Last July, Janet Horton, who has a master's degree in divinity from Boston University and twenty-one years of active service in the United States, the Federal Republic of Germany, and the Republic of Korea, became the first woman to be appointed a full colonel chaplain in the U. S. Army. She is now ministering to about 38,000 military personnel, with ninetythree chaplains reporting to her.

We talked with her about some of the challenges—and joys—of her new assignment.

"Although women have been ministers for centuries, the idea of their serving in the U.S. military chaplaincy is still relatively new and somewhat emotionally charged," said Chaplain Horton. "It's struggling through some difficult stages of evolution. The numbers remain small, and the ability of the military to retain many of these chaplains appears questionable. What I've experienced could be called the birth of a idea—the struggle of women to bring new life to the chaplaincy, journeying for the most part on uncharted seas."

Chaplain Horton described how she finds herself helping women colleagues to work through contrasting periods of self-doubt and self-justification. "The constant questioning of our calling feels insulting," she said, "and so disheartening. We have to rely daily on our own deep convictions about the authenticity of our vocation. We have to distinguish the trials of newness from actual prejudice against women, and not be carried away by the demands and distractions of the media and other publicity seekers. One could so easily come to be seen as the Star Spangled Barbie doll of the unit with little real credibility! And all this is so far removed from the individual spiritual growth that undergirds a smooth career progression and true fulfillment."

Chaplain Horton affirmed that these are challenging times for many branches of the military, with the news media ready to pounce on anyone who falls out of line. It goes far beyond the chaplaincy, she observed, to issues such as women in combat, sexual harassment, sexual preferences, and hazing. But, as in any other facet of human life, she added, most of these are moral and ethical issues that everyone needs to face up to at some time.

Spiritual resources

"In my job," she said, "I have welcomed the opportunity to teach classes on ethics and values. At first it seemed that the very mention of the subject would evoke an 'Oh, no!' response from soldiers. They thought they were going to get the Big Ten Golden No-Nos. And it soon became clear to me that I had to find a way to help people see the validity and positive benefits that could be gained from a clear understanding of the 'good' and the 'right.'

"I have always felt that ethical precepts don't have to be taught in a pejorative way," she continued. "These values don't restrict you or take something from you. One of my own Sunday School teachers used to illustrate the blessings of obedience by reminding us of the security we feel when people respect traffic laws. 'Who would want to venture out onto busy streets if the traffic lights were not working and there were no clear markings on the streets!' she would say. 'Well-established rules help people to know what to expect of each other, and how to spot the moral land mines.' "

Chaplain Horton suggested that an earnest study of Bible-based principles moves us away from materialistic thinking to a deeper understanding of God, Spirit, and man made in His likeness.

"I point out to my classes that the struggle to be good and true need not be discouraging, demeaning, or thoughtlessly self-righteous," she said. "We are not locked in a constant struggle to be humanly perfect. We have to rise above that. Every erroneous suggestion needs to be met first in one's own thought.

"I have been so helped by what Mary Baker Eddy, the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, said in her book Miscellaneous Writings: 'Be of good cheer; the warfare with one's self is grand; it gives one plenty of employment, and the divine Principle worketh with you,—and obedience crowns persistent effort with everlasting victory'" (p. 118).