Frontline - Ministering in a Hostile Environment
By Lieutenant Colonel (USMC) Scott Erdelatz, Navigator Associate
While I spent a good portion of 2000-2003 deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as the unit's logistics officer, I may not be the best person to address this topic. We wrapped up a nine-month deployment in Iraq last May, but I was fortunate to spend most of my time in a relatively calm area of south-central Iraq that didn't experience the type of daily mayhem we are seeing right now. Our unit was blessed to return home with no serious casualties. For that reason, these observations are a combination of my own thoughts and those of some close friends who have ministered "under fire'" in Somalia and Iraq.
When serving in an environment where men and women face the reality of having to kill and possibly be killed, it is important to be ready to address issues of killing in combat and death. This may sound obvious, but in everyday ministry we don't typically field questions like "Where do you think Jones is right now?'' after a young Marine or soldier dies, or "Can I still be a Christian if I've killed someone else?'' Being prepared to sensitively but confidently address questions like these is important for the believer who wants to minister to fellow soldiers or Marines in an environment like the one today in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It's also important to be approachable, available, and a good listener. For officers, being approachable doesn't mean abandoning rank, but rather demonstrating servant leadership. A Lt. I know served as a Forward Observer with a tank unit in Iraq and one of his duties on the tank was to serve as loader, a job typically handled by a Private First Class. He felt that this was one reason young Marines felt at ease in approaching him. Another officer friend I know is quick to pitch in putting up tents or even helping dig fighting holes while in the field. Both enjoy excellent rapport with their peers and subordinates. The field environment affords more opportunities than normal to just talk and build camaraderie, often over a MRE, and provides good opportunities to listen, encourage or share our faith.
To be an effective witness, it's important to be a good soldier or Marine. Not just because others are watching, but because excellent work brings glory to God. Early on in my career, God used Collosians 3:23-24 to motivate my service, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance." It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. When meeting with young officers who are deploying to Iraq I encourage them to be faithful in their jobs first and not to feel pressure to take the lead on Christian activities such as bible studies or lay services. God may call some of them to do this, but the most effective ministry in a combat environment may well occur in the "trenches" among those with whom we serve day to day. I don't want these men to feel temptation towards false guilt that unless they are actively taking part in Christian activities, then they are not ministering. Nothing could be further from the truth.
Though it may not occur at the same time every day, or even be possible every day, it is vital to spend time with God and be refreshed in His presence. This past Easter, I traveled back in my mind exactly one year and remembered sitting in a chair outside my two-man tent, looking out on the Iraqi desert, reflecting on Christ's sacrifice and being overjoyed to be a member of God's family. Though I have been in Easter services with beautiful music and great sermons, I cannot remember an Easter where I was more uplifted or assured of God's presence. Thank God for His grace and mercy. It really is His blessing that allows us to be a blessing to others.
LtCol Erdelatz and his wife, Omega, currently minister to fellow Marines at Camp Lejeune while raising their children, Abby and Timothy.
While I spent a good portion of 2000-2003 deployed with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit as the unit's logistics officer, I may not be the best person to address this topic. We wrapped up a nine-month deployment in Iraq last May, but I was fortunate to spend most of my time in a relatively calm area of south-central Iraq that didn't experience the type of daily mayhem we are seeing right now. Our unit was blessed to return home with no serious casualties. For that reason, these observations are a combination of my own thoughts and those of some close friends who have ministered "under fire'" in Somalia and Iraq.When serving in an environment where men and women face the reality of having to kill and possibly be killed, it is important to be ready to address issues of killing in combat and death. This may sound obvious, but in everyday ministry we don't typically field questions like "Where do you think Jones is right now?'' after a young Marine or soldier dies, or "Can I still be a Christian if I've killed someone else?'' Being prepared to sensitively but confidently address questions like these is important for the believer who wants to minister to fellow soldiers or Marines in an environment like the one today in Iraq or Afghanistan.
It's also important to be approachable, available, and a good listener. For officers, being approachable doesn't mean abandoning rank, but rather demonstrating servant leadership. A Lt. I know served as a Forward Observer with a tank unit in Iraq and one of his duties on the tank was to serve as loader, a job typically handled by a Private First Class. He felt that this was one reason young Marines felt at ease in approaching him. Another officer friend I know is quick to pitch in putting up tents or even helping dig fighting holes while in the field. Both enjoy excellent rapport with their peers and subordinates. The field environment affords more opportunities than normal to just talk and build camaraderie, often over a MRE, and provides good opportunities to listen, encourage or share our faith.
To be an effective witness, it's important to be a good soldier or Marine. Not just because others are watching, but because excellent work brings glory to God. Early on in my career, God used Collosians 3:23-24 to motivate my service, "Whatever you do, do your work heartily as for the Lord rather than for men; knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance." It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. When meeting with young officers who are deploying to Iraq I encourage them to be faithful in their jobs first and not to feel pressure to take the lead on Christian activities such as bible studies or lay services. God may call some of them to do this, but the most effective ministry in a combat environment may well occur in the "trenches" among those with whom we serve day to day. I don't want these men to feel temptation towards false guilt that unless they are actively taking part in Christian activities, then they are not ministering. Nothing could be further from the truth. Though it may not occur at the same time every day, or even be possible every day, it is vital to spend time with God and be refreshed in His presence. This past Easter, I traveled back in my mind exactly one year and remembered sitting in a chair outside my two-man tent, looking out on the Iraqi desert, reflecting on Christ's sacrifice and being overjoyed to be a member of God's family. Though I have been in Easter services with beautiful music and great sermons, I cannot remember an Easter where I was more uplifted or assured of God's presence. Thank God for His grace and mercy. It really is His blessing that allows us to be a blessing to others.
LtCol Erdelatz and his wife, Omega, currently minister to fellow Marines at Camp Lejeune while raising their children, Abby and Timothy.
