April 28, 2003
Army says pastors' training at Fort Bragg meets regulations
___By Steve DeVane
___North Carolina Biblical Recorder
___FORT BRAGG, N.C.--A meeting of pastors at Fort Bragg meets military guidelines, Army officials have decided.
___The gathering April 22-23 was intended to help pastors learn evangelism lessons from military strategy, according to its organizer, Bobby Welch, pastor of First Baptist Church in Daytona Beach, Fla. The event is part of training for pastors in the FAITH Sunday School evangelism program promoted by LifeWay Christian Resources of the Southern Baptist Convention.
___A First Amendment watchdog group attempted to get the event cancelled, charging it violates the separation of church and state.
___Carol Darby, a spokeswoman for Army Special Operations Command, said Army lawyers looked into the gathering and decided it met Department of Defense directives and Army regulations. "The request does fall under a program called community relations," she said.
___About four or five groups tour Army Special Operations Command under the program each year, Darby said.
___Welch is a friend of Maj. Gen. William Boykin, commander of the Army's John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School at Fort Bragg. Welch reportedly told pastors in a letter that the event is a "once in a lifetime opportunity to join a group of warriors" at Fort Bragg.
___"You can be absolutely guaranteed you will never, ever have this type of opportunity again," Welch wrote. "You will go with Gen. Boykin and Green Beret instructors to places where no civilians and few soldiers ever go."
___Pastors were told they would see a Special Forces demonstration of "today's war fighting weapons" and visit the "Shoot House" to learn how "Special Forces attack the enemy inside buildings."
___Darby said the pastors would have access similar to that granted other civic groups.
___Welch's letter reportedly said the event would include a speech by Boykin and informal time with the general. Darby said Boykin likely only would meet and welcome the group to Fort Bragg.
___Welch said he believes Boykin would get to spend time with the group. The general's interaction with the group was always subject to his availability, Welch said.
___Welch also indicated in his letter to pastors that they would spend the night on post.
___Darby said they would stay in a hotel off post at their own expense.
___Americans United for Separation of Church and State raised questions about Boykin's endorsement of the program and the use of military facilities and personnel for the event. The group wrote a letter of protest to Army Secretary Thomas White calling for the event to be cancelled.
___"This is a clear violation of the separation of church and state," said Americans United Executive Director Barry Lynn. "Our military has no business using its resources to aid evangelism.
___Welch said Americans United had made "uneducated, uninformed and outright ignorant statements" and wrongly believed his group was going to Fort Bragg for a revival.
___Joseph Conn, an Americans United spokesman, said Welch's promotional materials made it "pretty clear" Welch was using military facilities and personnel to recruit people into an evangelism program.
___"We don't have a problem with evangelism and spreading the gospel," he said. "We have a problem with government stepping in and helping do that."
___Conn added: "I don't think Pastor Welch would be nearly as excited if it was Rev. Sun Myung Moon and 50 Moon pastors getting the VIP treatment at Fort Bragg."
___Welch, a Vietnam veteran and a former member of Special Forces, also confirmed that a previous FAITH Force session of 70 pastors was held at Fort Bragg last year.
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