Preparing Troops for Spiritual Battle

By Craig von Buseck & Chris Carpenter
CBN.com Producers

CBN.com – As U.S. armed forces conduct an ongoing war with terror, and America's leaders grapple with the possibility of all-out war with Iraq, committed Christian leaders have partnered with military chaplains to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to our troops around the world. Through the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ, committed leaders assist the chaplains in training young recruits to be disciples of Jesus Christ.

CBN.com's Craig von Buseck recently sat down with Dave and Barbara Rasbold who work with Campus Crusade's military ministry at the Great Lakes Naval Training Center in Illinois. Through this opportunity, the Rasbolds are able to present the gospel of Jesus Christ to approximately 50,000 young men and women who attend the eight-week Navy basic training course each year. Their goal is to give these Navy trainees the opportunity to say "yes" to Jesus Christ as they begin their military careers. Click on the play button to the right to watch this interview.

The Military Ministry of Campus Crusade

Our military faces an uncertain future in the current world situation. In order for out troops to face this uncertainty they need a solid foundation built on a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. The goal at the Great Lakes Training Center is to communicate to the trainees:

The salvation message;

How to experience God's love and forgiveness;

How to walk in the Spirit; and

How to share the salvation message with others.

Despite the end of the Cold War a decade ago, the number of U.S. military people deployed around the world continues to skyrocket. But during the same period, military manpower decreased sharply while mission equipment aged steadily. Remarkably, the success of military peacekeeping and humanitarian missions has been high, a testimony to the nimble readiness of the services and their people. But the strain of doing more with less has already impacted overall readiness. In all areas resources have been strained -- including the outreach of military chaplaincy.

Promoting spirituality among service people is why the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ International is on more and more installations and military campuses in the U.S. and around the world. With the blessing of commanders and chaplains, ministry leaders help service members and their families reach and sustain spiritual fitness and readiness.

The military ministry is about sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with others, helping them grow spiritually, and passing the message on to others. This ministry takes place wherever military people are found -- at training gateways, service academies, ROTC colleges, senior service schools, and installations and ships worldwide.

In Campus Crusade's Military Ministry, some people invest their lives as full-time missionaries to service members. These missionaries serve on the field or on administrative staffs. Others are active-duty military members living for Christ wherever duty calls. Sill others provide indirect support through prayers and LIFE (labor, influence, finances, or expertise).

A Short History of the Military Ministry

Since the mid-1960s, the military ministry has helped commanders and chaplains develop spiritual readiness in service men and women and their families around the globe. Thousands of people are following Christ today as a result.

This Campus Crusade outreach began during the Vietnam War when U.S. Air Force Col. Jack Fain became concerned for the spiritual welfare of combat troops. He shared his concern with Dr. Bill Bright, founder and president of Campus Crusade for Christ International, and the Military Ministry was born.

By the war's end, more than 100 Military Ministry staff were supporting chaplains at training schools and operational bases across the United States, sharing the person and promises of Jesus Christ. In the post-war drawdown of active-duty forces, the Military Ministry decreased also, eventually to fewer than 30 full-time staff.

During 1990-91, as U.S. and other forces came together for Operation Desert Storm, the ministry geared up again. Then in 1992, retired U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dick Abel became the ministry's national director and moved its home office to Newport News, Virginia, amid the largest concentration of military bases and headquarters in the United States. He started rebuilding the Military Ministry, focusing first on U.S. forces, then with the armed services of other nations around the world.

Today, the Military Ministry has more than 220 U.S. and international associate and full-time staff, and 3,000 affiliates. These committed Christians serve on campuses, bases, posts, and ships in the United States and in six other countries worldwide.

More information on the Military Ministry of Campus Crusade for Christ