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ACCTS in action To assist in the development of Christian leaders in the armed forces of the world and in the establishment and growth of military Christian fellowships.
Chaplains Interaction
“Where you cannot go, we can go for you.” – Liberian Chaplain’s Interaction participant speaking to U.S. military Christians
For the first time, God opened doors so that ACCTS’ Chaplains Interaction training event included participants from the Middle East. Participants from Jordan, Liberia, Guinea Bissau, and Uganda attended the April program, which provided teaching for chaplains (or those who minister as chaplains) from those four nations. U.S. chaplains Rob Stroud and Rich Young led the traincontinued on page 3
ing sessions, which included the topics of unit organization, principles of chaplaincy, hospital ministry, and stress management. A round-table briefing was also held, with leaders from ACCTS, Officers’ Christian Fellowship, Military Ministry, and Olive Branch giving reports on their ministries and resources available to chaplains. Delegates also visited the Portsmouth Naval Hospital and CG Base Portsmouth to visit some operational units. Another
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outh Africa is home to fabulous beaches, stunning scenery, whale-watching, wildlife parks, surfing – and military Christians who are eager to host you at the 2014 AMCF World Conference! Start planning now to attend the conference (date and location will be published soon), fellowship with international military Christians, grow spiritually, and take in the beauty of God’s creation in South Africa.
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ACCTS is partnering with the Military Christian Fellowship of South Africa as they host this conference, and we will also be asking for your help in sponsoring military Christians from other nations who cannot afford to attend this life-changing event. Be in prayer as to how the Holy Spirit would have you get involved, and keep your eye out for more information in the next newsletter!
Calendar of ACCTS Events Haiti -- IAEC/ACCTS Advanced Training Course: 1-9 June USA -- Chaplains Annual Sustainment Training (ACCTS booth): 18-21 June Japan -- Academy Exploration Asia: 27 June – 7 July China -- Academy Exploration Asia: 7-20 July China -- American English Language Training: 22 July – 9 August China -- Leadership Training: 11 July Ukraine -- American English Language Training Camp: 2- 9 July USA -- Interaction-Rocky Mountain High: 26 July-9 August
Ukraine Update A mission trip to Ukraine in May allowed ACCTS staff member Dick Barnes to participate in the 20th Ukrainian MCF leadership prayer and planning conference. Additionally, he met with Vasily and other members of the Ukrainian MCF personally to encourage them in their spiritual journey; participated in a Friday night MCF meeting in Kiev; met military Christians from Belarus, Moldova, and Russia; and ministered to military Christians who work as chaplains in a military hospital in Cherkassy.
ACCTS IN ACTION • Page 2 • June 2012
Chaplains Interaction
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The spouses program included separate meeting times and visits to local PWOC Bible studies, and Chaplain Jim Ellis led a marriage retreat for the internationals. The international participants in the program request your prayers for military ministry in their nations. Specifically, please pray for government stability in Guinea Bissau and the establishment of a chaplaincy; for God’s leading for the military Christian fellowship in Jordan, which has a 96% Muslim majority; for God to move the Ugandan government to approve a military chaplaincy; and for continued wisdom for the Liberian government and chaplains.
International Participants: Chief of Chaplains Dessaline Allison and Mrs. Lynn Allison - Liberia LTCOL (Ret.) and Mrs. Al Salman – Jordan Chaplain Felix De Costa – Guinea Bissau COL (Ret.) Haddadin – Jordan MAJ James Mayanja – Uganda COL Tom Tumuhairwe and Mrs. Robinah Tumuhairwe - Uganda
d’s servants mmunity of Go Thank you! A co g, including in this year’s train brought about ordinators co l ca bers and lo em m ng aff st S CT AC milies, CG Traini Prindle, host fa B AF y le ng Pete and Jacki La d n, Fort Eustis an Center Yorktow ining team: tra e th d an , es iti un m m co el chap ud (USAF), COL s Lt Col Rob Stro in la ap ch ed tir re Ellis (USN); AC) and Lt Cdr Jim Rich Young (USA d Dell McDonrs Frank Cole an CTS coordinato tors/trainers di ogram coor na pr se ou sp d an ald; d Ginny Cole. Sandy Young an
Southern Africa New Vice President Brigadier General Thabo Victor Mohapi of Lesotho was commissioned as AMCF’s vice president for Southern Africa on 5 May in South Africa. ACCTS’ deputy director, Bernhard Kaltenbach, attended as part of ACCTS’ role as an AMCF supporting organization. The Association of Military Christian Fellowships (AMCF) and ACCTS are ministry partners, and ACCTS staff work closely with AMCF’s volunteer vice presidents to ensure that culturally-appropriate ministry takes place in nations around the world.
Mr. Tok Biography Still Available! We still have copies available of We All Knew a Little Greek: An Account of the Life of “Tok” – Charalambos Nikolaou Tokatloglou available for $15. Contact us at editor@accts.org or 1-800-487-8108 if you are interested. ACCTS IN ACTION • Page 3 • June 2012
International soldier photos courtesy USDOD.
round-table meeting with senior U.S. military leaders, including flag officers, included discussions on the importance of the chaplaincy.
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“Why Do I Need Healing?” “I don’t understand – why bother with healing, and why now? I’ll just have to go back to the war zone in a year,” one young soldier asked ACCTS staff member Noel Dawes at a springtime Welcome Home Initiative (WHI) weekend. Noel and others led this event, which helps military personnel who have suffered trauma in combat (be it physical, psychological, or spiritual) by providing ministry and resources for health and healing.
these three-day events are toughened soldiers, some of whom have closed down emotionally in order to do their job – yet they live with the effects of their experiences, including continuous nightmares, survivor guilt, and anger. Please pray with Noel and other Welcome Home Initiative leaders as they help our soldiers, sailors, and Marines deal with the effects of combat and operational stress while our nation is at war.
Noel reports that this WHI was the largest one yet, and included both active duty soldiers as well as Vietnam vets. Many participants at Photo courtesy usdod
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PO Box 27239 Denver, CO 80227-0239 Phone: 1-800-487-8108 Fax: 303-986-4710 Email: accts@accts.org Web: www.accts.org
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ACCTS Prayer Reminder June 2012
Photo courtesy of US Army
The cross is an old-fashioned weapon, but its bow is drawn unerringly against the heart.” --R.S. Thomas
Note: Staff member names are in bold print.
brightly in this dynamic but challenging region.
1 Pray that the delegates from Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Jordan, and Uganda who attended ACCTS’ April Chaplains Interaction will be used by the Lord to influence peace and stability in their countries and to bring others to a deeper knowledge of Christ.
8 Ask that Leslie Santee’s media ministry with ACCTS will help people understand ACCTS’ international work and choose to partner with us in our work.
2 Pray with Phil Exner as he travels this week to U.S. locations that are gateway areas for international military students. Ask that God will raise up people to minister at these areas. 3 Dell McDonald and AMCF vice president Nestor Ogilvie are in Haiti from 1-9 June on a mission trip. Pray for God’s blessings on all those to whom they minister in this impoverished nation. 4 Pray for ACCTS staff member Noel Dawes as he receives a bone marrow transplant today. Pray as well for the ongoing work of Welcome Home Initiative meetings for soldiers who have been wounded in war (see newsletter for more information). 5 Pray for God’s guidance for staff members Russell and Helen Bielenberg in Australia, and pray for the ministry of the military Christian fellowship in Australia. 6 Please pray for Earl and Sue Casner’s ministry to European military Christians, and pray in particular that young leaders will be developed in these nations where Christianity is declining. 7 Pray for the AMCF’s new vice president for Southeast Asia, the ACCTS staff, and Asian military Christians who will attend a pray and plan from 16-17 June in Manila - pray for the Lord’s guidance in organizing and enabling regional activities that will shine His light ACCTS prayer reminder • June 2012
9 Pray for the ongoing ministries of our staff who minister in China, including Cal Dunlap, He Gang and Jodie Wang, Carson and Wendy Tavenner, and Ed and Sally Ward. 10 The Naval Military and Air Force Bible Society in United Kingdom provides Bibles for sailors and merchant seafarers in English and other languages. Pray that God will enable them in their work for Him. 11 From 11-22 June ACCTS will partner with the International Association of Evangelical Chaplains (IAEC) to present a Basic Military Chaplaincy Course in El Salvador at the request of the MCF of that country and with the support of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Pray that this will result in a greater sharing of the Gospel among the military of El Salvador, and pray for the training team, including Bob and B.J. Reifsnyder. 12 Pray for our staff members who minister to chaplains in the U.S. and world-wide, including Pete and Jacki Prindle, Noel and Meryl Dawes, Frank Cole, Dell McDonald, Rob and Delores Stroud, and Harry and Linda Waters. 13 Ask that the Lord guide Dick Barnes and Grozdan Stoevsky as they minister in Serbia and Croatia this month. 14 Give praise for military Christians in Africa who are working to bring God’s reconciliation and reconciliation between people to their war-torn
continent. Please pray in particular for Dickson Ogwang’s ministry of reconciliation.
cipleship Ministries, and Russ Hammerud, Special Projects Ministry.
15 Pray with our ministry partner, Mission Support Organization, as they host Military Evangelism Observation from 18-25 June in South Korea. Pray also for Jim Greshel and Bernhard Kaltenbach from ACCTS, who will attend this strategic event.
25 Pray with General Lee, Pil Sup (president of the Association of Military Christian Fellowships) and the fourteen regional vice presidents of AMCF as they seek God’s will for future ministry plans.
16 Pray with ACCTS as we work to inspire faithbased ethical behavior among military personnel. Today, please pray for our Journal of Faith and War (faithandwar.org), edited by Don Martin. 17 Pray with Gina Rajah and others who are faithfully sharing Christ with members of Brazil’s armed forces, and praise God for the military Christian fellowship in Brazil – the world’s largest. 18 ACCTS staff will be ministering to chaplains at a CAST conference from 18-21 June. Pray that they will be an encouragement to these men and women who care for our troops. 19 Pray for Bernhard Kaltenbach as he helps the MCF of South Africa prepare for the 2014 AMCF World Conference, and ask that Brig. Gen. Mohapi be given wisdom in his new responsibilities as AMCF’s Southern Africa vice president (see newsletter for details).
27 U.S. military participants and ACCTS staff will be in Japan from 27 June – 7 July visiting the military academy and other military-related sites. Please pray for their safety and that this trip will be a spiritual turning point for the participants.
“God’s arc for the whole of humanity…bends toward hope. It bends toward life and love. That love, though not yet fully realized, is a restoring love that is greater than the sum total of the destructive forces humanity can muster.” -- Christian Piatt
20 Please ask God to guide Ken and Jonna Carpenter as they work to get Bibles in the hands of international military Christians. 21 Praise God for the military Christians in France and pray for an MCF event they are holding from 21-24 June. 22 Pray for staff members who befriend and share Christ with international military students who study in the U.S., including Vic and Marsha Grazier and Bill and Suzanne Lumpkin. 23 Pray with Jim and Lois Greshel in their role of working with indigenous military Christians as they plan conferences and other events around the world. 24 Ask for wisdom for Mike and Leslie Fligg, DisACCTS prayer reminder • June 2012
26 Please pray for the Ukrainian and U.S. ACCTS volunteers who are preparing for the 7-14 July English camp. Pray that this year’s programs will draw many Ukrainian military personnel and their family members into a deeper knowledge of Christ.
28 After Japan, ACCTS’ Academy Exploration Asia trip (see day 27) continues to China from 7-20 July for a variety of ministry opportunities. Pray that the participants will be a blessing to the Chinese people they meet along the way. 29 ACCTS is hosting an American English Language Training program in China from 22 July – 9 August and a Leadership Training program on 11 July. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s guidance on these programs. 30 Uphold Harry Argo, Emanuela Haien, and others as they prepare to lead the group of international cadets who will participate in this July’s Interaction –Rocky Mountain High program in Colorado.