One Story

On duty and online

Every day, Army Chaplain Ed Tolliver counsels and comforts a unit of 1,000 soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.

And when his spirit needs to be refreshed, he comes to Christ Fellowship  on the Internet or on his iPod.

"The Webcast feeds my soul so that I can go out and feed others," Ed says. "It's my respite, my rest stop. I can worship and reconnect with my Lord and my God and my church all at the same time."

A life of ministry

Ed's life has taken him from one form of ministry to another  working with youth and children, helping plant inner-city churches, even running retreats for single soldiers during his first Army tour 20 years ago.

But this time around is different. The country is at war, and his unit is preparing to deploy to Iraq sometime next year. Not only does he help prepare soldiers and their families for long separations, but he works with those who've returned from the devastation bearing physical and emotional scars.

"We have soldiers that at 18 years old will see their buddy blown up in front of them," says Ed, who is 42. "They're seeing children lying on the ground dead because a bomb just blew up in the market. You always try to bring Christ into the picture. You pray constantly.

"There's a huge counseling dynamic. You are a senior pastor, you are a congregational care pastor, you are a marriage counselor, you are an executive pastor, and you're also preaching on a regular basis, both in the field and in a church."

Focusing on families

The biggest area of need, though, is ministering to soldiers' families. "The real casualties of this war will not be the deaths that occur, as tragic as those are. The real casualties will be the families that lay in the wake of the conflict. I really believe that in the coming years, we will see thousands of these families go through conflict, separation, and for some, sadly, divorce."

If Ed's unit deploys in March, he will end up being apart from his own family for 27 months. Meanwhile, his wife, Hadley, and their three children wait at home in Wellington. For the past three years, while attending services at the Royal Palm Campus, Ed has served in congregational care, worked on the church's security detail, and led a small group.

They need our prayers

When our pastors welcome those who are watching the service on the Internet, think of Ed and the other men and women serving our country. And when you do, say a prayer.

"We so desperately need it," he says. "The solders are working as hard as they possibly can, and we are doing the best we can to help them know who God is. Your ministry is extended into the military by virtue of my being here and what you are pouring into my life."

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