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United Methodist Churches Are Sending100000 Historic Devotional Booksto U.S. Service Personnel
By J. Richard Peck Church members across America have sent 70,000 copies of an historic book of
daily devotions to members of the armed forces. An additional 30,000 will come
off the press in mid-November. The General Commission on United Methodist is spearheading the effort to give
every service man and woman a copy of the book first carried by soldiers in
World War II. Over a million copies of the book Strength for Service to God and Country
were sent to troops fighting in World War II from 1942 to 1945. When hostilities
began in Korea, the book was republished and sent to troops beginning in 1952. While copies of the book remained in footlockers of veterans, the book was
unknown by most service men and women after publication ended in 1955. Four years ago, a 15-year-old Boy Scout noticed the tattered book on the bed
stand of his grandfather who had suffered a stroke. Eugene Hunsberger told his
grandson, Evan, that he had carried the book during World War II while serving
in the Navy. He said the book had given him comfort during some intense fighting
and he had used it with dying sailors. He told Evan he was again using it as he
wrestled with a disabling stroke. A short time later Evan came back into his grandfather’s bedroom. “Granddad
do you think it would be a good Eagle Scout project to try to republish the book
as spiritual aid for U.S. service personnel today,” asked Evan. “Not good,”
whispered Eugene, who found speech difficult. “Great!” After receiving permission to republish the book from the original publisher,
Evan, a Roman Catholic, and 45 volunteers spent 2,500 hours scanning and
correcting copy from the 400 page book into computers. The General Commission on United Methodist Men, the agency with
responsibility for scouting ministries in the denomination, supported the idea
of sending the book to U.S. service personnel and it received permission from
the Pentagon to distribute the book to service men and women. It then began a
process of trying to raise $3 million in order to give a copy of the book to one
million members of the Armed Services. There are literally hundreds of stories about how the books are being distributed. Many bulk shipments have been made to deployed troops, but in other cases local churches have sent special care packages with the book to church members serving overseas. One of the persons currently receiving and distributing the devotional guide is Marine Corp Chaplain Clifford A. Stuart. “Recent service at sea, in Kuwait and Iraq provided me the opportunity to use the Strength for Service devotional on a daily basis,” Stuart told the publisher. He said he carries a small Bible and the devotional book in each of his chest or flak-jacket pockets while serving in Iraq. “These two provided me the tools necessary to provide ministry to my marines and sailors during times of great stress, fear, and spiritual need,” he said. “[The book] is full of powerful and appropriate messages, in an easy to use format, written for Christians of all denominations and sects. It is wonderful.” John Homolak, another member of Evan’s California Scout Troop, recently
launched an effort to get the book to some 6,000 naval personnel aboard the
U.S.S. Nimitz. A chaplain on the ship, whose father had carried the book when he
was in World War II, was so supportive of the effort that he made sure that
every pilot who takes off from the Nimitz has a copy of Strength for Service. Sandra Holmes, a member of First United Methodist Church of Escondido, Calif., reports that her congregation routinely sends copiesof the devotional book to church members who are in the armed service regardless of where they are stationed. “We enclosed a note saying that the book was provided by ‘Operation We Care,’ says Holmes. Branson (Missouri) United Methodist Church did not send copies of the book to
church members, but members held a pancake breakfast and several other fund
raisers in order to send $3,000 to enable copies of the book to be sent to
deployed troops. While the first edition of the book contained devotions written by hundreds of well-known religious and industrial leaders during the World War II era, the new edition includes writings by Robert Schuller, pastor of the Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California; Gerald Turner, president of Southern Methodist University, Dallas; Andrew Benton, president of Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif.; Joseph Bottoms, president of DePauw University, Greencastle, Ind.; Cardinal Roger Mahony, archbishop of Los Angeles; Rudy Ruetiger, former Notre Dame football player portrayed in the movie “Rudy”; Hassan Hathout, executive of the Islamic Center of Southern California, Los Angeles; and Kenneth Kanter, rabbi of Congregation, Micah, Brentwood, Tenn. To date, 70,000 copies of the revised book of devotions have been sent to
U.S. Service men and women deployed in Iraq, Afghanistan and neighboring
nations. The third printing of 30,000 will be sent to deployed troops.
Additional print runs will be made as funds become available.
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