Anglican parishes and pastoral support for military members and their families

Table of Contents

• Download this document in PDF
  • printer spreads for booklet
  • single pages (english)
  • singe plages (français)
• Message from the Anglican Bishop Ordinary
• Introduction
  • Regular Force members and Reservists
  • When is it appropriate for a parish to offer spiritual and pastoral support to deployed members and families at home?
  • Chaplains in the military
• At the pre-deployment stage
• Significant issues and stresses
• How the parish can help
• During the deployment of a military member
• Significant issues and stresses for the family
• Significant issues and stresses for the deployed member
• How the parish can help
• Post-deployment: the military member returns
• Significant stresses and issues for the member and family
• How the parish can help
• Sample Prayers

Acknowledgements

Many thanks to the Faith, Worship and Ministry Department (FWM) of the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Canada for instigating and encouraging this resource. The Military Ordinariate is also grateful to LCol The Rev. Canon Dr Gary Thorne, MMM, CD for authoring this work and seeing it to completion. Dr. Thorne is the Chaplain at the University of King's College, Halifax and a member of the Primate's Theological Commission, the Faith Worship and Ministry Committee, and the Chapter of the Anglican Ordinariate.

+Peter
The Feast of Saint Martin of Tours, 2008

Message from the Anglican Bishop Ordinary

As Anglican Bishop Ordinary to the Canadian Forces, I have had many wonderful occasions to visit our Air, Navy and Army personnel on Wings, Formations and Bases throughout Canada. I have also been blessed with the opportunities to visit our deployed military personnel in such far away places as the Golan Heights and Afghanistan. On each of these occasions I have been moved with pride by the professionalism and dedication of our Canadian Forces personnel, and humbled by the ministry of our chaplains who seek to support them and their families. I know first-hand that the Church's care for our military personnel is very much needed, and that such care is genuinely received with gratitude both by our service men and women and by the members of their families.

This resource provides valuable insights and practical guidelines to assist Anglican parishes in extending appropriate care to deployed military personnel and their families.  'See how they love one another' is the observation of the Roman world about the Christians in the third century (as noted by Tertullian, Apology 39.6). It is that same character of love and care for one another that we seek to embody in parishes today. This resource will help parishes become an extended caring family to Canadian Forces personnel and their families.

Please know that the members of the Chapter of the Anglican Ordinariate, and the seventy-five priests of our Clericus, are committed to assist parishes in providing spiritual and pastoral care to deployed military personnel and their loved ones at home. We want to help you to support them. If you have suggestions about how this resource can be improved, or if you have any questions, or desire to know more, please contact us. And may God richly bless your parish in this ministry.

The Rt Rev’d Peter Coffin Anglican Bishop Ordinary 101 Colonel By Dr Ottawa ON K1A 0K2

Col, The Venerable Karl McLean Anglican Archdeacon to the CF 101 Colonel By Dr Ottawa ON K1A 0K2