c. 2003 Religion News Service

(UNDATED) Since he got called up from the National Guard and sent to Iraq, Army Chaplain (Maj.) Jeff Jencks has anointed a soldier in an operating room, provided a listening ear for other military members far from home and befriended Iraqi children.

But he has children back home in Rhode Island who miss him _ the Sunday school class at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Cumberland, who sent their pastor a long banner with tracings of their hands on it.

“It’s intended for him to wrap around like he’s getting hugs from all the kids,” explained Paul Bousquet, senior warden of the church and the lay leader who’s helping run the congregation in Jencks’ absence.

Multitudes of military members serving in reserve units have been deployed for Operation Iraqi Freedom, leaving jobs and families behind. But some of them also have left the leadership of their congregations _ temporarily or permanently _ to answer the call to military service.

While some have undetermined dates to return to familiar pulpits across the United States, others recently called up to serve in support of the Iraqi war will not go back to their congregations.

Chaplain (Maj.) Robert Cannon, recently rector of Epiphany Cathedral in the Catholic Diocese of Venice, Fla., took the place of the Catholic priest at Bolling Air Force Base outside Washington who was deployed to the Middle East. His bishop decided that he should not attempt a temporary absence, given the large responsibilities _ 3,000-plus families as well as a school.

“Where some military members would miss the birth of a firstborn child and other kinds of sacrifices, my particular sacrifice is having to let go of the parish,” said Cannon. “I do that willingly. It’s my time to serve.”

Despite his willingness, parishioners had to make some adjustments.

“I think everybody was kind of in shock because not only was he gone, but he was gone,” said John Bauer, the director of finance for the diocese and a worshipper at the cathedral. “It wasn’t like he was going to be away for a few months.”

Bauer, who also worked with Cannon in the diocese’s administrative offices, said he and his wife traveled to Bolling to mark the 25th anniversary of Cannon’s ordination in early May.

For Cannon, the shift has been from parish council meetings, daily Masses and youth activities to counseling military members who have marital problems, are about to deployed or have lost a friend in Iraq.

But, like other chaplains, he said many of his duties have remained the same: “People hurt in the same ways and people’s spiritual hungers are very similar and so whether it’s their hurts or their hungers, that’s why we’re here.”

Cannon is one of about 80 “individual mobilization augmentees,” or Air Force reservists who were called on to help support Operation Iraqi Freedom. Another 160 active-duty Air Force chaplains were deployed for that operation.

He is among hundreds of reserve chaplains who either have worked directly in “the theater” of war in the Iraqi region or have supported U.S. operations when other chaplains have been deployed there.

Fifty-two of the Navy’s 315 reserve chaplains were called up for Operation Iraqi Freedom. At the height of the operation, there were about 550 reserve and active Navy chaplains involved in the region. Of the 400 or so Army chaplains involved in the Iraqi war, about 60 percent were active duty and 40 percent were from reserve components of the Army Reserve and the Army National Guard.

“The last 10 years have seen a very large increase in the utilization … of the reserve components in all kinds of military operations from war fighting to humanitarian relief operations,” said Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Eric Wester, spokesman for the Army Office of the Chief of Chaplains. “So clergy have been called on much more frequently in the last 10 years than they have, really, since World War II.”

Each congregation manages in its own way with new arrangements during the absence of a military-affiliated spiritual leader.

Vicar Jim Eggert, who is a pastor in training in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, has taken on more responsibility at a Zanesville, Ohio, church since its pastor, Chaplain (Capt.) Keith Lingsch, was called up from the Air National Guard for Operation Iraqi Freedom in April.

Eggert was already involved with worship, Bible classes and hospital visits before Lingsch’s departure, but he says his workload has increased, along with those of others at Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church.

“Certainly our congregation members have stepped up what they’ve done as well,” he said. “More of them are visiting shut-ins, for example. We’ve had lay people take over leadership of the teen Bible class and … one of the adult Bible classes.”

A former pastor has officiated at the four weddings that Lingsch has missed and Eggert or the former pastor officiates at funerals.

Eggert e-mails the pastor minutes of elders’ meetings and is grateful for Lingsch’s ability to respond quickly to questions via the Internet, such as his recollection of potential new members that he may have spoken with before he departed.

“Good thing he has a good memory,” said Eggert.

Lingsch appreciates the ability to still communicate with his congregation, even through the pastor’s letter in the monthly newsletter.

“E-mail, what a blessing!” he said in response to questions sent to him by Religion News Service.

Like other chaplains he sees the similarities and the differences in ministry at home and in the desert.

“In Zanesville I cared for people in life and prepared people for death,” he wrote. “I do the same here, but maybe the reality of death is a little more in the front of our minds in this place.”

Every Sunday, the 520 or so who attend Trinity pause to pray for Lingsch and about half that number have signed up to pray for him on a particular day each week.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

Some chaplains have not ventured far from their congregations for their military service, but have to pick and choose when they can return. Chaplain (Lt. Col.) James Cotter was called up in January from the Army National Guard to work at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Ind., where soldiers have been mobilized for Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Just four hours from his Praise Lutheran Church in Fort Wayne, he returned to preach on Easter Sunday. But other times he has resisted the urge to make the drive.

“There have been some funerals that I really wanted to return for, but knew if I started, on what grounds could I refuse one?” he said in an e-mail responding to questions from RNS. “Besides, my duties here do not generally allow the time.”

(END OPTIONAL TRIM)

At St. John’s in Cumberland, R.I., which has an interim rector, lay leader Bousquet gives a “Father Jeff” report, reading e-mails he’s received from Jencks in the preceding week. Via Bousquet, Jencks has told congregants about scorpions in the sand and the “Easter miracle” of a soldier who was resuscitated twice in the operating room.

“There’s been an impact emotionally and so forth but these people, they’re not letting it stand in the way of worshipping their God,” Bousquet said.

After sending Jencks off with four days’ notice _ passing out tissues among themselves and giving him a little crucifix for his tent _ the congregation is planning a special welcome upon his return.

“We don’t know the date, of course,” Bousquet said. “The logistics are being assembled already. It’s going to be an incredible event.”

DEA END BANKS