Richard Compton, representing Southern Baptist military chaplains, spoke to the Southern Baptist Convention in Indianapolis on June 15.

Compton, along with his wife, Christy, 8-year-old daughter, Lindsey and 4-year-old son, Noah, were enjoying life in Hollywood, Fla. when God began to stir up their nest. Compton had served as pastor of First Baptist for more than seven years when he had an unexpected visit from an army-recruiting officer in the spring of 2001.

The Hollywood pastor was preparing for the Wednesday evening service when the army recruiter knocked on his door and said, “The army needs chaplains.” Compton and his wife had been reading Bruce Wilkinson’s book, The Prayer of Jabez and asking God to expand their territory, but never dreamed that serving as an army chaplain would be God’s way of answering their prayer.

Six months after the recruiter’s visit and one day after the unforgettable 9/11 attacks, Compton took his oath as a U.S. Army tenderfoot. After successfully completing the rigors of boot camp at Fort Jackson in Columbia, S.C., the newly commissioned chaplain was assigned to his first duty station at Fort Campbell, Ky.

Then in March of 2003 when the Third Battalion of the 502nd Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division from Fort Campbell fought their way from Kuwait to Baghdad, Chaplain (Captain) Compton accompanied them every treacherous step of the way.

The Baptist chaplain had become the “pastor” to the 700 men in his battalion. The average age of the soldier served by Compton was nineteen. Still shaken by the horrors of what he had experienced, Compton commented, “I was stationed with the medics and saw the wounded and dying brought into our compound. The first one who died suffered a fatal gunshot wound in Karbala on the edge of the Syrian Desert.”

Compton was called upon to comfort soldiers in what the U. S. Military refers to as CISD (Critical Incident Stress Debriefing). He announced, “I prayed for the battle weary and the wounded. I never had anyone who did not want my prayers.”

The chaplain ministered to one soldier who was critically wounded as the result of an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). The soldier lost his right leg in the explosion and his left leg was severely damaged. He was evacuated to Germany where it became necessary to amputate his left leg.

“The IEDs,” Compton explained, “are homemade bombs that are designed by the Iraqi resistant forces. They will fill such things as coffee cans with explosives and use cell phones or some kind of remote control devise to detonate them. Then they wait until a humvee carrying troops approaches the explosive concoction and use their remote control to explode the bomb.”

When Compton’s regiment got to Baghdad they set up headquarters in an abandoned amusement park near the Euphrates River. The owner related that when the Iraqi troops heard that the U. S. military were coming they fled in terror, leaving their weapons and munitions behind.

In the amusement park Compton led his men in an Easter sunrise service and baptized those who had come to faith in Christ. The chaplain recounted, “It was too dangerous to leave the compound to baptize the converts in the Euphrates, but we improvised and had a baptismal service that was as close to immersion as we could possibly make it.”

Baptist Army Chaplain Michael Merrill saw more than 400 soldiers come to Christ in the services he conducted in the Arifjan Gospel service in Kuwait between April of 2003 and April of 2004. Many of them (more than 170) were baptized in the Persian Gulf.

Contrary to what the secular press has reported, several chaplains contend that the Iraqi people overwhelmingly favor the work being done by the coalition troops. Compton declared, “The Iraqis line the streets and demonstrably express their approval of President Bush and the U.S. We felt tremendous support from the great majority of the people.”

Compton said, “Major General David Petraeus had a theme for the campaign in Iraq. It was ‘winning the hearts and minds of the Iraqi people.’”

Compton beamed, “A wonderful transformation is taking place in Iraq. Coalition troops are helping rebuild the country. Millions of people have clean drinking water for the first time. The country has a more efficient system of electrical power than ever. Sewer and water lines are being installed in every major city. School attendance is up and the children have better school supplies than ever. The women, who have been oppressed for years, are being given their dignity. The standard of living has been greatly improved.

“Soldiers have rebuilt churches and mosques, reopened the hospitals and insured that they are properly staffed so that medical service is at an all time high, provide for elections and established a democratic system of government.”

The chaplain added, “Southern Baptist churches have provided tons of toys for the children and supplies that have made a world of difference to the nation. Children who had never even seen crayons are now using them in school and so many other wonderful supplies provided by Southern Baptists and many benefactors in America.”

A sign in General Petraeus’ command center read, “We are in a race to win over the people.” Contrary to what other sources say, that quote sums up the reason for America’s military presence in Iraq.