Global Partners – September 2015
by James G. Smith
For many years the Baptist Bible Fellowship International has had an agreement with the United States Department of Defense. The BBFI is an authorized ecclesiastical endorsing agency for Chaplains serving the Armed Forces.
This gives an amazing opportunity for prepared, dedicated, and conscientious men to serve both God and country. Each branch of the military has its own specific requirements as to the chaplaincy. Once a man has chosen in which branch he will serve, he then must meet the requirements of the BBFI.
While the military chaplain is a member of the Armed Forces and serves as a commissioned officer, he is also a minister of the Gospel, a representative of his sending church, and a representative of the BBFI.
The Armed Forces have physical, educational, and ecclesiastical requirements. The BBFI and the local churches have requirements that have to do more with the spiritual, doctrinal, and experiential.
Each of our chaplains has a sending church and is commissioned and authorized by that church to administer the ordinances. When appropriate and available, our chaplains encourage the men and women to whom they minister to get involved in local churches.
The chaplaincy offers amazing opportunities for evangelism and personal discipleship. To be a pastor in uniform has its own set of requirements … and abundant blessings.
We are grateful for the chaplains who have helped us with the interviews to make up this edition of Global Partners.
Anyone interested in more information or in the actual application procedure should contact me at the BBFI World Mission Service Center at jsmith@bbfimissions.com or (417) 862-5001.
To read the entire September 2015 Global Partners, click here.