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By Chaplain Major Lane F Campbell — Colorado Springs, Colorado … On March 12, a travel interruption letter, followed the next day by a letter limiting group size, was sent to those who have completed basic and advanced training (permanent party) and students and civilian personnel at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA).  It was decided that the Freshmen Recognition would be suspended due to the new limitation guidance for COVID-19. This immediate stop to training resulted in a decision to send all lower classes home and retain only seniors or Firsties at the campus with the goal of graduating the class of 2020 and keeping them healthy. Within days, as with many Rocky Mountain Conference pastors, an immediate change occurred for providing religious services and spiritual care. New measures were implemented to provide all denominations with virtual religious services.

Life changed quickly for the remaining Firsties as well. Classes paused for several days to allow for the transition from classroom instruction to on-line instruction. The dining facility provided take-out services only and students were required to eat in their dorm rooms alone. Squadron social activities were cancelled, gym use was prohibited and travel outside the campus was forbidden. Only mission essential (ME) personnel (which includes chaplains), were allowed to be with the students. Life changed drastically as liberties were limited, all in the hopes of keeping cadets free from COVID-19 and getting them to their May 28 graduation date.

Tragically, on the morning of March 26, the former roommate of a Squadron 8 cadet discovered that he had taken his own life. Chapel teams assigned to the squadron gave chaplain care for the cadets, the faculty and staff and the first responders. The campus family was devastated. While I’m not the chaplain for Squadron 8, my wife and I sponsor a student from this Squadron, so I quickly realized that I needed to be there for her and her fellow squadron members whom I have come to know through our sponsorship.

Two mornings later, another cadet in Squadron 7 also tragically took his life. By Monday morning, the Chief Staff of the Air Force (CSAF), Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force and the Secretary of the Air Force (SECAF) were on campus visiting with students, faculty, staff and permanent party members. During the afternoon session, members from the Crisis Action Team, commanders, professors and students shared their perspective with the SECAF in which I participated as a chaplain and as a member of the Crisis Action Team. “Everything we are dealing with here, stress, change, challenge, pain, hurt and loss due to COVID-19 measures and the aftermath of these two suicides all have a spiritual foundation,” I said. “The challenge we have is we don’t have enough chaplains or mental health professionals entrenched with these cadets and permanent party here at USAFA during this unprecedented time.”

The professors in the room presented an earlier date for graduation and commanders requested more entrenched mental health and chaplain support in their squadrons. By the end of the week, five more Air Force chaplains from near-by bases (Wyoming, Colorado and Kansas) were brought in and the graduation date was moved to April 18.

Spiritual care to cadets was given high priority from CSAF and I checked on Squadron 8 members and my newly-assigned squadrons continuously. Unit visitations were implemented by the Crisis Action Team and care was given and made available around the clock. We greeted cadets during breakfast, lunch and dinner at the dining facility and walked through the dorms of the two squadrons assigned us, visiting with students in their spaces. Certain restrictions were also lifted.

Collectively this helped us meet our goal when on April 18, rather than a planned virtual speech, Vice President Pence personally arrived on campus and gave the commencement address for the USAF Academy class of 2020 with no positive COVID-19 cadets. Social distancing of eight feet was in place during the graduation ceremony and we successfully met our mission goals–graduate the class of 2020 and keep them healthy!

Squadron 8 members chose me as chaplain for their commissioning ceremony, held the night before graduation, which allowed me to give them parting words and encouragement as their chaplain. I shared three things they should take from their USAFA experience:

1. The Air Force is so very proud of them.
2. Their family and friends are proud of them.
3. God is proud of them for recognizing their God-given talents and gifts at such a young age and using them. I encouraged them to have excellence in all they do, to serve others before self and to maintain integrity as newly commissioned Air Force and Space Force officers.

This past graduation weekend and commissioning service for our 2020 cadets, was certainly a highlight as a chaplain in my Air Force career. God calls Seventh-day Adventist workers to be available for all types of ministries. What a calling we have to share the love of God and the soon coming of Jesus in the environment in which God has called us.

—Chaplain Major Lane F Campbell is Deputy Wing Chaplain at USAF Academy in Colorado Springs

Denver, Colorado … The Rocky Mountain Conference facilities, churches & schools are to remain closed through May 31. The extension of the current closure until May 31 was voted by the RMC leadership during a ZOOM meeting, on April 22.

“This extension follows regulations from the state governments, and we are informed that there will be gradual roll out from the restrictions that we have been living under,” said Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration.

“The closures are impacting all of us throughout our territory, and we pray that circumstances will change for our churches and schools to directly interact and serve our communities,” he added.

Reports from around the conference show immense creativity in worship, teaching and how to support our mission while engaging in virtual communication with each other. The leadership team will continue to monitor the pandemic situation with hope that as soon as restrictions ease, we all will be allowed to hold gatherings and events planned for the months ahead.

“In an effort to maintain the safety of our members and communities, we are continuing to cooperate with these limitations within our conference through the end of May,” Nelson added.

–RMCNews

By Steve Nelson — Casper, Wyoming … A few months ago, we would not have thought our world would be facing such uncertainty. Our lives have been dramatically affected by the spread of the COVID-19 virus. As the pastoral team in Wyoming, in cooperation with the RMC leadership, prayed for and discussed this year’s camp meeting session, July 14-18, the overwhelming consensus was that the safety of our members needed to be our number one priority.

While other Conferences canceled their camp meeting events this year, “we are taking an innovative approach. During this time of social isolation, most of our members are staying connected to their families, work and communities through various forms of technology, and the use of these tools will enable us to still provide live programming to all church members in Wyoming and beyond,” explained Steve Nelson, Wyoming camp meeting coordinator.

The camp meeting events will be live streamed from multiple locations and available on facebook.com/WyomingCampMeeting/

Currently, the organizers are planning for the program to include morning worship with Wyoming area pastors followed by a special spiritual growth session with RMC leaders Ed Barnett and Eric Nelson. Former Wyoming pastor Dick Stenbakken will present evening and Sabbath sessions. Other sessions are still in the planning stages, with programs geared toward youth and a special Sabbath School discussion panel as well.

“Please stay tuned for other updates via the Wyoming Facebook page, (facebook.com/WyomingCampMeeting/), where all our updates and events will be streamed live. The organizers are looking forward to having you share in this year’s memorable session and ask that you pray with us for God’s richest blessing during our time together,” Nelson commented.

“Every year, we are enriched by several camp meetings throughout our Conference. Several other events are still being planned with no decisions to share at this time,“ commented Eric Nelson, RMC VP for administration. Social distancing and other restrictions are hampering planning as they are influenced by local administrative decisions in the respective state and county.

“Cowboy camp meeting organizers are hoping for the forest camp grounds to be open to the public when it’s time to set up for the event, July 8-11. We have not heard a final decision for NE Camp Meeting scheduled for June 5-6, and the Western Slope gathering, August 5-9, is still being decided by pastoral leaders. We will, of course, urge them to work within the restrictions and orders that are put in place in their county and state,” Eric Nelson added.

Steve Nelson is WY Camp Meeting Coordinator; photo by Rajmund Dabrowski.