“Chaplain Amy Wagner is a dedicated, caring, and energetic Chaplain who ordinarily ministers to God’s elderly, adult children in Gettysburg and Chambersburg, PA, at Spiritrust Retirement Communities/Nursing Homes. What I recall is that, when Amy shared the “Official Acts Record” with me so that our office could enter the baptisms into our “parish” record, I exclaimed, “Oh my!  This reminds me of Phillip and the Ethiopian” in the book of Acts. It’s a really incredible ministry that was guided by the Holy Spirit, utilized a grace-filled ambassador of our Lord, and engaged someone beyond the walls of local congregations with the power of the Word and Sacraments. It’s a joy to get the story out to our Synods, like yours!  I don’t think our people-in-the-pews hear often enough about what our Chaplains are doing.  Mission can be around the world.  But sometimes, it’s right here.  Right in our own backyard!”

I also reached out to Amy and here is what she told me.  “I live in Carlisle and my son rides the bus to school. One day when dropping my son off, the father of the little boy that sits next to my son on the bus saw my collar and asked if I would baptize his son. The father had never been baptized either, so the father and son were baptized together the day before Holy Trinity Sunday. The baptism was held at the Thornwald Park Amphitheater in Carlisle PA. God is good and it was indeed a special moment in my ministry. It was my first time doing an outdoor baptism and these days I don't do many baptisms since I serve an aging population.”

Your mission support giving helps fund the ELCA Federal Chaplaincy Ministry. Although the settings may be very different, federal chaplains have many of the same responsibilities as any other ELCA pastor. They preach the gospel, lead worship, administer the sacraments, perform weddings, counsel, teach and bury the dead. Yet because of the unique settings, chaplains carry out their ministry immersed in the “Monday through Saturday” world of military members, patients, families and staff at Veterans Affairs medical centers, and among the staff and inmates of federal prisons.