Rev. Joel Higgins is currently deployed to the Middle East with the South Dakota Air National Guard is currently deployed to the Middle East. Photo by Master Sgt. Nancy Auslan, USAF.

“There are times that I can be a pastor to people who don’t have a pastor and are in tough situations. There are lots of times that I have been at the hospital with people who have not had any pastoral support. Being invited to conduct a wedding because the couple doesn’t have anyone else to officiate it is a rewarding. It has extended my ability to be in ministry for Christ into places I didn’t think I would ever be able to walk into.” These are the words of Rev. Joel Higgins, currently deployed as a military chaplain in the Middle East with the South Dakota Air National Guard.

Before he became a pastor, Joel Higgins enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He liked the camaraderie and teamwork of his naval colleagues. When he was deployed, chaplains supported the crew. 

“When I was enlisted and deployed in the Navy, chaplains always went with us. I always felt, from that experience, that I was called to be a military chaplain. It came together for me a little later in life,” said Higgins.

After serving in the Navy, he completed his Master of Divinity degree at Sioux Falls Seminary and was ordained an elder in the Dakotas Conference. Higgins served local churches in the Dakotas at Asbury UMC in Sioux Falls, S.D.; the campus pastor at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, S.D.; First UMC in Watertown, S.D. as Associate Pastor; Canyon Lake UMC in Rapid City, S.D.; leading a new church start—Spring Creek—in Rapid City, S.D.; Sturgis UMC in Sturgis, S.D.; returning to First UMC in Watertown, S.D., as the Senior Pastor, and at Celebration UMC in Brandon, S.D.  

In 2020, he relocated to the Iowa Conference and was appointed to Kimball Avenue United Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa.

Higgins missed the teamwork and collegiality of the military. Pastor Joel connected with the South Dakota Air National Guard and found a niche in the chaplaincy. 

“I was serving as Senior Pastor in Watertown. My neighbor, an Army recruiter, asked me, ‘Do you have one of those seminary degrees?’  I told him yes. He said, ‘Would you like to be a chaplain?’  I said that I was too old. He said, ‘No, we can get you in if interested.’ So, I started pursuing the process.” 

Over a three-year timeframe, at age 44, Pastor Joel completed a 12-week course with the Army for the chaplaincy.

Clergy serving as military chaplains have similar roles to those of local church pastors. They lead worship services and ceremonies, build relationships, and provide emotional and spiritual support. They hold weekly worship services for all. 

“Worship services happen on Sunday for Protestants. Mass happens on Saturday night and Sunday for Catholics,” Higgins explains. 

Military chaplains serve as agents of the United States Constitution for the freedom of religion. They ensure that military members can practice their faith through worship, prayer, and religious accommodations.

Higgins shares, “For example, if there is a Norse person, they must wear a beard. Beards are not allowed in the military. We file for a religious accommodation for that person to allow them to practice their faith,” explains Pastor Joel. “There are all different faiths here. From time to time, we have a leader from a different faith tradition will come through the base. We make sure people on the base of that faith tradition have some time to spend with that person. It is an important part of our job to care for all the faith groups, not just Christians.”

Military chaplains serve as advisors to leadership to help gauge the climate and culture of the military unit. “We look at where morale is, and if there are issues, we address those with those in command,” said Pastor Joel.

The Army, Navy, and Air Force offer qualified clergy commissioned as military officers the role of chaplain. Chaplains must complete the training requirements and be endorsed by a denomination. They must also have three years of experience before applying to a military branch under specific requirements and policies.

Today, Higgins is wearing a U.S. Air Force uniform. He is deployed with the South Dakota Air National Guard in the Middle East. He is on leave from his appointment at Kimball Avenue United Methodist Church in Waterloo, Iowa. This is his third deployment. Higgins was previously deployed in the Navy and is now with the Air National Guard. 

To be a chaplain in the military, you have to feel called. You can’t take for granted the gifts you have to offer. To be there for people spiritually, emotionally, and physically is rewarding," said Higgins

Rev. Joel Higgins. Dakotas Conference file photo.

Being a military chaplain takes time away from the local church. Higgins said, “It is not just the pastor that is impacted. It is the local congregation as well. There has to be an understanding that I will gone for a couple of weeks at a time and maybe be deployed. Those are things to consider as a congregation and a pastor. It is a sacrifice for both parties. It is an honor to serve.”

Supporting military service people emotionally is critical.  “We talk a lot about resiliency, a lot about being gritty. It is difficult to be away from family and friends,” Pastor Joel said. “You have to know your ‘why’—Why are you here? Why are you doing this? If you deeply understand that, it helps you through some of the hard stuff day-to-day. You see the bigger picture and that you are here for a reason. That gives you resiliency.” 

Higgins works with a team of four chaplains and four religious affairs airmen. The team works together with different skill sets and gifts, taking care of the airmen they are deployed.  “In the deployed setting, you have a greater opportunity to build relationships and meet people where they are," he said. 

Higgins states that support from others is helpful, especially prayer. “Pray for me. I am the oldest person on this deployment. Pray for endurance for me,” he said. “Pray for all the airmen deployed. You can send care packages. At the chapel, in a room, we sort care packages into boxes—snacks, personal care items—shampoo, deodorant, reading material, etc. The chapel is a busy place. We also have the Oasis. There is a big screen TV where airmen can watch movies, play games, or reserve a room for fellowship. In that room, there are coffee makers and two massage chairs. The chapel is hopping.”

If you would like to send a care package, think about what you would send your student in college and send those items. You can prepare a care package and send it to this address:  Joel Higgins; 332 AEW/WSA/HC Unit; 61801; APO, AE 09321-1801.

Rev. Higgins sums up the experience. “You get to meet some amazing people. I have an amazing chaplain team. We work together. We bring different gifts, talents, and perspectives. We are united in wanting to take care of airmen where they are and how they are trying to do life,” he said. “It is not easy. You take time away from your family and your congregation. You are trying to serve those who have given a lot of themselves to serve our country. You want to give your best to them. That is important. I am thankful to serve congregations willing to let me do this as a part of my ministry.”