The annual RAF Chaplains’ Conference concluded last week at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre (AFCC), Beckett House, offering a period of professional development and reflection.
As an integral part of their continuous professional development, the three-day conference brought together Regular and Reserve chaplains, senior leaders and guest speakers. 2* Chaplain-in-Chief the Venerable Dr (Air Vice Marshal) Giles Legood MBE KHC led briefings, updates and taught sessions, with significant emphasis being placed on the ‘transition to conflict’. This included discussions on how individuals’ stations and units are preparing their people, and the role of chaplaincy for the current climate. It was also an opportunity for RAF chaplains to share experiences, explore contemporary challenges in military ministry, and reaffirm the vital contribution their work makes to operational effectiveness, personnel welfare and moral resilience.
The conference also featured a thought-provoking keynote address by American author Bruce R. Johnson, who spoke about his recently published book, C.S. Lewis: From Airmen to Aslan. Johnson explored the often-overlooked connection between C.S. Lewis's wartime ministry and his later literary works. These included his encounters with service personnel during the Second World War, and his own experiences of the 1914-1918 Great War, which shaped his understanding of courage, sacrifice, hope and faith.
Further drawing upon Lewis's broadcasts, writing and pastoral engagement with military personnel, Johnson reflected on the parallels between Lewis's ministry and the work undertaken by military chaplains today.
Discussion prompted delegates to consider how timeless principles of pastoral care remain relevant in a contemporary military context. Lewis's emphasis on listening, encouragement and the search for meaning continues to resonate with chaplains serving a generation facing complex operational, personal and societal pressures.
The annual gathering once again highlighted that while the context of military service continues to evolve, the mission of chaplaincy remains unchanged: to provide compassionate presence, moral leadership and spiritual care wherever the RAF serves.
AFCC is the principal ethical and spiritual training provider within the MOD.
Recognised as a centre of excellence for the resourcing of defence chaplaincies and world faith engagement, AFCC is the only UK defence institution dedicated to the study of how religion and faith interact with contemporary conflicts and international relations.
