JBER chapel hosts ‘Bible Boot Camp’

  • Published
  • By Air Force Staff Sgt. Robert Barnett
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Many people who were raised attending a church end up with different ideas about the faith today.

There are churches all around the world, and in military travels, Christians often attend many different congregations.

Ultimately, the members of a base chapel congregation may have many differing viewpoints on a number of topics.

With the freedom of speech and practice of religion our country proudly maintains, religious views of Christianity can change radically generation to generation.
To help remind people of the theological basics, or even to teach them for the first time, Biff Gordon, the 673d Protestant chapel director of religious education at JBER, decided to conduct a Bible Boot Camp.

"It's a good, clear basic theology program," Gordon explained. "People are afraid of theology.

"They're afraid it's all intellectual, but the fact is that saving faith is about the whole person. It's easy to go to a service and have the emotional experience and leave, and not have the mind engaged. You need both."

The religious education director went over Credo House Ministries programs and promotional material.

He liked what he saw and got approval from Air Force Chaplain (Maj.) Michael Shannon, 673d deputy wing chaplain, along with Dan Evans, director of the Mountain Chapel Hospitality House, a ministry for young adults and extension of the base chapel.
Everyone has a theology, he explained.

"If you have a deep, robust, biblical theology, you're going to have a deep, robust, biblical worship. This is basic theology for the Christian, because everybody needs a level starting point in the Christian life. Part of basic discipleship is what we believe as Christians."

The program he chose was constructed by Michael Patton, president of Credo House Ministries in Edmond, Okla.

Patton said his ministry is designed to educate those not already involved in theology.
"I heard about the class from the Hospitality House and through the chapel. I wanted to see what it was about," said Airman 1st Class Rhonda Anderson, a 3rd Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment mechanic from Red Bluff, Calif.

"I had no idea what theology was about. It was totally mind-blowing, it was really eye opening. So now I'm interested and I want to know more. It was very interesting. I really liked the instructor; I learned a lot," she said.

Patton explained he tries to answer questions like how we know the Bible today is the same as what was originally written.

"We deal with those traditions and we have so much stuff that we've discovered recently that really won't come out until March," he said. "I'm giving a preview about it here. It's good stuff."

The president of Credo House Ministries described the course as educational because it goes into the history of Christianity. Being non-denominational, he welcomed everyone to participate.

"My ministry is based on pushing essentials," he said.

Patton explained that some topics are considered essential to the faith, while others are important but not essential.

For example, some are adamant about only reading from a King James Bible, or believing specifics about the end times.

Patton said these questions can be important, but are not essential to the Christian faith.
"What does every Christian always believe? What have they never departed from?" he asked. "That's what we try to stick with. That way we can unite Christians. That way we can stay out of most of the controversies. Most importantly, I think, that's what we all need to be most passionate about."

After the class, the theologian thought things went well enough to happen again.
"It seemed to go very well," he said. "I think that the people were very engaged. Some people that came don't have anything to do with the base, which is great.

I hope people see theology as something that is the gospel. That's the good news, that
Jesus said 'hey guys, you've messed things up, but I'm continuing to introduce myself to
you.' I'd like to see this happen on a yearly basis."

Credo House Ministries has three main programs.

The theology program is the considered by Patton to be the most intense.

The discipleship program is taught during the chapel's Discovery program on Wednesdays at 6 p.m. at the Soldier's Chapel, and is considered by Patton to be most comprehensive for Christian living. The final is the Bible Boot Camp.

For more information on the Mountain Chapel Hospitality House, visit https://www.facebook.com/mchhalaska or www.mchhak.com/

The continuation of the discipleship program is taught at the Wednesday night Discovery program at the Soldiers' Chapel.

Discovery starts with dinner at 5:45 p.m. and Bible studies and children programs including nursery start at 6:30 p.m.

The theological program will start in January.

For more information, call the Chapel Center at 552-4422.