Southern Baptist Chaplains in San Diego, California, Serve Homeless Veterans at Veterans Village

Three chaplains endorsed by the North American Mission Board (NAMB), a Southern Baptist entity, minister in San Diego, California, to veterans who struggle after leaving military service. Baptist Press reporter Karen L. Willoughby describes the transition as a sharp change. A service member who joins at 18, trains as part of a team and completes a four-year obligation is released to live on his or her own for the first time. Some veterans adjust well, while others struggle.

Chaplains France Alcantara, Fermin Ancho and Don Biadog Jr. serve as volunteer “community service chaplains” with Veterans Village, a nonprofit holistic support shelter that the report says cares for about 3,000 veterans, male and female, each year. Their work includes weekly Bible studies and prayer at various Veterans Village events. Most of their time, however, is spent listening to veterans and encouraging them to trust in God.

Alcantara told Baptist Press that when he goes to Veterans Village, he is serving his “U.S. Navy family.” He said his expectation is “to listen, to encourage them and to be the person to present Jesus Christ as the person they really need in their life.”

The report tells the story of an Army veteran who said the difficult transition into civilian life led her to homelessness. She said she lost “my kids, my family, my home, my cars.” Although she had family in San Diego, she said she felt she had nowhere to turn until she found the Veterans Village lifeline. Her first stay included a setback, but support from staff and chaplains helped her recover. Offering shelter to someone with nowhere to turn is a practical form of hospitality (Matthew 25:35).

According to the report, Ancho led her in Bible study, listened to her, answered her questions and drove her to appointments to secure permanent housing. He also helped her reconcile with her daughter and assisted the daughter with housing needs. Ancho said the veteran “now feels stronger in herself and in her faith.”

Alcantara also described two years of ministry to a veteran he called a “military brat,” who had childhood difficulties with his officer father and was sent back to the United States as a teenager because of rebellion. He later joined the Navy, but after his discharge four years later, his life declined, and years passed before he came to Veterans Village. Alcantara said that over their two years together, the man restored his relationship with his daughter, found a job, a place to live and a church. The chaplain added that the man still faces consequences from his past.

Alcantara described his approach as firm as well as caring. He said he is “just a shepherd at heart,” but has had to hold “tough conversations” with veterans, telling them, “I’m here to minister to you in love. You’ve got to do your part as well.” He added, “We’re not here to be cute. We want to help people with the gospel.”

Source: Read the original report