C H A P L A I N P R O F I L E
An unconventional path to Army chaplaincy
For Chaplain Major Sharon Browne , D . Min ., the road to active-duty chaplaincy was , as she calls it , “ a bit circuitous .”
At 19 , Browne joined the Army and , as an enlisted Soldier , became a Christian . The example of a female drill sergeant was pivotal . “ I watched her for about eight months , and she was an authentic Christian ,” Browne recalls . “ She didn ' t swear , but she was very firm with her Soldiers .
“ I want to believe that it ' s because of her witness that I decided to become a Christian .”
“ Where do you belong ?”
Browne ’ s spiritual formation happened while stationed in Germany . As a divorcee , she says her Christian story wasn ’ t perfect ; however , it made her relatable to fellow Soldiers . Although Browne wasn ’ t aware of the chaplain corps at the time — let alone in pursuit of it — people often sought her out for chaplain-type conversations . “ All that time , God was grooming me ,” she says . When Browne left active duty , she returned to New York , enlisted in the Army Reserves , and set about putting her life back together after the divorce . Unpaid , she taught youth classes and Sunday school in a Pentecostal church . She led revivals and supported funerals and weddings . “ I did it because I loved the Lord ,” she recalls . “ God challenged me .” When Browne began her undergraduate degree at New York ’ s College of New Rochelle , professors encouraged her to consider seminary . She resisted ; she had a well-paying job and “ was surviving .”
But , September 11 , 2001 was a turning point in Browne ’ s faith journey : on that day , she found herself standing at Ground Zero .
“ I watched people jump out of the buildings because their options were to either burn or die that way ,” she recalls . Among the chaos , she thought : How many of those people are dying without doing what God told them to do ? “ I didn ’ t want that to be my story ,” she recalls .
Soon after , Browne enrolled in seminary . It wasn ’ t long before the dean of the seminary asked a crucial question : Where do you belong ?
“ I realized that the only people I knew how to talk to were Army people ,” she says . So , on her 41st birthday , Browne reenlisted .
She was deployed right away . During that time , chaplains helped her plot her own path to the chaplaincy . Now , 10 years later , Browne is a Major and recently earned her D . Min .
She is one of 65 female chaplains on active duty — just 4.3 % of the chaplain corps . For many Soldiers Browne meets , she is the first female chaplain they ’ ve ever met .
“ My prayer is that there will be a woman somewhere , whether young or more mature , who will sense the call of God that says , This is a possibility for you .”
Answering the call
For Browne , the most rewarding aspect of Army chaplaincy is walking with Soldiers in varying stages of their lives — the highs and the lows .
She has married Soldiers in her unit and baptized and dedicated their children .
She has also officiated funerals and comforted Soldiers in battle . When a young man was killed on patrol and his body was brought back to camp , the young Soldier who had tried to revive his friend was in desperate need of comfort .
“ He was so angry ; he really just wanted to just explode ,” she says . “ He had blood on his face . I took a rag and started wiping it . I just talked to him . Maybe it ' s maternal instinct , but that calmed him down .”
Joyful or tragic , Browne says she is grateful for any opportunity to minister to Soldiers .
“ They help me to know that I ' ve been inculcated into the unit ,” she says . “ It ’ s extraordinarily rewarding when people allow you into their space .”
While the rewards are many , Browne also strives to be transparent about what ’ s required of an Army chaplain applicant . First and foremost , one ’ s spiritual discipline needs to be secure .
“ Actually , you ’ ve got to get your mind , body and spirit together ,” she clarifies . “ You need to be strong in whatever your theological formation is , and make sure your spiritual life is strong enough to handle the encounters you ’ ll face .”
Just as important , of course , is knowing what the Army chaplaincy is not . As an active-duty , full-time chaplain , Browne emphasizes that she ’ s “ not jumping out of airplanes every day .” Rather , some days are quiet ; others , mildly chaotic . “ It ’ s important to understand that this is definitely a flexible environment .”
Another misconception Browne hopes to dispel is that the Army dictates how its chaplains pray and preach . “ The Bible says , ‘ with loving kindness have I drawn thee ,’” she explains . “ So , I try to be as inclusive and supportive as I can . But , if you catch me in the pulpit on Sunday morning , you ' re going to get straight Jesus , no chaser .”
A great chaplaincy option for full-time church leaders
Naturally , active-duty , full-time chaplaincy isn ’ t right for everyone . For some — full-time church leaders , in particular — Browne suggests that Army Reserve chaplaincy can offer a better fit . From a practical standpoint , it makes good financial sense . Browne cites a recent Pew Research study showing the average age of clergy in the pulpit is 55 . Pastors aren ’ t retiring — not because they don ' t want to , but because they can ' t .
“ I believe that one of the things that we can do as wise stewards of the resources that God gives us — including our time and our young , strong bodies — is to create multiple streams of income ,” she says .
Additionally , Army Reserve chaplaincy builds experience .
“ If you ’ re viewing your worship space as ‘ church ,’ it becomes important for you to figure out how to stay relevant in whatever context you ’ re in ,” she advises .
Finally , Reserve chaplaincy offers an opportunity to expand the church body . “ Those 200 to 1,500 people you encounter during a drill weekend are potential members ,” Browne points out . “ If you want to take the church outside the walls , this is one way to do it .”
— Reporting by RaeAnn Slaybaugh
To learn more , visit GoArmy . com / Chaplain , call 1-888-550-ARMY ( 2769 ), or log on to GoArmy . com / locate-a-recruiter . html .
Chaplain Major Sharon Browne , D . Min . United States Army 5th Medical Recruiting Battalion Fort Sam Houston , Texas
10 CHURCH EXECUTIVE | JULY / AUGUST 2018