Charles Pridgen
January 2012
Charles is serving in Iraq with his soldiers from Fort Bliss, 3rd BDE of the 1st Armored Division. [Note: with the withdrawal of troops from Iraq, his station of duty will probably change.] His troops were scattered throughout the country so he was traveling to get to minister to his unit. He was scheduled to take over the ministry on his base and conduct the chapel services. His family appears to be taking it all in stride also but Ada did lose her mother around the time of his deployment. Your prayers for Charles and Ada and their family are deeply appreciated!
December 2010
It’s been a wild and crazy time for our unit training for war while preparing to move to our new location. For the past year and half we’ve been housed and operating out of portables. This kind of living and working arrangement has definitely taken its toll on our Soldiers. This move could not have come at a better time. We are hoping that this would be a kind of morale booster for the Soldiers as we gear up for the inevitable.
We have since learned that our time of deployment has been moved up to sometime late next year which is right around the corner. Needless to say, we are going to be very busy with training and preparation in the coming days, weeks, and months. This also translates into many more problems, challenges, and issues for all of us – not to mention a lot more work for the chaplains. Please pray much!!!
Here are some of my chaplain duties:
Ministry Activities/Events, etc.
- Mid-week Bible Study
- Sunday Chapel Service (Renegade Chapel)
- ASIST TRNG – This is a special mandatory training that we have been asked to teach in the area of suicide. In case you didn’t know, suicide is at its highest and rising in the military (Army).
- Conduct Single’s/Couple’s Retreat
- Counseling: I spend the bulk of my time counseling Soldiers both single and married dealing with a wide range of issues. I have discovered that most of the Soldiers are looking for temporary fixes to their long term problems. In other words, they are looking for a solution to their issues but they are not really interested in a life change which would include God.
On a lighter note, the family and I are doing well – still making the adjustment to military life. We’re living the dream. Every day, the Lord continues to shower us with His grace, mercy, and blessings in spite of ourselves. What an Awesome God we serve – He is good and faithful all the time. We are just trying to live up to our end of the deal.
It has been a real busy time for Ms. Ada with her involvement with the kids. We started home schooling again this fall after years of public schools. We have pretty much all teenagers now; Chloe will be 17 in Jan, C.J. 15 in Mar, and Josh 13 in Feb. It has proven to be a tremendously challenging time of adjustment for her as well as the kids. Please pray for sanity for everyone.
One of our main concerns in regards to home schooling again has been our kids interacting with other kids. Although there are many home school families in El Paso – there is not that much social interaction with the kids. This is a huge prayer request – pray that God would provide some good and positive peers for our kids.
Lauren is adjusting well at Bethel College in Mishawaka. She’s in her junior year already – hard to believe. Man where has time gone? She plans to study abroad either this spring or summer in Spain. What an opportunity – she is ecstatic to say the least!!! Please pray for God’s provision for this once and a life time experience.
I’m so excited in what the Lord is doing in her life – this young lady really has a heart for God. Please pray that her relationship with the Lord will continue to develop and that the Lord would begin to reveal His plan, will, and purpose for her life.
She has also run into some financial issues concerning her scholarship. Since we are no longer living in Indiana she lost part of her track scholarship which was totally unexpected. Thankfully, my GI bill will cover part of her expenses – I do not know how much at this time. However, we believe that the Lord has it already worked out – please pray for His guidance and provision in this matter.
As I sign off on this letter I cannot help but think about the tremendous support group and network that you all provide. You guys are great. Thanks so much for your ministry and all that you do for your chaplains and their families.
On behalf of the Pridgens we want to wish you and your families a blessed (Christ-filled) holiday season. We love you all. Take care and God bless.
Charles Pridgen
Dan 12:3
Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
Update from Charles Pridgen from U.S. Army Chaplain School – July 20, 2009
Greetings Everyone,
We have a little over five more weeks before graduation. The 28th of August is fast approaching and I can hardly wait. These past seven or eight weeks have seemed like an eternity that I have been away. I guess is fair to say that I am little homesick. But as you well know I have a job to do and I am so looking forward to getting out there and ministering to our troops.
I contacted chaplain office at Ft. Bliss last week and found out that I will be apart of the 3 brigade 1st armored Div 113 CAV. This is a new unit that has only been up and running for about three weeks. This unit was originally based out of Germany. The chaplain also informed me that the first two Brigades have already been deployed and that my brigade is due to deploy real soon. I believe they are without a chaplain at this moment and are really looking forward to my arrival.
There are at least two other guys at the school who are also headed to Ft. Bliss as well. I do not know if I have mentioned this or not but we have the largest number of students attending (CH-BOLC) chaplain school than they have had in a very long time. The majority of the students at the school are either Reservists or in the National Guard. Out of the over 125 students only about 20-25 of us are going Active Duty.
Needless to say, we have been bombarded and overwhelmed with the sense of urgency of the moment. We are constantly being reminded everyday about the importance of our roles as chaplains and the serious crisis of our soldiers. Our level of commitment has truly been tested and will continue to be tested as we itch ever so closer to that time. What we are about to embark upon is definitely not for the faint of heart. I can only hope and pray that I am ready for such a challenge. Thanks for many prayers already and please continue to pray for God’s direction, leading, and protection for my family and I as we move forward in this new chapter of our lives.
My family and I are eternally grateful for your faithfulness, love, and service. May the Lord continue to bless each one of you for the loving kindness that you have displayed to the Pridgen family. Until next time, take care and God bless.
Serving the Master,
(CH) 1LT Pridgen
We are very pleased to announce that Charles Pridgen, ordained by the Warsaw Community Grace Brethren Church, was approved by the accessioning board for active duty in the U.S. Army.
Charles and Ada and their children moved to Winona Lake from a pastorate in Dayton, OH a number of years ago to complete his college degree and enter Grace Seminary for the specific purpose of entering the Armed Forces chaplaincy. The U.S. Air Force did not have a slot for him, so he recently sent his file to the U.S. Army, which approved his application at the accessioning board last month.
Charles sent this note to us upon receiving the good news of his selection: “I cannot express in words how my family and I are feeling at this moment – overjoyed would be an understatement. I know that you all share in this joy with us. On behalf of my family, I would like to take this opportunity to thank each of you who persevered and prayed for and with us during this long journey. I know in reality that the journey has only just begun. I will keep you all posted as more news becomes available. Please feel free to spread the good news far and wide. God does hear the prayers of the Saints and good things come to those who wait upon the Lord. (Isa. 40:31).”
Please pray for Charles and Ada as he reports for Chaplains School in South Carolina in May 2009. Following Chaplains School, Charles and the family will move to Fort Riley, Kansas for his first assignment.
Chaplain 1/Lt Charles Pridgen, newly accessioned by the U.S. Army, with wife Ada