Posted on 05/17/2008 4:16:27 AM PDT by Man50D
An investigation is being sought by a Christian church organization in the United States after the U.S. Army deliberately shut down a service one of its sponsored chaplains was running for U.S. military service personnel at Forward Operating Base Loyalty in Iraq.
The complaint by Associated Gospel Churches, a fellowship of Independent Fundamental Christian churches, has been forwarded to the Army by U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-N.C., seeking an Army Inspector General investigation.
Rev. G. William Baugham, the chairman of the AGC's commission on chaplains, told WND that the circumstances are particularly egregious since it appears it was a representative from another Christian denomination that closed down the service that had been operated at FOB Loyalty by Chaplain Stuart Kazarovich, who has been endorsed by the AGC.
The services held by Kazarovich were shut down for five weeks, from July 8-Aug. 12, 2007, the organization's report on the situation confirmed.
"Because this information is now in the public domain, the AGC acknowledges that the Fundamental Baptist service led by Chaplain Stuart Kazarovich, an AGC endorsed chaplain, appears to have been suppressed because it was offensive to the brigade chaplain," Baugham told WND in a prepared statement.
"AGC believes the Army's initial response was slow and ineffective, despite the unprecedented depredation of basic constitutional rights of the fundamental Baptist congregation," he continued. "In short, this calls attention to the suppression of a Fundamental Baptist service and the command's insensitivity to religious hostility."
(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...
Amazing but true.
This should be fun to watch as walter b jones is a sheep in pubbie clothing, sides with murtha on the war, this doesn’t appear to have anything to do with his district- and he hasn’t lifted a finger to stand up for Marines accused of murder since Ilario Pantano gave him a sword.
ping
If any man rebels aginst that directive, he is de facto, anti Christ. (Not the anti Christ)
Please consider ...
If the way to heaven is denied from those that may more immediately die (they're in Iraq, remember) .. then I conclude the Satanic force to kill America is working on all fronts.
Our warfare may not be flesh and blood, but the flesh is torn and the blood is spilt because of the principalities and powers in high places.
This article is full of bare-bones information.
It appears that there was some hostility by a brigade chaplain directed at a fundamentalist chaplain regarding a baptist service the battalion chaplain was conducting.
It appears that Ch Kaz was going on leave, and that during that interval his baptist service was suspended.
On his return the service was not reinstated.
Without having all the facts, allow me to offer these observations.
1. Specifically Denominational services NORMALLY are NOT held by chaplains in the field. Whether Catholic, Protestant, or Jewish, the idea in the field is to have an open general service within a broad-denomination framework. Therefore, a priest would expect to minister to Catholics, Orthodox, and maybe even to some liturgical Anglicans and Lutherans.
A “protestant” would expect to minister to baptists, presby’s, methodists, assemblies, etc...any protestant variety at all. This is generally referred to as a “general protestant service.”
2. A General Protestant Service is still a service and any prayers, preaching, or altar calls are entirely at the discretion of the officiating chaplain, and they should not be obstructed in any manner. (That’s not to say that a higher chaplain would not remove any chaplain from preaching responsibilities if that chaplain’s preaching, planning, personality, etc. were weak, resulting in poor attendance/support.)
This, however, should not normally be the case in a field setting.
3. A unit chaplain has responsibility under regulations to provide for the religious worship of all people in his unit, whether of his own denomination or not. In other words, if he’s a baptist and there are catholic soldiers in his unit, then he must arrange for a priest occasionally to drop by to conduct that variety of service.
4. I see no mention of this chaplain’s general responsibilities in this article, and I wonder if they had been neglected in favor of a denominational service that he was finding personal fulfillment in. Mind you, a battalion is probably in the neighborhood of 4-6 hundred soldiers. This fundamentalist service was accomodating approximately 30 people.
5. Having served as a brigade chaplain with a unit widely deployed, it is sometimes difficult to get information other than from battalion personnel.
6. In short, I’d be cautious about this one until more facts come out.
7. In the other Klingenschmitt case, Klingenschmitt was not released from service for praying in Jesus name. He was released for 2 reasons: (1) His denomination refused to continue his appointment to active duty, and (2) He disobeyed an order NOT to be in uniform at a public media event.
I remember we had a chaplain once, in garrison, who spoke some utter nonsense. One thing in particular that comes to mind was that women should wash before and after sex.
He was later relieved for all manner of behavior that would have landed junior enlisted in the stockade. He protested that he was being persecuted for his beliefs.
The numerous sex washing passages of the book of Hezekiah clearly were violated.
How could they think to relieve such a bible scholar!
:>)
Well, that's not a bad idea, especially after.
They have to have something to do while us guys lay back and have a cigarette. ;-)
What in the heck is he doing having a denominational service in the field? Army Chaplains are supposed to be somewhat ecumenical. They have to be, because soldiers don't have access to their own denomination. For instance, I'm Presbyterian - not stridently so, but one nonetheless. I might be able to find a Presby chaplain at Benning (where I'm TDY) or Hood (where I'm headed), but in the field you take what you can get.
What is it about these (relatively few) Chaplains who don't get it? They seem to love to cry "persecution" when, in fact, their own actions show them to be unsuited to military discipline.
Put it this way: this chaplain's actions would make it less likely I could approach him for personal or professional guidance.
Jude, I worry about a chaplain in the field who has the time to dote over a private denominational service. My son during his year in Iraq said that their chaplain NEVER left the FOB. This is a battalion chaplain. His troops are scattered all over, and he should be on the road providing general services for them.
This raises red flags for me that Ch Kaz is stuck at base camp ministering to his favorite 30 folks while approximately 500 others — stationed someplace — are doing without religious coverage.
I don’t have enough info to make that evaluation, but it certainly is something I’d look at before I nailed this brigade chaplain based on what might be nothing more than whining from a battalion chaplain whose been exposed as a desk jocky.
Are you in Jump School?
If so, prayers up, young troop!
Jude,
If you are in jump school don’t forget; New Testament in the right breast pocket; your card and Retainer Agreement in the left, next to your heart. Very important!
You make some good points. At a FOB, one chaplain often has to meet the spiritual needs of everyone - manning doesn’t allow a lot of separate services. If you have time for that, then you should have time to travel to remote sites.
That said, there can be extenuating circumstances for staying on a FOB. Travel can be very haphazard, depending on location. At one place I was at in Afghanistan, it took a week for the Brigade CC to get back to his own FOB. I knew of several ‘day trips’ that turned into a week or more.
My guess is like yours - this chaplain was concentrating on HIS service and not meeting the needs of the remote sites.
Sounds like the makings of a cadence.
Good thoughts, and the nature of the insurgent conflict in Iraq and Afghan certainly will dictate the timing of trips by a chaplain. However, there are very few convoys that wouldn’t be sufficient security for a battalion chaplain and his assistant. In fact, the Chaplain Assistant is a bodyguard and is not a religious person. He would enhance the security of the convoy.
I’m interested in more facts in this case. It’s too easy to sensationalize some chaplain’s complaint that he’s being picked on. It’s much harder to try to understand the responsibilities and complexities of providing ministry to troops spread over a broad area.
I agree with you 100%
In the area of chaplain field coverage you are one of the experts. I appreciate your agreement.
You just can’t make this stuff up...
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