by Geoff Robson
One hundred sit-ups. Sixty push-ups. Running two-and-a-half kilometres in ten minutes, and at least six chin-ups. Not exactly the normal requirements for a pastor and Bible teacher. And we haven’t even mentioned jumping out of a plane at 10,000 feet!
Meet the Rev Tim Booker, the latest recruit into the ranks of chaplains to the Australian Defence Force, and a man who will soon be doing all of the above on a regular basis.
This list of physical tasks may sound beyond the wildest dreams of most people, but for Tim, who is currently assistant minister at St Luke’s, Liverpool, they will simply be part of the job description. From mid-January he will become full-time chaplain to our elite 3RAR paratrooper regiment, and will be required to meet the same standards of fitness as the men to whom he will be ministering. “At the moment I can do the run, about 40 push-ups and about 50 sit-ups. So I have some work to do over Christmas – I’ll be staying off the cakes and the chocolates,” Tim laughs.
Far from remaining on the fringes and only occasionally spending time with their ‘flock’, Defence Force chaplains become an integral part of their unit. Before taking up the post, Tim will even have to complete the two-week jump-training course alongside other would-be paratroopers.
But he wouldn’t have it any other way as he seeks to take the message of Jesus to the hundreds of men in the 3RAR. “Defence personnel are very much set apart in their own world,” Tim says. “Life is very different for them, and they generally don’t mix well. They move into their new area and hang around with their regiment mates. They don’t bother with the local community because they will be gone in a couple of years. You can see why becoming a chaplain is the best way to crack those relationships.”
Raised in a Christian home, Tim grew in his relationship with God through the ministry of St George’s, Engadine, where his parents and brother are still regular members. A number of student ministers at St George’s challenged Tim to be involved in ministry and to grow in his Christian life. Soon after being married, and with encouragement from people at Engadine, he and his wife Anna decided to head into full-time Christian ministry.
While studying at Moore College, Tim began to contemplate Defence Force chaplaincy. “Brian King was Bishop for the Defence Forces [at the time]. I had a couple of chats with him, and I had been a member of one commando company for a couple of years. I saw the need for chaplains.”
Knowing that army chaplaincy required three years of parish experience, in 2001 Tim accepted a position as assistant minister at Liverpool. He says he didn’t give army chaplaincy another thought until this year, when someone told him that a position was available at Holsworthy Army Barracks, and asked if he was still interested. “Immediately I thought this was one job offer I had to check out,” he says.
After speaking to Bishop Tom Frame, current Bishop to the Defence Force, he decided to take the job. Tim says Bishop Frame has been very supportive of him taking on the role. “He said, ‘I want you to go in there and disciple and evangelise’. It’s good to have that from the top.”
Tim and his family plan to continue attending St Luke’s. With Holsworthy just a few minutes away from the church building, there are already some ‘army families’ attending the church and one of Tim’s aims is to fill the church with soldiers. “If we can get St Luke’s to be seen as the ‘barracks church’, that will make it easier for people to come along, if there are other mates of theirs going.”
The 3RAR is one of the key recruitment fields for members of Australia’s SAS. Paratroopers are one of the first on the ground when Australians are called into action around the world. “They can be anywhere in the world in a very short time,” Tim says.
During his stint as chaplain, he is almost certain to travel overseas with the 3RAR. While he is saddened at the prospect of leaving his wife and three young sons for months on end, time away from home will be a key part of his ministry. “When people are trying to kill you, it’s a good time to think about life and death, and life after death.”
But despite his unique mission field, Tim says the basic aims of his ministry will be the same as they have been at Liverpool. “It will be a big change to parish life, but at the same time you are still teaching the Bible and still telling people to repent and believe.”
St Luke’s has long been considering how to be involved at the nearby army base. Through contacts at the church, a number of evangelistic courses have been run, resulting in a number of young men turning to Christ.
Tim hopes it is just the beginning. “I’m convinced there will be fruit. God’s word doesn’t return to him empty. It’s a powerful thing. You send it out and it does its work.”
