Mitch Lewis

Kathy Gilbert of the The United Methodist News Service accompanied Bishop Robert Hoshibata and his wife Greta on a recent visit to military chaplains in the Far East. Tom Carter of the United Methodist Endorsing Agency (UMEA) also participated. Those of us serving overseas get semi-regular visits from the Endorsing Agency and one of the church's bishops usually accompanies the endorser. This is a great way for the bishops to get a first hand look at chaplains do in an extension ministry, which I think is something of a mystery to most of them. The Hoshibatas were warm and gracious throughout their visit, and I certainly value these connections as a way of maintaining my relationship with the church.

Pictured this photo by Kathy Gilbert are Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Charles Jackson (l) and your humble author (r). We're both members of the North Georgia Conference and both stationed in Korea.

Gilbert took this photo during a visit to our Vacation Bible School, which just happened to be going on during the brief visit to Daegu. The VBS is a joint venture of the Protestant congregation (for which I serve as senior pastor), the Multicultural Gospel congregation and Roman Catholic congregation.

Gilbert's story follows. The original story is linked here.

Korea is fertile ground to reach young soldiers

By Kathy L. Gilbert*
Oct. 27, 2008 | DAEGU, Korea (UMNS)

While mainline U.S. churches struggle to reach 17- to 20-year-olds, two United Methodist clergy members from Georgia have more young adults seeking faith conversations than there are hours in the day.

U.S. Army Chaplains Charles Jackson and Mitchell Lewis preside in Korea over worship services that are generally standing room only.

Maj. [ed. note - lieutenant colonel] Lewis is the senior Army chaplain stationed in the southern half of South Korea, and is lead pastor for the Protestant congregation at Camp Walker in Daegu.

"I train, coach, and provide executive-level guidance to chaplains and assistants within this geographical area," Lewis said. "It's a little like being district superintendent on a small scale."

Jackson preaches at a worship service at the Yongsan Army Garrison chapel in Seoul.

Approximately 200 people attend the primary worship service each Sunday. The congregation also conducts a full Sunday school program and "has an outstanding choir supported by talented musicians," he said.

Lewis also coordinates youth programs for junior and senior high, a monthly men's fellowship and two weekly women's fellowships (including one for Korean-speaking spouses), a weekly adult Bible study, a retreat program and an outreach program to a local orphanage with special-needs children.

Jackson is the deputy command chaplain for the 8th Army Command at the Yongsan Army Garrison in Seoul. He provides religious support to the 23,500 soldiers serving in the headquarters for the U.S. military presence in Korea. He also preaches and leads worship for some 120 people who attend Sunday morning services at the garrison chapel.

"I’ve served at various levels, as a battalion chaplain, a brigade chaplain and then as a lieutenant colonel," Jackson said. "I can mentor and train and coach and teach a young person or a fellow chaplain that’s going through that process. And I think those are the kinds of skills that I bring to the local church.

"Once you become the equivalent to a lieutenant colonel, you’re pretty much an administrator and you’ve developed those skills to really be an effective leader in managing people, resources, time, a large staff and making sure that all the missions are being accomplished on time."

Jackson said he has a "wonderful and warm" congregation at Memorial Chapel.

"We have lay people there who have been there for a long time. So they provide the continuity for getting new chaplains oriented to that type of ministry and really are doing a great job of augmenting what we do," he said.

A young girl sings during Vacation Bible School at Camp Walker in Daegu, Korea.

Many of the soldiers coming to Korea are straight out of high school and need help to "cope with the stresses of being in the military and staying connected to their families and getting settled away from home and not forgetting the values they were raised with. … It’s high tempo, a busy place, a lot is going on all the time."

Jackson and Lewis are among five United Methodist chaplains serving in Korea, and both come from the church’s North Georgia Annual (regional) Conference. They say the challenges of tending to military personnel frequently extend beyond individual soldiers. Quite a few have brought their spouses and children with them.

"Being stationed in a foreign country creates challenges for everyone, regardless of their family situation," Lewis said.

*Gilbert is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.

Related stories from Armed With Faith (UMEA's Far East trip):
Military chaplains extend church’s global outreach
Chaplains: Ministry to warriors is exciting, humbling
Cross opens doors for military chaplains to minister
Chaplains provide 'listening ears,' 'tender hearts'