Video Transcript::Military Roots to School Halls - A Legacy of Trust

🇺🇸 From Military Roots to School Halls: The Legacy of Chaplaincy

🎓 Welcome Back

Henry Reyenga:
Welcome back! I’m here again with Chaplain Tom Walcott, and we’re diving deeper into this exciting new world of public school chaplaincy.

Let’s jump in.

📜 Why Did Chaplains Enter the U.S. Military in the First Place?

Henry:
Chaplains have served in the U.S. military since 1775. That might seem odd, considering:

• Enlightenment thinking heavily influenced the founding of the U.S.
• Many Founders were deists and wary of state-sanctioned religion
• Church and state were separated under the new American structure

So why bring in chaplains?

⛪️ The Long History of Chaplaincy

Tom Walcott:
You only gave me five minutes—so no sermon today—but here’s a quick history:

• Chaplaincy goes back thousands of years
• Even Moses could be considered a prototype chaplain—sending people out in the Lord’s name
• The chaplain historically represented the presence of God with a group of people, especially in times of battle

“The word chaplain means keeper of the sacred things.”

Chaplains emerged because armies wanted God with them — for protection, for morale, and for grounding in sacred values.

🧑‍🏫 Educators, Moral Guides, and Comforters

Tom:
In the early U.S. military:

• Pastors were often the most educated people in the community
• Many universities began as seminaries
• Chaplains served on ships and bases to educate and mentor young soldiers

Especially in the Navy:

• Chaplains taught young midshipmen to read and write
• They also taught morality and spiritual support

“As Navy chaplains joked — once they established the Marine Corps, they realized they’d definitely need chaplains too.”

The military quickly recognized that moral support, trauma care, and grief counseling were essential roles chaplains uniquely filled.

🏫 Public Schools: A Moral and Emotional Void?

Henry:
Fast forward to today’s public schools:

• Teachers are overwhelmed
• Students face trauma, loss, anxiety
• No one is directly tasked with character building or moral guidance
• When tragedy strikes, external grief counselors are brought in — but students don’t know them

Tom:
Exactly. But if a chaplain is embedded in the school, that changes everything.

“Students will talk to someone they know, see, and trust — not a stranger flown in after a crisis.”

A public school chaplain can be that trusted, trained, and compassionate presence.

💂‍♂️ The Role of the Military Chaplain: A Model for Schools

Henry:
Military chaplains operate in:

• Diverse environments
• With people from all beliefs
• Without forcing religious views

They survive and thrive because they focus on:

✅ Presence over preaching
✅ Care over control
✅ Trauma care, grief support, and moral injury
✅ Emotional and spiritual guidance — without manipulation

🤝 Presence Over Preaching: The Power of Showing Up

🕊️ A Role More Essential Than Ever

Tom Walcott:
I'd say that not only does the role of chaplain still matter — it's actually more essential than ever.

There was a time when:

• You could assume basic biblical literacy
• Everyone knew where the phrase "Good Samaritan" came from
• Morality had clearer cultural foundations

Today, that’s no longer the case.

🛑 Forcing Beliefs Doesn’t Work — But Serving Does

Trying to force belief systems on people?

❌ It seldom works.
✅ But serving others almost always does.

“When we go in with a servant's heart… we make the difference.”

Even if you're a volunteer or only part-time:

• Greet students at the door with a smile
• Show up at their games
• Remember their names
• Prove with your presence that they are seen, valued, and cared for

🧍‍♂️ Ministry of Presence Is Earned, Not Demanded

Tom:
I told a new Coast Guard chaplain once,

“No one’s coming to you yet… because they don’t know you.”
“Just hang around. Be present.”

Show up to:

• The boring meetings
• The moments that seem unimportant
• The casual hallway conversations

Eventually, word spreads:

“That chaplain helped me… didn’t preach at me, just helped.”

⚔️ Presence Is Our Weapon (or… Maybe Not That Word 😅)

Henry:
Presence is our weapon in chaplaincy.

Tom (laughing):
Well… maybe don’t use that word in public schools.

But yes — in the military, chaplains are non-combatants:

• We don’t carry weapons
• Our “weapon” is care and spiritual presence
• We serve those who do carry the weapons

Likewise, in schools, hospitals, or prisons, your most powerful tool is:

The ministry of presence
Showing care without even needing to speak your beliefs

🌱 Relationship First — Then Maybe the Message

Many pastors think:

“It’s the message that changes someone’s life.”

But in chaplaincy, it’s often the relationship that opens the door.

That relationship:

• May not bear fruit immediately
• Might open the door for someone else
• Might lead to a conversation with a pastor, priest, or family member

🪴 Sowers, Not Just Reapers

Tom:
Like Paul wrote (paraphrased):

“One plants, another waters, and another reaps.” (See 1 Corinthians 3:6)

In chaplaincy, we’re often the ones who plant.

“We may be the first spiritually significant person a student has ever talked to.”

They may never have even met their own pastor. But they see us. Daily.

“They see us up close. They know we care. And that opens hearts.”

🔁 The Sacred Power of Consistency

Henry:
So really, this is about sacred trust and long-term faithfulness.

• Hallways become your mission field
• A hundred small interactions build a safe reputation
• Eventually, students go from "Who’s that guy?" to "That’s the chaplain."

Even the phrase “chaplain” may be unfamiliar at first.

But over time, they begin to see you as someone who cares deeply and shows up consistently.

📚 The Little Things Matter: Building Trust, One Moment at a Time

👀 Just Being Present Makes a Big Difference

Tom Walcott:
Let’s look at it two ways.

First, just being present in a child’s life makes a huge difference.
Most adults — parents, teachers — are busy. That’s not criticism, it’s just reality.

“If I, as a chaplain, walk into a classroom and ask, ‘Can I help?’ — no agenda, just to serve — that makes an impact.”

• Reading a story
• Helping a student who struggles
• Giving a teacher a break

That alone can reshape how both students and teachers view the chaplain.
And the relationship begins, without preaching — just presence.

🕰️ You Have to Take the Long View

Building trust will take:

• Time
• Consistency
• Patience

Parents will wonder, “Who is this chaplain?”
Pastors may ask, “Should my kids talk to them?”
The community will watch and evaluate you — especially in politically sensitive contexts.

But when trust is earned...doors open.

🧱 “Trust Earned Through Silence”

Tom’s Story:

“I was at Ground Zero after 9/11, standing silently next to a firefighter during his break. For 10 minutes, we didn’t speak — we just stared at the devastation. As he returned to duty, he asked, ‘Will you be here tomorrow?’”

No words. No advice. Just presence.

“I didn’t have wisdom. I had care.
That moment taught me: trust can be earned through silence.”

💡 Key Takeaways for Chaplains

Henry:
From this conversation, here are a few powerful truths:

1. The little things matter
• A high five
• A name remembered
• A book read out loud
2. It won’t look how you expect
• Maybe you’ll be helping a dyslexic student read — not leading a Bible study
• And that’s exactly the point: it's about relationship
3. You’ll be evaluated by many
• Students, parents, teachers, pastors
• They’ll be asking: Who is this? Can they be trusted?

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 A Diverse Calling for a Diverse Church

Chaplains will come from many walks of life:

• Moms, singles, retirees, bivocational pastors
• People trained at Christian Leaders Institute
• Men and women from various ages and callings

What unites them?

A calling to care, to be present, to reflect Christ’s love in pluralistic spaces.

⛪ Aligning With the Church’s Mission

Tom:
If you're a pastor considering becoming a school chaplain:

✅ Get your church leadership on board
✅ See it as an extension of your ministry
❌ Not just a tool to get people into church — but a way to follow God's call

Example:
At my church in Florida, we “adopted” the public school down the street.

• We prayed for them
• Invited teachers to church once a year
• Honored them
• Built trust

After the Oklahoma City bombing, the principal called me.
Even though I wasn’t an official chaplain, I was invited to address the entire school.

“Because we built the relationship, I was the one they trusted in a time of tragedy.”

🪁 The Spirit Is Blowing Through It All

Henry (closing):
As we wrap up this first presentation, I sense the wind of the Spirit in all of this.

• The gentle nudge
• The holy presence
• The Spirit’s whisper through our acts of love and care

“We don’t always need to speak. We just need to be there.”

We’re excited for the next presentation. But for now,

Welcome to this calling. May the Holy Spirit go before you.

Amen.