Photo By Chad Menegay | Rev. Lissie Rhoton (middle), rector for Christ & Grace Episcopal Church, introduces...... read more read more
FORT GREGG-ADAMS, Va. — The Fort Gregg-Adams Religious Support Office hosted a Faith Community Partnership Symposium May 14 as part of its new Community Religious Leader Engagement program at Liberty Chapel.
The community symposium featured the invitation of local religious leaders who minister to Fort Gregg-Adams personnel to the installation and to discuss how best to serve them, said Col. Thomas E. Allen, the installation’s senior command chaplain.
More than 15 local faith groups sent representative(s) to the religious leaders community outreach.
“We hope to eventually not just have it here [at FGAV], but to rotate from around the community from where you guys are,” Allen said.
The first symposium also served as an opportunity for a number of these faith communities to meet one another.
About 60% of FGAV service members go off post to find religious support at local churches, synagogues, mosques, etc., in the greater FGAV area, according to a recent community needs
survey. The other 40% go on post, mostly Advanced Individual Training students, with a weekly attendance between 725 to 750.
“We have about 70,000 troops pass through this post every year and about 29,000 people on this installation on a daily average,” said Fort Gregg-Adams Garrison Commander Col. Rich Bendelewski. “Many of these souls are experiencing probably real life for the first time—17, 18, 19 years old. A drill sergeant can be an emotional event for anyone, especially those young minds and new Soldiers.”
Part of FGAV’s vision in being a DoD installation of choice is being well ingrained with the greater FGAV community and its community needs, Bendelewski said.
“We have to be a community of choice,” Bendelewski said to the group of local faith leaders in attendance. “Our families are looking to connect, looking for that fellowship. Soldiers may only be here for a short period of time, but they can be a force of nature for good. We want them to be part of your community, and we also want your community to be a part of our installation.”
Faith groups in attendance included: Destination Church, Swift Creek Baptist Church, The Heights Baptist Church, Greater Faith AME Zion Church, New Hope Baptist Church, Christ & Grace Episcopal Church, Rock Church of Petersburg, Congregation Brith Achim, Covenant Presbyterian Church, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, and Mount Pleasant Baptist Church.
Also in attendance were Hope and Healing For Heroes, the Hopewell Police Department chaplain, the FGAV Islamic Service Support, Fort Eustis chaplains, FGAV brigade chaplains and Distinctive Religious Group Leaders for the Pagan, Latter-day Saints, Jewish and Islamic faiths.
The RSO led a discussion with these local religious leaders about what Army chaplains provide and how the local faith communities can best care for FGAV service members.
| Date Taken: | 05.16.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 05.16.2025 14:43 |
| Story ID: | 498205 |
| Location: | FORT GREGG-ADAMS, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 11 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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