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Soldier of Christ
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WHAT was your first link with the Armed Forces?
“I was in the cadets when I was at school. I didn’t particularly enjoy it and only joined because it got me out of double Latin and maths on a Friday afternoon.”
Why did you become a TA chaplain?
“A colleague told me I needed a hobby and suggested I join the Territorial Army. Within eight weeks I had joined up and was deployed to Scotland on exercise with a bunch of cadets, many of whom had never darkened the door of a church before. I served for three years as a TA chaplain before being commissioned into the Royal Army Chaplains’ Department.”
What did you think of Sandhurst?
“I think my worst experience was on exercise being cold, wet, tired and stagging on in the middle of the night. I remember thinking ‘what am I doing here?’ But I loved the wonderful humour of the colour sergeants and the banter and camaraderie of my colleagues.”
Was the transition between civvie street and Service life difficult?
“My first posting was with 45 Field Regiment RA. I had my own church with a well-established congregation and this helped me move from being a congregational minister to working with the Army.
How did Regular soldiers react to you?
“I soon realised that by going into their world and sharing their discomfort, they were more likely to take me seriously and show an interest in my world.”
How do you view the role of the Army chaplain?
“The Army develops the physical and mental skills required of a soldier and it is our duty to make sure that the spiritual needs of individuals are met as well.
“Chaplains are not in a command position, which helps break down barriers. First and foremost we are the soldiers’ friend. Soldiers know that they can turn to their padre and that what they say to him will be in confidence. We are also the confidant of the commanding officer and can go to him with issues and problems affecting troops without using any names.”
What qualities do you look for?
“It takes a special kind of person to be an Army chaplain. They have to want to minister to people who are not regular churchgoers and must want to get alongside soldiers and share what they believe in an open and friendly way.
“We currently have 152 Regular Army chaplains, one of whom is female, and we are always keen to welcome new recruits.”
Did Op Telic highlight the value of Army chaplains?
“Yes, it certainly brought the role of the Army padre into sharp focus. Quite often when soldiers are in dangerous situations they will open up and begin to question the value and meaning of life. After the war we realised just how much the chaplains had been valued by certain soldiers. “Our presence seemed to provide a link with normality in an abnormal situation. The fact that the chaplains were there in the thick of it with the troops said it all – the soldiers realised that we were not pretending, that we could be killed or injured just like them.”
During times of conflict do chaplains find it difficult serving God and country?
“Chaplains are non-combatants. We don’t bear arms but we are part of an organisation which is trained to kill and to fight wars. All our chaplains have thought through their positions in regard to the role of the Army very carefully before joining.”
Any new developments in your department?
“We have brought the Anglican and Roman Catholic branches together into one department so all chaplains are now under the military authority of the Chaplain General. We are also looking at how best to introduce chaplains from faith groups other than Christian.”
Is faith among military personnel strong?
“I would never say that the community I serve is faithless – it’s far from it. I wouldn’t say that they expressed their faith in the same way as someone who is a committed Christian does. But I have met some remarkable men and women serving in the Army who perhaps don’t have a conventional faith but who live remarkable lives based on strong overtly Christian beliefs and values. They just express their faith in a different way.”
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