Ranger-Chaplains: Training Hard to be a Spiritual Encouragement in Burma

In January of this year, alongside 175 other basic and advanced Rangers, FBR graduated four new Ranger chaplains through our Relief Team Chaplain (RTC) Training Program while also graduating an additional four RTCs who returned for second-year training. Ranger RTCs are trained in the functions of a chaplain to go along with their relief capabilities, equipping them to bring help, hope, and love to those they encounter while on mission. The purpose of the course is to graduate RTCs who will advance the gospel of Jesus Christ in frontline areas through the Ranger relief teams they serve alongside. We pray our trained chaplains go out with a vision to see Jesus free the oppressed in spirit, mind, and body.

2025 marked the second year of the RTC course. We thank God for the opportunity He provided to build into the Rangers who joined the course this year. In Burma, the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Only 8-10% of the country’s population professes faith in Jesus Christ. The Ranger chaplain students this year, who were moved by a desire to share the love of Christ, came from five different areas in Burma, ranging in age from 27 to 35 years old, with varying faith backgrounds. All came to grow closer in their relationship with Jesus and build up skills to help their people experience freedom in Christ. The diversity of this group is a reminder that God meets people at different starting points and in different places along their journey, yet all can find unity in Jesus.

Relief team chaplain praying during a Bible study at a village home.

The RTC course is intentionally held at the same time as the basic and advanced Ranger courses. This provides a continual space for RTCs to apply all that they are learning about sharing the gospel of Jesus, caring for people’s hearts, and preparing others to make disciples of Jesus Christ. 

Instructors and students typically spent afternoons focused on building RTC skills to apply during PT, work, meals, multi-day field training exercises, and other joint training spaces. It is important for both the RTCs and other students to see that being a chaplain does not set us apart. The Gospel is fully embodied in Jesus Christ; we are simply called to walk alongside and serve others. 

The largest part of the RTC course is focused on growing as a follower of Jesus: walking with Jesus, growing with Jesus, and loving like Jesus. The work of Gospel ministry must always flow out of a heart that is being modeled by a relationship with Jesus—worshiping Him as our King while experiencing and enjoying His love.

Morning and evenings were spent in Bible study, prayer, worship, testimony, and reflection. RTC skill formation without spiritual formation can quickly result in people driven by their own strength and sight. We desire to raise up servant leaders faithfully driven by Jesus’ love working through them.

Classes were comprised of lecture, discussion, and individual study.

The biggest point of growth in the course this year was our prioritization of an entire morning each week to simply get away to focus on Jesus. The RTCs found a spot in the jungle next to a river where we would meet to seek Jesus each week.

We would generally have a loose guide connected to our weekly spiritual formation theme. This helped to create a space to experience and enjoy Jesus. It is far too easy to get caught up in continually talking about how to walk with Jesus without each person having the opportunity to experience it for themselves! This rhythm also models what RTCs will later invite other Rangers and frontline workers into. 

Phoe Aung is an example of one Ranger who, last year, was invited to experience and enjoy Jesus for the first time. Last year, he was a Basic Ranger student who nominally followed Buddhism. He decided to follow Jesus and be baptized in January 2025. In October 2025, he returned to training and joined the RTC course, where he distinguished himself as the top of his class, receiving the 2025 RTC course "Faithful Service Award." Today, he is growing in faithfulness, service, and character. Phoe Aung's story reflects how God works and transforms us from within when we faithfully accept His invitation to follow Jesus.

Phoe Aung leading fellow Rangers in Sunday worship.

God’s transforming work in and through His followers is not new, but raising up chaplains across Burma is still relatively new. Franklin Graham encouraged Dave Eubank almost 20 years ago to begin recognizing chaplains at FBR to spiritually build up Rangers. Before this, each team had someone designated as the "pastor" but there was no special training for the role. Thus "chaplain” had no previous context in FBR and we are still working to define it. An equivalent term for “chaplain” does not exist in any of the languages FBR uses in Burma. Most of the time, words for “pastor” or “evangelist” are used in various languages. There are aspects of these roles that are consistent with what we desire for FBR RTCs, but they leave out a lot. We are continuously working through prayer, Scripture, best practices, and local insight to define what a “chaplain” should do in our context.

One dynamic is that RTCs move in and out of different roles as they serve their fellow Rangers, frontline workers, and local communities. They could be engaging with volunteers, soldiers, medical personnel, civic leaders, and local churches all in one day. 

Another dynamic is that we want to create opportunities for Rangers to be trained and serve as RTCs, as Jesus leads, even if they are relatively young in the faith and have never had access to Biblical schooling. We do not require ordination or prior theological degrees. Instead, we want to create a pathway to build up servants without prematurely placing them into positions of spiritual leadership.

RTCs are trained and equipped to serve those around them and coordinate gospel activities instead of being trained as Biblical overseers (see Acts 6:1-7, 1 Timothy 3:8-13).

FBR RTCs are taught to be :

• Evangelist

• Spiritual activity leader/coordinator

• Listener and biblical counselor

• Member of the Ranger relief team - Partnership with Rangers, frontline workers, and local leaders

FBR RTCs are not taught to be:

• Church planter (though they may be on their own)

• Pastor (though they may be on their own)

• Psychiatrist (though Jesus brings healing)

• Lone Ranger

This can differ from many Western chaplaincy models, where chaplains are most times synonymous with pastors. These models are valuable and created with purpose yet do not fully fit our context. 

RTC joins other Rangers in carrying a simulated casualty during medical training.

We train RTCs to focus their efforts on building into spheres of influence through partnerships with other local Jesus-followers. Working alongside other Rangers in the field, ministering among military, medical, and governmental workers, and bringing spiritual encouragement to displaced villagers are some of the ways RTCs serve their community. Within these spheres and relationships, RTCs are trained to complete the following responsibilities:

• Encourage others with the Gospel of Jesus to bring hope. 

• Give emotional, mental, and spiritual support to show Jesus’ love. 

• Coordinate gospel activities to bring unity. 

• Provide gospel resources to help people walk in freedom. 

• Teach Rangers and relief leaders to partner with others in gospel activities. 

• Report activities, training, and missions to Chaplain HQ. 

After training there are several criteria that must be met to be a FBR RTC:

1. Be a follower of Jesus demonstrated through:

   • Believing in heart and confessing with mouth that Jesus is Lord. 

   • Following Jesus through baptism. 

   • Observed growth in relationship with Jesus (not perfection). 

   • Commitment to RTC core gospel beliefs.

2. Graduate at least Basic Ranger Training. 

3. Graduate Relief Team Chaplain Training. 

4. Selection by a mission leader or area coordinator. 

All the RTCs and two of their instructors.

Please pray for the eight active FBR RTCs. Their continual growth in their relationship with Jesus and their work to see people set free by Jesus. Also pray for those who are considering joining us for training this year. If Jesus is calling them, may they answer. 

We are grateful to God for the opportunity to help shepherd and encourage the next generation of Chaplains ministering to communities within Burma. We thank God for sustaining and growing the RTC program. 

Thanks and God bless you, 

The Free Burma Rangers