Dear Pastor…
Your work with our veterans is ESSENTIAL.
As Gregory the Great stated, Pastors are “physicians of the heart” (Knox, 2016, paragraph 2). In a modern context, these responsibilities and descriptions have not changed. In your calling as a pastor, you are asked to provide pastoral care, helping to alleviate some of the internal pain. You are called to provide love, hope, meaning, and comfort (Hirono, 2019). This is especially significant with PTSD or moral injuries, as PTSD affects an individual spiritually (Ballaban, 2014). According to I Peter 5:2-4, pastors are to provide care as shepherds, be examples as leaders, and serve those under their care.
Your care for others is also a demonstration of God’s love for the world in Christ which depends on prayer, God’s promises, and this leads to worship (Hunsinger, 2011). As leaders, you are called to called to lead under the biblical model of shepherds, which includes feeding, protecting, and especially caring for each individual (Petersen, 2007). You have been doing much of this already for the individuals in your congregation and community.
But how do we care for combat veterans?
This is a simple question, but it can be complex in practice. Pastors are to give hope, help them find healing and work through feelings of guilt. Pastors are also called to empower those who have experienced trauma, and perhaps most importantly, be an active listener who does not pass judgement on them or their experiences (Hirono, 2019). Listening that is judgment free is especially important, as it is validating the experiences of the veteran and not minimizing their trauma (Hunsinger, 2011). The veteran has likely had these negative experiences from family and friends, who have the best of intentions, but are causing more harm and not helping with healing, as “there is little that so completely obstructs the healing process as having someone offer the free advice to ‘get over it’ or ‘put it behind’ them” (Hunsinger, 2011, p. 12). This can cause harm, as many veterans are already hesitant to speak of their experiences, especially if they have a mental health condition due to the stigma attached to it (Nieuwsma et al., 2014). What minimizing the experiences of veterans can do, then, is shame them into silence and isolation, causing further harm (Hunsinger, 2011).
Dear Pastor, you are on the front lines.
Many veterans first seek pastoral care, with as many as 24% of Post-9/11 Veterans seeking pastoral care, and among those seeking pastoral care, 56% of them sought pastors and clergy exclusively, as there is more trust for pastors than even mental health care providers among veterans with mental disorders (Nieuwsma et al., 2014). In fact, spiritual leaders are often the first point of contact after one has experienced trauma or a series of traumatic events (Sigmund, 2003). Therefore, pastoral care and counseling can play a vital role in the healing of combat veterans, and there is a significant need. The importance of pastoral counseling and care among combat veterans cannot be understated. There is a clear role, and though “most clergy are not trained therapists, all of us have a uniquely important place in trauma care. We provide a specific healing modality known as pastoral care. We explore spiritual issues that arise in trauma” (McClintock, 2022, p. 18).
Though the need is clear, the call of pastors to provide care and counseling is a challenging task. Pastors are called to help one find comfort, healing, and meaning from their traumatic experiences where severe spiritual loss has occurred (Ballaban, 2014). It is a call that is asked to provide hope and purpose to not only help one heal from trauma, but to also walk alongside one who is wounded, providing hope, and potentially even help to reduce the risk of suicide among veterans (Hirono, 2019). Pastoral care is a key part of the healing process, as literature, data, and experiences have demonstrated. It is not something that can be substituted or replaced, as “when human trust has eluded them, the traumatized desperately need an anchor, a point of reference, something or someone reliable in which to place their trust” (Hunsinger, 2011, p. 21). The something that they put their trust in is the promises of God. The someone is Christ himself, but also the pastoral care giver who has provided hope and guidance as an under shepherd of the Good Shepherd.
One Final Note
Stay within your calling. Do not try to provide care beyond your expertise. However, you can be a bridge between a veteran and additional care. Be sure to refer and have a contact list of referrals in your community.
-Matt
References
Ballaban, S. (2014). The Use of Traumatic Biblical Narratives in Spiritual Recovery from Trauma: Theory and Case Study. Journal of Pastoral Care & Counseling, 68(4), 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1177/154230501406800403
Hirono, T. (2019). Preventing soldiers’ and veterans’ suicide by pastoral counseling and mental health treatment. The journal of pastoral care & counseling, 73(3), 176-182. https://doi.org/10.1177/1542305019872433
Hunsinger, D. v. D. (2011). Bearing the unbearable: Trauma, gospel and pastoral care. Theology Today (Ephrata, Pa.), 68(1), 8-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0040573610394922
Knox, J. (2016, July 12). Gregory the great & his pastoral care. Retrieved February 14, 2025, from https://www.ancient.eu/article/917/gregory-the-great--his-pastoral-care/
McClintock, K. A. (2022). Trauma-informed pastoral care: How to respond when things fall apart. Fortress Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv1x67d28
Petersen, B.L. (2007). Foundations of pastoral care. Beacon Hill Press
Nieuwsma, J. A., Fortune-Greeley, A. K., Jackson, G. L., Meador, K. G., Beckham, J. C., & Elbogen, E. B. (2014). Pastoral care use among post-9/11 veterans who screen positive for mental health problems. Psychological Services, 11(3), 300-308. https://doi.org/10. 1037/a0037065
Sigmund, J. A. (2003). Spirituality and trauma: The role of clergy in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Religion and Health, 42(3), 221-229. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024839601896
