MOUNTAIN PARK – The veterans came from all walks of life, from a variety of denominational backgrounds, and each with their stories of military service. But as they gathered at Mountain Park First Baptist Church on the first Thursday evening in June, they came with a common purpose – to enjoy a good meal and fellowship in a distinctly Christian atmosphere.

Task Force Patriot was celebrating its fifth anniversary at the monthly meeting in its usual low-key approach. It isn’t a flamboyant group and doesn’t seek to draw attention to itself. Like many of the modest veterans whom it serves, it keeps a low profile while serving others.

The group, which numbers nearly 300 active members scattered throughout metro Atlanta, is the brainchild of Jim Freeman and his wife, Peggy. Freeman, a retired major in the U.S. Army, served two tours of duty in Vietnam – first while flying 204 combat missions in 1967-68 and while serving as a company commander in 1969-70.

“There are a lot of good veterans groups out there that are doing a lot of good for veterans as well as the community,” Freeman says while recounting the early history of the group. “But there was one flaw which disturbed me – the alcohol and smoke-filled rooms that went along with the meetings.”

That’s what planted the seed for a distinctly Christian-based veterans fellowship that would allow both believers and unbelievers to gather together in a wholesome environment and establish friendships.

Within a matter of weeks the couple were standing at gas stations and other public gathering places conducting informal polls of those they profiled as possibly being veterans. They soon discovered that there were 6,000 veterans, both combat and non-combat, living within a stone’s throw of their church, Mountain Park.

In January 1999, about 40 interested persons attended an exploratory meeting at the church to consider the concept. Five months later, in a June meeting at the church, Task Force Patriot was birthed with the idea of meeting the needs of veterans through Christian service.

As if to affirm its purpose, the group’s new Web site, www.taskforcepatriot.com developed by Peggy Freeman, received 150,000 visits in its first three weeks.

 

Not just for Christian

“You do not have to be a Christian to be a member,” Freeman stresses.

That’s where the outreach comes into play. Unchurched veterans are just as welcome as those from across the denominational spectrum, and members seek to model a Christian lifestyle to those who may be seeking spiritual answers to their lives.

“Most veterans are modest individuals and they don’t always share their feelings very openly,” Freeman says.

Many of those who have been in combat have suppressed some of the horrors they have seen and carry those memories around, locked in a dark chamber of their heart.

Freeman says an organization such as Task Force Patriot helps such individuals who are still looking to make some sense from the madness of war to which they were subjected. And, he adds, the only true peace a veteran will ever experience will come from a personal relationship with Christ.

That’s where Task Force Patriot shines. In military life, the concept that completion of the mission – whatever it may be – always comes first. At Task Force, “The mission comes first” appears as its creed and symbolizes the underlying goal of the fellowship – “the fullness of life in Christ for all veterans,” Freeman explains.

The concept has caught on well and veterans, as well as active duty personnel, have been attracted to its unique approach. Two satellite groups were started at Robbins Air Force Base at Warner Robbins and at Fort Benning near Columbus. The groups were disbanded when they shipped out to Afghanistan early in the mid-east crisis, but they took the concept with them and many keep in contact with Freeman through the Internet.

“I heard from one individual who had received his orders that would take him into combat and he contacted me because he was concerned about the salvation of his family back in the States. We were able to minister to them, offer spiritual help, and let them know we were praying for them as well as for their husband and father,” Freeman says.

These days Freeman frequently receives emails several times a week from soldiers stationed in Baghdad who are seeking spiritual encouragement or counseling. Some are Christians, others are not, he says.

 

Partnership with JROT

Task Force also provides a mentoring program for high school students enrolled in Junior ROTC courses of study, and provides some community service ministry. During its first year it provided 20 Thanksgiving baskets for needy veterans families; within four years the number had increased to 150 baskets, divided between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Last year it gave 31 baskets to the Pregnancy Resource Center of Gwinnett, a ministry of the Gwinnett Metro Baptist Association.

The JROTC mentoring program is designed to model Christian behavior and provide positive role models for young men and women who are considering a military career. Freeman sees the outreach as a vital step in introducing future military personnel to patriotism and Christ. And with that comes a ministry to parents who attend some of the special events for the students.

High schools that have participated on various levels include Parkview, Berkmar, Stone Mountain, Brookwood, Grayson, and Shiloh.

 

Keeping veterans connected

But its veteran-to-veteran outreach continues to be the heart of Task Force Patriot.

“We are not a combat club; we do not differentiate between those who have served in combat and those who did not because in many times that was not a choice of the individual.

“What we want to provide is a wholesome environment where veterans can come to enjoy a good meal, enjoy a program tailored to their interests, meet some new friends and, for those who do not have a spiritual foundation, have an opportunity to explore a relationship with Christ,” Freeman said.

The former Vietnam veteran says the organization’s dream is to eventually have Task Force Patriot groups meeting on the first Thursday of every month at Baptist churches nationwide. And based on its first five years of acceptance, seeing that dream catch fire might not be that unreasonable.

“This has been a ministry of impossibilities, but the Lord continues to bless us,” Freeman adds in an air of semi-wonderment.

With an almost boyish wonder, he adds, “I can’t wait to see what the future holds.”