by Sandy » Sun Sep 22, 2013 8:47 pm
I think it would be a rare occasion in the military chaplaincy to encounter a situation in which a chaplain would be required to work with another chaplain who came from a welcoming and affirming denomination or one that was favorable to same-sex relationships. First of all, I doubt that there would be very many situations in which the subject would be involved in some kind of service, and second, looking at the numbers of chaplains that are Southern Baptist, or come from a denomination that would share similar perspectives on same-sex marriage or on homosexuality in general, I doubt that arrangements couldn't be made to avoid that having to happen. There are few chaplains in the military from the few denominations that approve of same-sex marriage, or which are "welcoming and affirming." And the percentage of chaplains who would be in the commanding offices who are Southern Baptists, or who are from other denominations who share similar views, is at least as high as the rest of the chaplaincy. I don't think it would be a problem for assignments to be made which keep chaplains of any denominational background from having to violate their convictions.
I'll have to double check to make certain, but I believe that Southern Baptist chaplains are paid by NAMB. I lived adjacent to Ft. Huachuca, Arizona for years, and we frequently had a chaplain whose local church membership was at my home church, and they were under NAMB appointment, with a home missionary designation, and are part of that pay structure.