As I write this January 2025 message for USACCRA, our nation is preparing to celebrate the life of former President Jimmy Carter. Media is dominated with reflections and commentary about our 39th President. There are two remarkable insights all folks express about Carter’s life. He was a person of strong faith in God, and he made a positive difference all his life.
Carter served his community, the nation and the world then continued to be his neighbor’s servant led by a strong faith in Christ as his Savior and Lord. Retired but active, he built homes with Habitat for Humanity, taught Sunday School at Maranatha Baptist Church, negotiated a hostage’s freedom in North Korea, oversaw national elections to ensure justice, worked to nearly wipe out Guinea worm disease that once afflicted 3.5 million people (1986 primarily in Africa).
The lesson I take from Jimmy Carter for USACCRA is his faith-fueled continuation of servanthood to others till the day he died at 100. This saw a Commander-in-Chief who didn’t hang up his uniform. He didn’t spend the rest of his life on a golf course or making money on the speaker’s circuit. He continued to be the person Christ had changed and charged to help others.
USACCRA is an opportunity for unit ministry teams, Directors of Religious Education, Department of Defense Civilians, Veterans, and spouses, to never stop bringing God to soldiers and solders to God. While actively serving the Army Chaplain Corps bringing God’s presence or as a veteran, we are the Aaron and Hur holding up the arms of our Chaplain Corps as it marches on with this sacred mission of faith and service.
In 2025, the 250th year of our Chaplain Corps, there will be numerous places where our members can make a positive difference in the lives of soldiers and their families. When the call goes out “Whom shall we send?” I pray we will take a lesson from former President and Commander-in-Chief Carter’s life and say, “Here am I. Send me. Send me.”
God bless every one of you with a great new year. Pro Deo et patria.
Scottie Lloyd, USACCRA President and lifetime member in service
