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Chapel offers food for the soul

  • Published
  • By Pascual Flores
  • Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  For members of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst Chapel congregation, it's not just about Sunday services.

In addition to religious services, the base chapel offers a multitude of program opportunities for its community members in mental, spiritual and emotional well-being.

"We offer singles retreats, marriage retreats, community outreach activities and Bible studies for children and adults," said Air Force Master Sgt. Andre Williamson, base chapel superintendent and native of West Orange, N.J.

The joint base chapels are staffed by five active-duty and Reserve chaplains and chaplain assistants tasked with promoting comprehensive and agile spiritual readiness to its service members and families.

"We have five chapels on the joint base including the McGuire Chapel, the North Chapel, the Dix Chapel," said Air Force Staff Sgt. John Byrd, chaplain assistant, readiness NCO and native of Roanoke, Va. "Closed are the Soldiers Chapel and the Cathedral of the Air."

According to Williamson, the chapels are a vital part of the community and often times underused, because seen as a strictly religious resource.

"We offer programs for Warrior Care to our Airmen; resiliency and spiritual training and religious and social support to all," said Williamson.  "As well as pre-marital counseling, weddings, funeral services and problem solving for spouses of deployed service members."

The chapel encourages couples contemplating marriage to attend pre-marital counseling sessions. The sessions provide couples with a new insight on the prospect of marriage between civilians and service members and is able to offer advice to over-come the challenges unique to military couples. Couples are counseled about the strains involved in having a partner deployed and the resources available. Whether from a family support group or another member going through the same situation, there is always someone they can lean on when times are difficult.

"Marriage is a long-term commitment and some couples are not aware of the financial hardships when their military spouse deploys," said Williamson. "We want to provide the right tools to help make the right decisions."

For service members and family members facing personal problems or feelings of insecurity, the chapel offers advice and a place for them to talk and express their feelings without fear of repercussion or judgment.

"We offer 100 percent privilege communication. In essence, what you say to that chaplain, stays with that chaplain," said Byrd. "In the chapel corps, we are one of the Airmen comprehensive pillars and that pillar is spirituality. We know that no one can complete the mission if they are not stable because of some problems."

The chapel also offers services for baptism, reintegration, grief, reconciliation and personal issues to Defense Department ID cardholders.

"Sometimes people do not understand what we do, or how we operate," said Byrd. "We have a systematic approach to how we get out to units, to make sure we interact with people."