In 2008, the Rev. Doug Hudson had a burning question.
Who was responsible for planting PCA churches near U.S. military bases, churches like Trinity Reformed Church in Landstuhl, Germany, where Hudson ministered for 15 years?
In 2008, the answer was no one. 
Today, Hudson is the answer to his question. He left Trinity in 2008 to direct Ministry to the Military International, a ministry of Southeast Alabama Presbytery that plants English-speaking churches near U.S. military bases in Europe and Asia.
Hudson said service members have limited church options at most international bases, and since the military groups many disparate denominations into the general “Protestant” category, Protestant chapel services do not have consistent biblical teaching, let alone Reformed teaching.
“[Military personnel] are left to the devices of off-post churches that are generally more baptistic and charismatic,” he said. “What is absent is a Reformed presence.”
PCA Officers Asked for Help
Southeast Alabama got involved when a group of U. S. Air Force officers who attend PCA churches were stationed at the Air War College in Montgomery. When those officers were transferred to Ramstein Air Base in Landstuhl, they contacted Southeast Alabama about helping them plant a Reformed church. The presbytery sent Hudson to organize a church in 1993.
In addition to the church in Landstuhl, Southeast Alabama has sent church planters to core groups near the military bases in Okinawa, Japan and Wiesbaden, Germany. By the end of 2012, another group will form in Stuttgart, Germany.
The Rev. Philip Gelston pastors Christ Church of Wiesbaden, a core group composed predominantly of Americans but also has a healthy percentage of Germans and English speaking internationals.
“The Frankfurt area is very international and many non-Americans are finding us and visiting our core group meetings. We are delighted to be a church home for them because in many cases, their English is better than their German. We love what they have added to our group dynamic. Because of our location, we get to be a light for the nations in a unique way.”
In Okinawa, the Rev. Mark Moore appreciates the support and sense of connection he receives from Southeast Alabama and the strong leadership service members bring to Christ’s body.
“We don’t have the luxury of long training programs for church leaders. We have to identify God’s calling upon these men quicker than most congregations because they’ll be gone in just 2 or 3 years,” Moore said. “Thankfully, because of their military training, leadership has been ingrained into most of my congregation so it’s easy for them to identify areas of need and then step up to find solutions.”
Expanding to the Academies
In addition to international military church plants, Hudson has a vision for expanding the ministry stateside to service academies like West Point and large bases like Fort Bragg, N.C. Many of the service academies have no Reformed campus ministry, but bringing an organization like RUF to those campuses could prepare the way for future church plants.
“If we had someone at military academies, [academy graduates] could join and build a Reformed church wherever they go,” he said.
Despite the obvious challenges of being far from family and having high turnover due to members being transferred, Moore said the Lord has richly blessed him with the opportunity to minister in Okinawa.
“The Lord provides the people year after year, and they are the greatest group of loving Christians I could ever hope to serve. Their sense of duty and courage and love for God, church, and community make them modern day centurions of great faith.”
For more information, see Hudson’s website, ministrytothemilitaryinternational.com.
It may be too easy of a response, but as a retired MTW missionary, I’m led to ask if Rev. Hudson has sought counsel among the friendly folks in Lawrenceville? World-wide church planting is at the top of the things they do best, and to my fading memory, I believe MTW has had works and missionaries in Germany. Years ago, in appealing to have a reformed church planted on our field home of the island of Guam, where many military personnel struggle to locate a reformed church, I well remember the advice of my old friend and MTW Coordinator Paul Kooistra, “just go back and plant one!”
As the Executive Director of the Presbyterian and Reformed Commission on Chaplains and Military Personel (PRCC), I heartily affirm the need for this ministry opportunity! Especially beneficial is when such a church planter is also a Reserve military chaplain (as was retired Army Chaplain Doug Hudson and current Air Force Reserve Chaplain Mark Moore-Okinawa). Reserve Chaplains have access to the troops on nearby military installations and are considered knowledgeable of military life. The PRCC endorses over 300 civilian and military chaplains within 7 Reformed denominations…and is looking for Reserve Component military chaplains who might be interested to serve with Ministry to the Military International.
Charlie, your question is a good one, one that Hudson and I discussed in my interviews with him. Our understanding is that MTW primarily plants churches around the world for the natives of foreign countries. Mission to North America plants English-speaking churches in U.S., Mexico, and Canada. But there was no organization exclusively planting English-speaking churches in foreign countries for ex-pats and military personnel. That is what makes Ministry to the Military International different from MTW. Though it goes without saying, I want to be clear that MTW and MNA are wonderful ministries that are vital to the expansion of God’s Kingdom here and around the world.