I don't know any military chaplains any more, so I took some time and studied up on the ULC's stance on the subject. According to my findings, there has been at least a few ULC ordained ministers who have entered chaplaincy service for the military.
According to information about the requirements for chaplaincy services for the US Army (source: http://goarmy.com), there are several prerequisites to becoming a chaplain in the military. These include possession of a baccalaureate degree (120+ hours) and a graduate degree with 72 field hours. In addition to these, there is also the requirement to obtain ecclesiastical endorsement from your faith group. I spoke with President Andre Hensley about the Universal Life Church's standing on the subject, and he told me that the ULC ministers who have gone into military chaplaincy service have obtained third-party ecclesiastical endorsement. The military maintains a record of third-party endorsers. Universal Life Church does not provide this endorsement because they are not, nor have they been, registered as an endorser for the military services. President Hensley assures me, that if the need were to arise, that the church could register.
I can speak from experience on the tasks and lifestyle of military chaplain. I knew of and met with several military chaplains during my time in the United States Navy. My experiences were few and random but life-changing. One of the chaplains I can remember well was Lt. Gregory at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Florida. During my time at A-School (AOA), the chaplain would show up on occasion and we had the opportunity to meet with him.
Aaron N.
According to information about the requirements for chaplaincy services for the US Army (source: http://goarmy.com), there are several prerequisites to becoming a chaplain in the military. These include possession of a baccalaureate degree (120+ hours) and a graduate degree with 72 field hours. In addition to these, there is also the requirement to obtain ecclesiastical endorsement from your faith group. I spoke with President Andre Hensley about the Universal Life Church's standing on the subject, and he told me that the ULC ministers who have gone into military chaplaincy service have obtained third-party ecclesiastical endorsement. The military maintains a record of third-party endorsers. Universal Life Church does not provide this endorsement because they are not, nor have they been, registered as an endorser for the military services. President Hensley assures me, that if the need were to arise, that the church could register.
I can speak from experience on the tasks and lifestyle of military chaplain. I knew of and met with several military chaplains during my time in the United States Navy. My experiences were few and random but life-changing. One of the chaplains I can remember well was Lt. Gregory at the Naval Air Technical Training Center in Pensacola, Florida. During my time at A-School (AOA), the chaplain would show up on occasion and we had the opportunity to meet with him.
Aaron N.
No comments:
Post a Comment