By Will Beaver

I am Chaplain (MAJ) William Beaver, M.A., MSW, the Family Life Chaplain for Fort Eisenhower, Ga. I’ve been endorsed by the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship since I entered the active-duty Army Chaplaincy in 2011. I have served in many settings in the Army, to include Eisenhower Army Medical Center, and the 1^st Squadron 7^th Cavalry Regiment. I earned my MSW at the former Carver School of Church Social Work in 1994, and recently graduated from Webster University with a master’s in counseling. I am currently working towards full licensure as an LMFT so that in my post-Army Chaplain career I can continue to serve on Fort Eisenhower as a civilian counselor.

I served in local churches and social work agencies for over 20 years in the civilian world prior to the Army, yet I have discovered that the diversity and pluralism I have encountered in the military is the most exciting and challenging environment I have ever ministered in. I want to continue in this environment until I cannot work any longer. I have never felt freer to live out my calling by God than in this military environment – endorsed by the CBF which believes in “soul freedom” and “priesthood of the believer.”  

God has recently opened a door of opportunity for me that I see as a true gift. I was directed this month by the senior command Chaplain on post to assume oversight of every religious organization, chapel service and group across Fort Eisenhower.  When I was a much younger minister, I understood my that calling was to convince others that Jesus is the only way to salvation. 

While I still believe that Jesus is the way to salvation, and I still preach Jesus from Protestant pulpits to those who voluntarily attend, I have learned from my walk with the Lord that providing people with self-determination and “soul freedom” is the most effective way for me to get out of the way and allow the Holy Spirit to do its work. Jesus never forced faith on people and never bribed them gimmicks. Jesus spoke truth and allowed people to make up their own minds. Those who followed experienced changed lives. Self-determination and “soul freedom” were priorities for Jesus, the way I read the Gospels.  

Far too often in the past I, like others who mean well, saw pastoral care and counseling as an avenue to lead the person seeking help to conversion. Pastoral care relationships with strings attached. What if the person already has a faith yet it doesn’t look like mine? Can I minister to that person? In the military context, how does that fit with my calling to follow the Great Commission? 

For me it means to nurture relationships and offer every person the highest level of respect and self-determination that I desire. To offer or simply recognize the empowerment that Creator God already gifted them with. In doing so, people come to respect me, and we develop a trusting relationship. I never use that to my advantage by discounting their faith journey or acting on some hidden agenda. 

I also know that faith is a journey. What people believe today may not be what they will believe in the future. But I am surer than ever that if a person is on a faith journey in search of eternal truth, the Lord will show up to them without my assistance.  I am called to love, respect and protect each person’s freedom. That is my lane and that is what pastoral care means to me.

My primary responsibilities as Family Life Chaplain include providing confidential pastoral care and counseling to individuals, couples, families, Department of Defense (DoD) civilians and military Retirees. I also continue to provide group therapy with the patients of the Ft. Eisenhower’s medical center Traumatic Brain Injury Functional Recovery Program, using the “Story Flags” narrative and art therapy project I developed seven years ago.  

But as we enter 2024, my added duties include ensuring every religious group, from Protestant Christians, Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Open Circle Norse Pagans, Muslims, Latter Day Saints and all others recognized by our DoD. I make sure they have total freedom to gather, worship and be resourced with infrastructure, personnel and money as they see fit – within the existing operational mission regulations, of course. 

I am convinced that providing pastoral care to all religious groups and working to protect their freedom of religious expression will result in people feeling revered. I believe that when they feel truly cared for by a Christian Chaplain – instead of being judged, discounted or preached at, it will develop a trusting relationship and they may open their hearts to the move of the Holy Spirit. 

The results are not mine to worry about. The actions of pastoral care and counseling are. It is a sacred calling, and I am grateful the CBF gives me freedom to act as the Lord leads me. 

Will Beaver is a CBF endorsed chaplain who served with the Army since 2011. He is currently pursuing his LMFT.

Additional Reading: 

Spiritual Care Week 2023: Chaplaincy & Mental Health (Renee Owen)
Spiritual Care Week 2023: Welcome to Spiritual Healing (Angel Lee)
Spiritual Care Week 2023: Learn to grieve well (Cari Willis)  Spiritual Care Week 2023: Towards Healing and Wholeness (Megan Pike) Spiritual Care Week 2023: Workplace chaplaincy (Thomas Kelly Russell)

Learn more about Spiritual Care Week here: https://www.spiritualcareweek.org/