Chaplains at Fort Knox are using technology to reach their isolated congregations who are staying home during the COVID -19 pandemic. Chaplains say the response so far has been outstanding.
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Chaplains at Fort Knox have reached out to their isolated congregations using technology as a means to connect spiritually while the CDC-recommended guidelines to limit social gatherings to no more than 10 people remain in effect.
“Originally, my wife mentioned streaming our services weeks ago, but I’m old school and didn’t really want to do that,” said Chaplain (Col.) James Boulware, U.S. Army Garrison chaplain and senior pastor of the contemporary Protestant service at Prichard Chapel. “After the chapels shut down, others brought it up again, and I said, ‘Let’s try it’.”
Boulware said that while this has been an unorthodox approach for him, it is meeting a real need.
“The streaming service is a godsend,” Boulware said. “We’ve got to act now. We can’t wait for this to end to start ministering, and this has allowed us to do that.”
Although Boulware said he is thankful the solution is temporary, he wants to make it a fixture of his ministry after the crisis.
“This is a tool. It doesn’t fix the problem, and it doesn’t take the place of attending church because most of us are social beings who need relationships with others,” he said. “I will continue streaming even after this because it’s reaching people we’ve never reached before.
“I’ve found it’s one of the simplest tools you can use and is cost efficient, user friendly and has a high impact.”
Chaplain (Maj.) Anthony Woodard, brigade chaplain for 83rd U.S. Army Reserve Readiness Training Center, and pastor of the Gospel Service at Calvary Chapel has recently begun streaming sermons to his congregants, as well, and has explored other technological means to connect.
“I have been streaming the gospel service from [the Calvary Chapel Facebook, but I’ve also started to post our Wednesday Bible studies to the page too,” Woodard said. “With the Bible study, you really want to be more interactive. [Using] Zoom, we can see each other and are able to ask and respond to questions, which creates a similar atmosphere to our face-to-face Bible study.”
Zoom is a web/app-based video conferencing tool that allows visitors to interact online using video or audio.
Woodard said the results have been astounding.
“It has made an impact beyond my expectations,” he said. “Where normally we see between 45 and 50 people each Sunday, I’ve had over 650 views of last Sunday’s service, and our numbers are still climbing.”
The interactive technology also lets Woodard continue counseling.
“I’m also doing individual or marriage counseling using Zoom,” Woodard said. “I was meeting couples in my office or the Family Life Center, but now I’m meeting with them via Zoom, and in some ways, it’s more convenient.”
Like Boulware, Woodard said he longs to have his people back in the pew, but he sees a future in reaching people by any means available.
“This is not the same as fellowshipping face-to-face, but it does create a sense of community and people need that. In light of the circumstances, they’ll take what they can get in this moment,” he said. “I know for a fact that I will continue to do this going forward because of the response that I’ve been getting from people, and the volume of people that I’m able to reach.”
Boulware’s contemporary Protestant service may be viewed every Sunday at 9 a.m. by logging into Chapel Next Fort Knox Community on Facebook here.
Woodard’s Gospel Service may be viewed every Sunday at 11:30 a.m. by logging into the Gospel Service Fort Knox Community Facebook page here.
Woodard's Bible study can be attended here at 6 p.m. every Wednesday by computer after registering in Zoom or by downloading the Zoom app to your mobile device and entering the discussion using the meeting identification number 567-535-9369.
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