Those Surprising Southern Baptists

This picture shows the chapel and a chaplain sharing his testimony.

I am in Norfolk, Virginia at a North American Mission Board trustee meeting. These meetings always prove extremely valuable to me. I always walk away inspired by the work that we are doing as Southern Baptists.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to tour the Mesa Verda LPD 19. It is a docking craft used by the Navy to transport marines, navy seals, and others with their ships to hostile areas. We were shown around by Southern Baptist military chaplains. The boat was cool, but the ministry that I saw that is taking place there is incredible.

It may surprise you to know (it did me) that Southern Baptist provide almost 1,200 chaplains to the US Military. We are the largest provider of chaplains for the military. These chaplains are amazing people. Many of them have to put their lives in harms way to fight a battle that is unseen by human eyes. They fight a spiritual battle as they counsel, care, and provide ministry services to our fighting men and women and to their families.

Yesterday we sat in the chapel and heard two amazing stories. One was shared by a young chaplain who accepted Christ four years ago. He is now serving the Navy and spreading the Gospel. Another chaplain with the Navy had been at sea for eight months and was getting ready to go again for another eight months leaving behind his wife and four children. Pray for these leaders and their families. Pray that the Lord will bless them and the work they do in His name. Pray that these families left behind in the states remain safe and steadfast in their own faith.

The work that these chaplains are doing is yielding fruit. There were several soldiers with us, while we were on our tour yesterday. I struck up a conversation with one of them named Paul. Paul is not a chaplain so I asked him about his service and in time got around to asking him about his faith.

It turns out that just two years ago, Paul was serving in Mississippi and volunteered to help do some clean up from Katrina. He did it, he said, to earn a special status that helps his career. He had no idea the impact it would have on his life. He went with a Southern Baptist chaplain and saw the ministry that was taking place to the families. Paul has a family and recognized that he needed this Jesus this chaplain kept talking about.

The next day was Easter Sunday and they were going to have a service in the area they had cleaned up. Paul’s volunteer requirements were over, but he wanted to attend the service with his family and he asked the chaplain permission to come the next day for the service. The chaplain just laughed and told him he had been praying he would come and bring his family.

The next day Paul and his wife came to an outdoor Easter service and were saved. They now live in Norfolk, Virginia. They have not found a church yet with all of the transitions they’ve been through. One of our trustees is taking him and his family to a church on Sunday that the trustee is confident will be a blessing to him.

Pray for our soldiers. Pray for our chaplains. Pray for Paul and his family. Pray that the Gospel will be received from those in our military fortunate enough to be served by a chaplain commissioned by the North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention.