As Samford University continues to honor the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, we continue a series highlighting alumni of Beeson Divinity School who serve their country in the field of military chaplaincy.
Brig. Gen. Ben Sprouse
U.S. Army Joint Chaplain, National Guard Bureau
In the early 1990s, when he was attending Mary Baldwin University, Sprouse, MDiv ’98, watched on television as events unfolded in the Battle of Mogadishu, commonly known as the Black Hawk Down Incident.
Sprouse felt heartbroken not only for the service members dragged through the streets, but for the mothers of those service members. He said a prayer for those mothers and went about his day, not knowing what to do afterwards.
Three days later, he heard a news anchor interviewing one of those same mothers. She said the work of a chaplain had helped her the most in dealing with the trauma of the incident.
“In that moment, I knew where I was headed: Army chaplaincy,” Sprouse said.
A family friend recommended Beeson Divinity School to Sprouse based upon the presence of faculty members Frank Thielman and Lewis Drummond.
“I came to Beeson looking to be equipped for active ministry and that’s what I received there, both for pastoral work and chaplaincy for more than 30 years,” Sprouse said.
Sprouse learned he needed full-time church ministry experience to qualify as an Army chaplain and began serving Memorial Baptist Church in his home state of Virginia. He fell in love with being a pastor full time while serving as a part-time chaplain, a schedule he held for nearly two decades.
After three long deployments to combat zones, during which staff stepped up to handle the church’s ministry, Sprouse said it became clear he needed to move to a full-time role in chaplaincy, becoming active duty for operational support. He did that for about 10 years, serving in Special Operations and then with Conventional Forces in Europe.
In April, he was appointed the senior joint chaplain of the National Guard, which includes the U.S. Army and U.S. Air Force National Guards. That new title carries with it a promotion to brigadier general, serving all states, territories and the District of Columbia. The role is based in Arlington, Virginia.
Sprouse works through policy and decision making to ensure the chaplains throughout the U.S. have what they need to accomplish their ministry mission.
“Some of that simply ensures they have the legal permission to perform religious services, but also the materials and resources that allow them to carry these things out,” Sprouse said. “I have never wanted to chase after a desk job, yet this is the job in which I can ensure our chaplains have the resources they need to accomplish what I’ve been blessed to do for decades now, which is bring God to soldiers and soldiers to God.”