The Chaplains Workshop track of the fifth annual Leadership Institute will feature biblical leadership and decision making insights from retired U.S. Air Force Col. Michael Moyles, and the impact of misplaced identity on the family from U.S. Army Chaplain Darren Turner and his wife, Heather. The Turners’ story was portrayed in the acclaimed 2018 movie “Indivisible.”
Michael Moyles
A five-time brain cancer survivor, Moyles also will offer perspectives on perseverance and pursuing God through his experience with 10 brain surgeries, 42 rounds of radiation, and 29 rounds of chemotherapy.
The Workshop will be held on Tuesday, June 18, at Cherry Creek Presbyterian Church in Englewood, Colo.
“In many ways, Chaplains are the ‘unsung heroes’ of ministry,” said Mark Ingles, EPC’s Chaplain Endorser and himself a retired Air Force Chaplain. “In many cases they serve alone in a secular setting, and of course when military Chaplains are deployed to conflict zones they face daily life-and-death situations that most pastors can only imagine.”
Ingles added the purpose of the annual Chaplains Workshop is to provide practical ministry helps as well as an opportunity for connection, networking, and camaraderie among peers—noting that the EPC currently has more than 60 Chaplains serving in both military and civilian roles.
“While we design the event for our Chaplains,” Ingles said, “the speakers and topics are very relevant for all ministers and we hope that many pastors and other General Assembly attendees will join us.”
The film “Indivisible,” starring Sarah Drew and Justin Bruening, is based on Darren and Heather Turner’s experiences before, during, and after his deployment to Iraq in 2006. Fresh from seminary and basic training, newly commissioned Army Chaplain Turner and his family arrive at Fort Stewart, Ga. Before they can even unpack, Darren is deployed. Heather is left taking care of their three young children alone, as well as serving the families of the other deployed soldiers.
An extended deployment and deeply etched battle scars result in a long-awaited homecoming that is much different than anticipated. Carrying burdens the other can’t comprehend, the Turners must decide if they’re willing to face one more battle: the fight to save their marriage.
Darren and Heather Turner
Following a showing of the movie, the Turners will share about their marriage and family journey as depicted in the film.
What the movie doesn’t show—but that the Turners said was at the heart of their near-divorce— was the issue of identity. Darren was not prepared for the temptations of Army life as an active duty Chaplain, including a rugged mission, awards and badges, courageous annual reports, and ministry on the front lines of combat. At the same time, Heather needed Darren to engage at home, but he went where the praise was—the Army. As she grew more frustrated, he ran more toward his job. By God’s grace alone, both of their hearts were broken and healing could finally begin.
In the workshop’s afternoon session, the Turners will discuss their journey of recovering, believing, and realizing who Christ says they were, are, and will be.
In Moyles’ sessions on Tuesday morning, he will emphasize the need for a biblical worldview and well-established life priorities as the basis for biblical leadership and decision making.
Moyles is a nationally requested Christian speaker, teacher, and writer/blogger. Prior to his retirement in 2017 after 25 years of active duty, he served as Chief of Information Technology for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) at Peterson AFB and Cheyenne Mountain, Colo.
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