Chaplains Ministries

Revival In The Woods

By Chaplain, Lieutenant Colonel
and Mrs. Jerry Henderson, US Army

In the spring of 1997 while serving as Brigade Chaplain with the 1st Armored Division Artillery in Baumholder, Germany, I received orders for our new assignment, Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Friends who had served there joked about our living and working at "Fort Lost in the Woods." They told us what to expect. The installation is home to the Army Engineer Center and is a major training post for both officer and enlisted personnel. The nearest metropolitan city with an airport or shopping centers is either Springfield or St. Louis. Fishing and hunting are the most common forms of entertainment and Mark Twain National Forest surrounds the post. The little town outside post, St. Robert, is not on most maps.

The reports made it sound like we were heading for a hillbilly post in the middle of the Ozark Mountains and we needed overalls and a pickup truck to fit in. Yet the more we heard, the more excited we became because we knew the Lord wanted us there and He never makes a mistake. We felt ready for the challenge and life in our new hometown.

Upon our arrival at the Springfield Airport, we went shopping for our very first pickup truck and then headed northward in it to St. Robert. God led us to just the right house to buy and it is only four miles from post. We found the local townspeople delightful, cordial and welcoming.

Fort Leonard Wood proved to be thriving and beautiful but different as well because the Spirit of the Lord was quite evident in the lives of people we met. The 3rd Training Brigade Commander, Colonel James Coggin, and his wife, Donna, are born-again Christians and are happy to have a "Pentecostal Holiness" Chaplain on board. They spoke of the sweet winds of revival blowing across post and the revival fires that were burning strong. We saw the light of Jesus' love in their faces as well as many, many other friends we've made since our arrival.

I also see the light of His presence in and around the active duty, Reserve and National Guard chaplains who work in the 3rd Training Brigade and serve the 26,000 trainees who rotate through here each year. These chaplains are excited about their work and about preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They preach with anointed fervor and the trainees are responding by the hundreds each Sunday.

Young soldiers relate their life stories...abuse, dysfunctional families, broken homes, hunger, street life, being a child of drug-dealing and drug-addicted parents. They want what Jesus Christ offers: security, peace, joy, and genuine love. Soldiers who come from a Christian background but strayed during their youth are finding their way "home" again around these altars.\

When they hear the message of salvation, soldiers are literally running to the front of the chapel and kneel in rows around the altar. When this area is full, they kneel down the aisles, beside pews and even in the pulpit area. They are making serious commitments to God. The Bibles given to them are treasured, read, reread and studied. The new converts are requesting water baptism. In the family-oriented chapels, God is saving and healing broken lives.

Four of the ten colonel-level commanders or directors on the installation are actively involved in a Bible study. The Marine Corps Detachment Commander is active in the chapel program and in the Bible studies. Almighty God has brought together a powerful team of chaplains. Christians are praying for revival. Ministers and laypersons are leading many to the Lord.

Bible studies are ongoing in barracks, dayrooms, during lunch at the workplace, in military and civilian neighborhoods and homes. Prayer is a priority and the line of communication with God remains open and is used often. Praise teams lead worship in music and song. Hands are lifted in praise for God's love and for what He is doing here. Sunday School is growing. Young people are actively participating in worship and in the youth group. We strive for Christian unity for the work of service and to the building up of the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:12). People are being delivered of sin and sickness. There is a vision for growth in God's Kingdom and He is clearly at work. We are proud to be part of His family and of this work as we serve God and country at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

©IPHC Ministries, 1999