It was 1980 when I drove my red 1960 Volkswagen Beetle from Wake Forest, North Carolina, to Fort Monmouth, New Jersey. I can still picture the moment I crossed the Delaware Memorial Bridge—the wind gusting so fiercely that I wondered if it might push my small car over the side and into the water. The journey was long, and by the time I arrived, the Bug’s air-cooled engine was running hot.
After signing in and completing in-processing, I was assigned a room in the barracks and met my roommate—an LDS chaplain. As a young Southern Baptist minister, it was my first real encounter with the religious diversity that defines Army chaplaincy. I’m not sure I even understood the word pluralism yet, but I was about to learn.
My roommate, who faithfully observed the practices of his tradition—including wearing the distinctive undergarments—became my teacher, even though he didn’t realize it. Through our conversations and shared space, I began to understand what it meant to serve alongside those of different faith groups. He helped me see that effective ministry in the Army required both conviction and respect, and the lessons he taught me endured for a lifetime.
During that season, I also came to understand a foundational principle of Army chaplaincy: Cooperation without Compromise. I discovered I was expected to work alongside others in a pluralistic environment without abandoning my own beliefs, theological commitments, or endorsement. Just as importantly, I learned that my colleagues were held to the same standard. Each of us was free to remain faithful to the convictions of our respective traditions.
Pluralism: Cooperation Without Compromise
During nearly two decades serving as a faith group endorser, I have sought to pass these lessons on to the next generation of chaplains and seminary students. In many ways, pluralism has become more complex, and maintaining the balance between cooperation and conviction can be increasingly challenging. Yet the principle remains: no chaplain or chaplain candidate is expected to compromise their faith, their practices, or the expectations of their endorser.
That truth is not only foundational—it is essential. And it is a lesson every chaplain must learn.
By B. Keith Travis, Chaplain (COL-Ret.) U.S. Army, Liberty Baptist Fellowship and Liberty University Graduate School. Co-author of Military Ministry: Chaplains in the Twenty-First Century.
To find out more about what it’s like to be a military chaplain, check out Keith’s book, Military Ministry. The second edition has two brand-new chapters on the use of social media in ministry. A must-have for anyone interested in ministry, military, and chaplaincy.
Military Chaplain Guide 