{"id":613,"date":"2017-02-27T21:43:55","date_gmt":"2017-02-27T21:43:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/?p=613"},"modified":"2017-02-27T21:43:55","modified_gmt":"2017-02-27T21:43:55","slug":"ministry-ice-chaplains-deployment-antarctica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/2017\/02\/27\/ministry-ice-chaplains-deployment-antarctica\/","title":{"rendered":"MINISTRY ON THE ICE: A CHAPLAIN’S DEPLOYMENT TO ANTARCTICA"},"content":{"rendered":"

During the first week of December 2016, Chaplain Adam Erwin (LTJG), US Navy Reserves, received a call from Captain Gregory Todd, Chief of Coast Guard Chaplains. The call was an invitation to be the Command Chaplain aboard the USCGC Polar Star<\/em> (an icebreaker) on a mission to deploy to the South Pole on Operation Deep Freeze 2017. The mission was to deliver the annual resupply to the Antarctic bases. His pastoral and religious support of the Polar Star<\/em>‘s crew of 150 was vital during their months-long deployment to one of the world’s harshest and most remote environments. What made this invitation so special is, there are only about 50 Navy Chaplains assigned to the whole Coast Guard, and 11 of those are Reservists. (Navy Chaplains are not only assigned to Navy units, but also to Marine Corps and Coast Guard units.)<\/p>\n

Arriving on board the Polar Star<\/em> in Sydney, Australia in time for the world-famous New Year’s Fireworks Display, Chaplain Erwin quickly got acquainted with the ship, the crew, and the command. The Captain and Executive Officer were very supportive of his ministry, and welcomed him aboard their ship to minister to their crew. Chaplain Erwin was blessed to work under the supervision of two officers who were leaders with faith. The Captain of the Polar Star specifically requested an evening prayer asking for safe guidance through the area, known as the Roaring 40’s, as well as a prayer for breaking the ice.<\/p>\n

With seeing Australia, Antarctica, New Zealand, and also Hawai\u2019i and Tahiti, as well as the Antarctic, life seemed pretty good. Why would a crew need a chaplain? This is a Coast Guard crew. This is not a vacation. It\u2019s harsh duty far from home in one of the most extreme, deadly, and isolated areas on the entire Earth. Speaking of the chaplain, the ship\u2019s Executive Officer said, \u201cWe\u2019re literally at one of the most remote and desolate places on the planet. If, and when, there are emergencies, we need someone who can manage that and take care of the crew, as well as meeting their spiritual needs.\u201d<\/p>\n

The responsibilities of the chaplain are many and varied. On this deployment Chaplain Erwin provided divine services with communion, evening prayers, Sunday services, ministered to the homesick, those who have loved ones die during the deployment, counseled people for any number of reasons, worked with and directed a choir, and provide deck plate ministry; walking around the ship, talking to the crew, engaging them in conversation, listening to their concerns (personal or professional), and being among them. Chaplain Erwin also supervised the ministry of \u2018lay leaders\u2019. These are sailors who are approved to provide various ministries like Bible studies and worship leaders.<\/p>\n

Chaplain Erwin said, \u201cJesus put on flesh, and walked among us, so that He could minister to us. In the same way, I put off my civilian clothes and my Navy khakis, put on Coast Guard blues, and walked among the crew, being with them, so that I could minister to them in their needs and in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

As a rule, Commanders really appreciate the presence and role of chaplain. The Commander of the Polar Star said of Chaplain Erwin, \u201cWe do things no other ship does. We go places no other ship goes. We experience things that stretch us and the ship. Chaps really earned his pay. We had some tough situations, and we\u2019re very glad he was along with us.\u201d<\/p>\n

When asked what it felt like to be one of the less than 100 pastors to minister at the southern-most church in the world, Chaplain Erwin said, \u201cFirst, the places are neat, but there\u2019s no place like home. Family is more important than travel, and more important than ministry. Second, the places are merely beautiful creation-pieces of God\u2019s, but they are where people are, people who need the ministry of the chaplain. That\u2019s what being a chaplain is about\u2026is being that spiritual presence in people\u2019s lives, taking care of them, listening to them, engaging them where it matters with what matters. Preaching, teaching, and worship are indispensable. The sailors who are on watch at 0200 (2:00 AM) in the morning and stressed over home life they last saw 4 months ago, need someone to listen to their story, join them where they are, and bring peace, and good news to their lives. I\u2019m a chaplain not for the physical places I go, but the spiritual places God sends me to in order to bring His presence, peace, wholeness, and Good News.\u201d<\/p>\n

(The US Coast Guard Cutter Polar Star is the only heavy-icebreaker in the United States. It is an integral part of the annual resupply of McMurdo Station in Antarctica, Operation DEEP FREEZE. This operation, and the Polar Star’s role in Antarctica, was a highlight of the recent television series “Antarctica: Continent 7” produced and aired by National Geographic.)<\/em><\/p>\n

(Chaplain Erwin is an ordained minister in the LIfepoint Conference. He also holds a Doctorate of Ministry degree from in Erskine Seminary. He, his wife Kuhiwa, and son Alrich, reside in Honea Path, South Carolina.)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

By: Chaplain Adam Erwin<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

During the first week of December 2016, Chaplain Adam Erwin (LTJG), US Navy Reserves, received a call from Captain Gregory Todd, Chief of Coast Guard Chaplains. The call was an…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":614,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[159,160,158],"class_list":{"0":"post-613","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-evusa","8":"tag-antarctica","9":"tag-chaplainadamerwin","10":"tag-ministryontheice","11":"entry"},"title_es":"MINISTERIO EN EL HIELO: IMPLEMENTACI\u00d3N DE UN CAPELL\u00c1N a la Ant\u00e1rtida","content_es":"Durante la primera semana de diciembre de 2016, Capell\u00e1n Adam Erwin (LTJG), Reserva de la Marina de los Estados Unidos, recibi\u00f3 una llamada del capit\u00e1n Gregory Todd, Jefe de Guardacostas de los Capellanes. La llamada era una invitaci\u00f3n a ser el capell\u00e1n de comando a bordo de la Estrella Polar USCGC<\/em> (para romper el hielo) en una misi\u00f3n para implementar en el Polo Sur de la Operaci\u00f3n Deep Freeze 2017. La misi\u00f3n era entregar el reabastecimiento anual a las bases ant\u00e1rticas. Su apoyo pastoral y religiosa de la tripulaci\u00f3n de la Estrella Polar<\/em> 150 's fue vital durante su despliegue de meses de duraci\u00f3n a uno de los entornos m\u00e1s duros y m\u00e1s remotas del mundo. Lo que hizo esta invitaci\u00f3n tan especial es, s\u00f3lo hay alrededor de 50 capellanes de la Armada asignados al conjunto de la Guardia Costera, y 11 de ellos son reservistas. (Navy Capellanes no s\u00f3lo se asignan a las unidades de la marina de guerra, sino tambi\u00e9n a las unidades de Infanter\u00eda de Marina y la Guardia Costera.) Al llegar a bordo de la Estrella Polar<\/em> en Sydney, Australia en el tiempo para el mundialmente famoso espect\u00e1culo de fuegos artificiales de A\u00f1o Nuevo, Capell\u00e1n Erwin r\u00e1pidamente se familiarizaron con la nave, la tripulaci\u00f3n, y el comando. El Capit\u00e1n y el Oficial Ejecutivo fueron un gran apoyo de su ministerio, y le dieron la bienvenida a bordo de su nave de contribuir a su tripulaci\u00f3n. Capell\u00e1n Erwin era bendita para trabajar bajo la supervisi\u00f3n de dos oficiales que eran l\u00edderes con fe. El capit\u00e1n de la Estrella Polar pidi\u00f3 espec\u00edficamente una oraci\u00f3n de la tarde pidiendo orientaci\u00f3n segura a trav\u00e9s de la zona, conocida como el rugido de los a\u00f1os 40, as\u00ed como una oraci\u00f3n para romper el hielo. Con viendo Australia, la Ant\u00e1rtida, Nueva Zelanda, y tambi\u00e9n Hawai y Tahit\u00ed, as\u00ed como la Ant\u00e1rtida, la vida parec\u00eda bastante bueno. \u00bfPor qu\u00e9 un equipo necesita un capell\u00e1n? Este es un equipo de la Guardia Costera. Esto no son unas vacaciones. Es deber duras lejos de casa en una de las zonas m\u00e1s extremas, mortales, y aislado en toda la Tierra. Hablando del capell\u00e1n, dijo Delegado de la nave, "Estamos literalmente en uno de los lugares m\u00e1s remotos y desolados del planeta. Si, y cuando, hay situaciones de emergencia, necesitamos a alguien que puede manejar eso y cuidar de la tripulaci\u00f3n, as\u00ed como satisfacer sus necesidades espirituales. "Las responsabilidades del capell\u00e1n son muchas y variadas. En este despliegue Capell\u00e1n Erwin proporciona servicios divinos con la comuni\u00f3n, oraci\u00f3n de la tarde, los servicios dominicales, atend\u00eda a la nostalgia, a los que han seres queridos mueren durante el despliegue, aconsej\u00f3 a la gente para cualquier n\u00famero de razones, trabaj\u00f3 con y dirigi\u00f3 un coro, y proporcionan la cubierta ministerio de la placa; caminar alrededor de la nave, a hablar con la tripulaci\u00f3n, que se est\u00e1n involucrando en la conversaci\u00f3n, escuchando sus preocupaciones (personal o profesional), y estar entre ellos. Capell\u00e1n Erwin tambi\u00e9n supervis\u00f3 el ministerio de 'l\u00edderes en contra'. Estos son los marineros que est\u00e1n aprobados para proporcionar diversos ministerios como estudios b\u00edblicos y l\u00edderes de adoraci\u00f3n. Capell\u00e1n Erwin dijo, "Jes\u00fas puso en carne, y camin\u00f3 entre nosotros, para que pudiese atender a nosotros. De la misma manera, puse la ropa de civil y mis pantalones de color caqui de la Armada, se puso azules de la Guardia Costera, y camin\u00e9 entre la tripulaci\u00f3n, estar con ellos, de modo que pudiera servir a ellos en sus necesidades y en sus vidas. "Como regla, comandantes realmente apreciar la presencia y el papel del capell\u00e1n. El comandante de la Estrella Polar, dijo Capell\u00e1n de Erwin, "Hacemos las cosas de ninguna otra nave hace. Vamos lugares ninguna otra nave va. Experimentamos cosas que nosotros y el barco se extienden. Chaps realmente ganaron su paga. Tuvimos algunas situaciones dif\u00edciles, y estamos muy contento que estaba con nosotros. "Cuando se le pregunt\u00f3 lo que se siente al ser uno de los menos de 100 pastores para ministrar en el m\u00e1s meridional de la iglesia en el mundo, dijo Capell\u00e1n Erwin, "En primer lugar, los lugares son muy ordenada, pero no hay lugar como el hogar. La familia es m\u00e1s importante que los viajes, y m\u00e1s importante que el ministerio. En segundo lugar, los lugares son simplemente hermosas piezas de creaci\u00f3n de Dios, pero son donde la gente es, las personas que necesitan el ministerio del capell\u00e1n. Eso es lo que significa ser un capell\u00e1n est\u00e1 a punto ... est\u00e1 siendo que la presencia espiritual en la vida de las personas, el cuidado de ellos, escucharlos, involucr\u00e1ndolos en donde importa con lo que importa. Predicaci\u00f3n, la ense\u00f1anza, y el culto son indispensables. Los marineros que est\u00e1n de servicio en 0200 (2:00 am) de la ma\u00f1ana y estresados \u200b\u200bsobre la vida del hogar se vieron por \u00faltima vez hace 4 meses, necesitan a alguien para escuchar su historia, unirse a ellos donde est\u00e1n, y traer la paz, y las buenas noticias a sus vidas. Soy un capell\u00e1n no para los lugares f\u00edsicos que vienen, pero los lugares espirituales que Dios me env\u00eda a fin de llevar a Su presencia, paz, integridad, y buenas noticias. "(La Guardia Costera de Estados Unidos Cortador Estrella Polar es la \u00fanica pesada .. para romper el hielo en los Estados Unidos es una parte integral del nuevo suministro anual de la estaci\u00f3n McMurdo en la Ant\u00e1rtida, operaci\u00f3n DEEP FREEZE Esta operaci\u00f3n, y el papel de la estrella polar en la Ant\u00e1rtida, fue de lo m\u00e1s destacado de la reciente serie de televisi\u00f3n "la Ant\u00e1rtida: Continente 7" producido y emitido por National Geographic.)<\/em> (Capell\u00e1n Erwin es un ministro ordenado en la Conferencia Lifepoint. tambi\u00e9n posee un Doctorado en Ministerio de la de Erskine Seminario. \u00c9l, su esposa Kuhiwa, e hijo Alrich, residen en Honea Path, Carolina del Sur .)<\/em> Por: Adam Capell\u00e1n Erwin","author_name":"","jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2017\/02\/Chapl.-AdamErwin-preach.-to-Coast-Guardsmen--e1488231722326.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pbhxDC-9T","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=613"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/613\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/iphc.org\/evangelism\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}