JEFFERSON CITY – The Missouri National Guard is reaching out to troops through the Missouri Baptist Convention (MBC) in an effort to provide yet another layer of support to the state’s citizen-soldiers and airmen.
Maj. Gen. Stephen L. Danner, adjutant general of the Missouri National Guard, signed a voluntary memorandum of understanding April 28 to implement the Partners in Care initiative. Also signing was MBC Interim Executive Director Jay Hughes, who was assisted on background by Kerry Messer, MBC lobbyist.
“We want to have a reciprocal relationship with these folks,” said Jim Wells, MBC Executive Board member, director of missions for the Tri-County Baptist Association, Nixa, and registration secretary for the Southern Baptist Convention. “The fact of them working with us in partnership with chaplaincy is worth thousands of dollars in equipment when we have a disaster in the state.”
Partners in Care help coordinate support for Guardsmen and their families by teaming up with local faith communities like the MBC. The state chaplain’s office is working to identify resources churches currently offer and refer troops to those services. All faiths are welcome to participate with their congregations.
“My intent is to provide our Guardsmen and their family members with a variety of support systems in their local communities,” said Danner. “The care team is in place to recognize and assess their needs. We can then direct them to resources within our organization, as well as within their local areas.”
Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon supports this new partnership and sees the positive impact it will have on troops and their families.
“Missouri’s communities of faith have been anchors in times of need,” Nixon said. “We have seen them put their faith into action many times before to help their fellow Missourians with physical needs. Partners in Care takes this to a new level, helping to meet the spiritual needs of those brave men and women who protect us at home and overseas, as well as ministering to the needs of their families. This initiative will carry great reward and benefit for everyone involved.”
Col. Gary Gilmore, Joint Force chaplain with the Missouri National Guard and a former trustee with Southwest Baptist University, recognizes that an untapped area of strength and support is local churches.
“If I have a relationship, chaplain to pastor, and I’m aware of what a church offers in that community, I’m also likely aware of what’s going on in a soldier’s life in that community,” said Gilmore. “If I can make them aware of each other and then they voluntarily choose to unite a need and a resource, that’s a win-win for everybody.”
In return, Gilmore plans to work with local pastors in a collegial relationship and provide free specialized training enabling them to better work with the military and gain a deeper knowledge of what military men and women endure.
“Our churches have our National Guard retirees out in their congregation and out in their community,” said Gilmore. “They have World War II, Korea and Vietnam vets in their congregations right now, but no one teaches pastors how to understand and equip them to better minister to folks with military service.”
While providing this free training to Missouri pastors, Gilmore simply asks in return that churches extend programs they may already have in place to the soldiers and families in their community, such as Mother’s Day Out, marriage counseling or financial counseling programs. Gilmore views Partners in Care as a triangle having a connection with a pastor and a connection with the soldier and his family.
“If a church would share its strength, and we share our strength in training
with the church, what’s not to love?”
A citizen-soldier lives in two worlds, according to Gilmore. Typically he or she has a military career, plus another career and a family.
“What we need when we’re down is someone who’s up,” said Gilmore.“We need a battle buddy to share their strength to offset where we’re not as strong, so that as a team we’re all strong. If we love unconditionally, the world will always respond to that.”
According to Gilmore, with only 25 chaplains and 14 candidates, he’s outnumbered trying to serve about 11,000 Guardsmen. Having a network of clergy across the state can help better support and care for these troops.
The MBC is the first organization to step up and lead the charge with the National Guard. Vince Blubaugh,
director of communications and development for the MBC, said the choice to sign on to Partners in Care was an easy one.
“It’s the least that we can do to let them know that there’s a group of people here that care about you, that are thankful for what you’re doing for us, and we’re here to do anything you need us to do to help you,” said Blubaugh.
Not only is Blubaugh a former pastor and church planter, but he is a veteran of the U.S. Air Force and served in Desert Storm.
“For me, I know what it’s like to be deployed,” said Blubaugh. “I know what it’s like to be away from your family. “We are doing this with no strings attached. We are doing this regardless of whether or not a soldier decides to come to one of our churches. We’re doing this because it’s the right thing to do.”
Blubaugh added it’s all about the love for others.
“The Lord commands us to share His love,” said Blubaugh. “Our command is to go into the world, to love people, to serve other people. I guess that’s what we’re getting out of this, the opportunity to fulfill something that we feel the Lord has given us to do.”
Whether it is in a time of deployment or not, Blubaugh wants to be a resource, or a bridge, for troops and families struggling in any way, regardless of their religious affiliation.
“Those guys give and it’s an honor to be a part of an agency that can give back to them,” said Blubaugh.
To learn more about Partners in Care, contact the state chaplain’s office by phone at (573) 638-9613 or by means of email at gary.gilmore@us.army.mil.
JENNIFER ARCHDEKIN / Mo. National Guard