Ministry 'sweet spot' leads chaplain to civilian service

By Ms Kari Hawkins ( Redstone)May 2, 2012

Luckie Minister
Chaplain (Lt. Col.) Marvin Luckie wears his Army stole as he holds the stole that once belonged to his grandfather, who was also a minister. Luckie will be leaving his ministry as an Army chaplain this Sunday and will begin his ministry as a civilian... (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

When Redstone Arsenal chaplain Lt. Col. Marvin Luckie takes off his Army stole on Sunday in a symbolic ritual of retirement, he won't be leaving the ministry.

Rather, he will be replacing it with the stole of a United Methodist minister ready to serve a congregation outside of the Arsenal's gates.

After 26 years as an Army chaplain, Luckie will leave military service and take on new opportunities and challenges as the executive pastor at Trinity United Methodist Church, the largest Methodist church in Southeast Huntsville. He will preach for the last time as an Army chaplain in the pulpit at the 11 a.m. Protestant service Sunday at Bicentennial Chapel.

His new ministry is not quite what Luckie had envisioned, at least not at first.

"I am a qualified hospital chaplain and I thought that's where God would lead me," he said.

"But being called into the ministry means being a follower and you need to follow where God opens the door. By God's grace, the Lord has changed my perspective. Ministry is fulfilling no matter what you do in your ministry, who you serve with or where you serve, and I thought I had some gifts and graces that I could implement at Trinity. I am excited about this new chapter of ministry where God is leading me."

The changing of the stole will take place just before Luckie's last sermon as an Army chaplain. His message will be based on the "I am the vine and you are the branches" message of John 15:1-8.

Three ministers will officiate at the stole ceremony -- retired Chaplain (Col.) Tom Carter, who is Luckie's endorsing agent within the United Methodist church and who will remove his Army stole; Rev. Dale Cohen, district superintendent for the Northeast District of the North Alabama Conference, who will place Luckie's original ordination stole on his shoulders; and Dr. Rick Owen, the new senior pastor at Trinity UMC, who will welcome Luckie into his new role as a civilian pastor and lead a prayer for Luckie and his wife, Karen.

"It is really going to be a wonderful service and very symbolic," Luckie said.

Luckie's new role will bring together for him all the aspects of being a minister.

"Ministry is a calling and a lot of times we divide that calling into what, who and where," he said. "Some leaders focus on what they do in ministry. Others focus on who they serve alongside. And others focus on where they are serving, such as a specific church or community. There is a danger with being affiliated with just one of these.

"As leaders, if we love what we do, who we serve with and where we are serving, then we are loving the Lord and loving where He leads us. Ministry is the most fulfilling when you are passionate about the what, who and where."

Not only will his new ministry provide opportunities to do God's work, it will also keep him and his wife, Karen, in Huntsville. Karen is the director of the Mills Road Child Development Center. They have two sons -- Army airborne ranger Capt. John Luckie, who is stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C., with his wife, an Air Force Reservist and personnel director for the Joint and Special Operations Command, and their two daughters; and Michael, who is a business management major at the University of Alabama-Huntsville and who will be married this August.

As the Garrison's chaplain the past three years, Luckie said he has been honored to serve with the staff and congregation of Bicentennial Chapel, and to serve as the chaplain at Arsenal ceremonies and events. Not all his Army assignments have been as comforting.

Luckie's career as an Army chaplain began in 1986 with the Alabama National Guard. Raised in Greenville, Ala., he is the grandson of a preacher and the great-grandson of a Soldier in the 44th Alabama Infantry during the Civil War. He served the United Methodist Church for seven years before becoming an active duty chaplain in 1988. Besides an Army career as a chaplain, Luckie also trained as a parachutist and air assault Soldier. He is one of only a few chaplain jump masters in the Army.

He has served as a chaplain in Desert Storm/Desert Shield in 1990-91, in Bosnia in 1995-96, and twice in Operation Enduring Freedom-Afghanistan, first in 2002 with the 82nd Airborne Division and then in 2005-06 with the 12th Aviation Brigade, and at the Fourth Psychological Operations Group at Fort Bragg; Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C., and Darnell Army Medical Center at Fort Hood, Texas. At Darnell, Luckie was the chief of the Department of Ministry and Pastoral Care, leading efforts to serve the spiritual needs of 1,200 wounded warriors in the wounded warrior battalion.

"I have seen Soldiers sacrifice for their country, their unit and their fellow Soldiers," Luckie said.

"I've had the honor and privilege as a chaplain to serve alongside Soldiers and to help them work through the tragedy that war brings and to turn it into triumph. It has been an opportunity to contribute my gifts, graces and talents. Working with Soldiers has given me a heart of gratitude, graciousness and thankfulness for the opportunity to worship and live in a land that gives us the freedom to pursue our personal faith."

Yet, memories from his days at war still haunt Luckie.

"As a chaplain, I provided the calm assurance in the midst of emotionally charged and clinical environments," he said. "Soldiers looked to me when it was time to honor the dead and comfort the living. It was not easy to go out to a helicopter crash site, and search for the dying and injured. I spent my days helping evacuate the wounded and honoring the dying. I cared for Soldiers in difficult times."

But in the midst of tragedy, Luckie has also gotten to witness "how the Lord has worked in the hearts and lives of Soldiers and their families."

He has been blessed by his work with the Arsenal's Gold Star wives and moms, who he has watched "take devastating trauma and tragedy, and slowly turn it into triumph as they return to school for a degree, bond with each other and encourage one another."

He has enjoyed working with leaders at Redstone and in the Huntsville/Madison County area, particularly during the challenging days after last year's April 27 tornado outbreak, and working with the Bicentennial Chapel's youth and men's ministries, and Protestant Women of the Chapel.

At Trinity, Luckie will use his training and experience as an Army staff officer to implement the vision and goals of the senior pastor, first with the staff and then with the congregation.

"The priorities will be for worship, smaller group discipleship and missions," he said. "The emphasis will be on quality worship where all can experience God's love and learn how to love each other and develop into disciples for Christ. We will encourage involvement in small groups, such as Sunday school classes, and focus on quality spiritual development and growth so that we can reach out to others in Huntsville and throughout the world in ministry."

Luckie will begin his ministry at Trinity on June 11, and will preach the first time as a civilian pastor at the church's contemporary service June 17. He will work with a staff of about 30 to implement spiritual programs for the church's members.

"I want to love the Lord and love the people," Luckie said.

"I've been in the ministry for a long time, and I've followed the call for the what, who and where. But I'm more than that. My calling goes deeper into who I am than the uniform I wear. Loving what you do, whom you serve with and where you serve is such an amazing ministry sweet spot. It's where I hope to stay."