy of SGA.
