The first Army Female Chaplain Recruitment and Retention Conference was held on Feb 23-27 in San Antonio, TX. The purpose was to affirm, to celebrate, to network and to encourage women in uniform and in ministry. It was a call for additional qualified female chaplains to care for the spiritual needs of the Soldier. Presently, female chaplains are severely under-represented in the Army, comprising about 4 percent of the Chaplaincy, whereas approximately 17 percent of the Army is female.

Rachel Coggins, one of the attendees, is an active PWOC member and an Army Reserve Chaplain. Married to an active duty chaplain, she combines dedication to family with dedication to a God called ministry to Soldiers. She says, “There is a huge need for chaplains in the Army Reserve. As a reserve chaplain it is possible to answer God’s call to a professional ministry career while moving with an active duty spouse.”

"I have read the Women’s Ministry Manual and I wholeheartedly endorse it.  It fits perfectly into your overall strategic plan of simplifying PWOC guidelines and focusing on a unified ministry to military women around the world.  I especially appreciate your commitment to investing in future leadership.  God only knows how many women will be turned from personal tragedy and led into the Kingdom of God through the prayers and Christian witness of women who “Glorify, Simplify and Testify.”  May God bless and continue to anoint the Protestant Women of the Chapel."   
 
CECIL R. RICHARDSON
Chaplain, Major General, USAF
Chief of Chaplains

Unity: Partnering PWOC & Chaplain Ministries
By CH (COL) James Puchy, PWOCI Advisor, and Brenda Marlin, PWOCI President

A young chaplain blurted out during a ministry team meeting, “PWOC is a private organization not part of the chapel.” Absolutely WRONG, yet many chaplains don’t understand the TRUTH that PWOC is an integral part of the Protestant Community on every post, camp, station, base and installation. PWOC is the official Protestant women’s ministry of the Armed Services and is fully supported and sanctioned by the Army, Air Force and Navy Chiefs of Chaplains.

It is crystal clear from PWOC’s motto, “We Are Workers Together for Christ,” that PWOC is committed to be a key partner in the chapel ministry. The women of PWOC serve in unity with military chaplains to further the kingdom of God and glorify King Jesus in their local military community. Our motto speaks to unity and our joining Christ in whatever He calls us to do. We work together with our chaplains to shine with the light of Christ’s love into the military and beyond.

The women of PWOC have a dual membership and a dual commitment. One is to their chapel family and their pastor chaplain. The other is to their sisters in PWOC. The best thing about these dual memberships and commitments is that they support and reinforce each another. The goal of each is to follow fast after Jesus, to become transformed into His image, and to glorify God in thought, word and deed. This is true unity in Christ and synergy in Christ’s ministry!

The challenge is to communicate this wonderful spirit of unity and blessed partnership to chaplains who may not yet be aware. Here are some ways to do this:

1. Pray for chaplains and their families, then let them know by sending a post card or email.
2. Host a breakfast for chaplains and tell them about PWOC’s aims, programs, and plans.
3. Hold a PWOC Sunday in each chapel service.
4. Invite chaplains to a PWOC worship and/or special program.
5. Make an appointment with each chaplain to pray for him/her in person.
6. Host a new chaplains’ orientation and provide them with information resources about all chapel programs and community activities that will support their unit ministry.
7. Offer to help chaplains with the Strong Bonds program.
8. Offer to help chaplains with unit prayer breakfasts or other programs.
9. Ask chaplains to be the special speaker or to offer prayer at PWOC events.
10. Offer to help chaplains in the chapel worship service.
11. Provide chaplains with an annual PWOC stewardship report that highlights the stories of changed lives through Jesus’ ministry in PWOC.

We encourage you in your chapel setting, to continue to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance for your place in your chapel and your ministry with chaplains. It is often said that not only does PWOC stand for Protestant Women of the Chapel, it unofficially stands for Praying Women of the chapel as well. Remember to intercede for our chaplains, chapels, military families and our military service members. It is one way that we can unite and stand together for this great ministry that God has so richly blessed us with.

We pray that we will, “Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:3-6)