Veteran Friendly Congregation (VMF) was conceived to promote a sense of community, acceptance, and support for Veterans and their families in East Tennessee. Launched by Faith-Based Communities, it has become an integral part of the Faith-Based Initiative. Our Faith-Based Community Committee’s (FBCC) mission is to mobilize an army of Veterans through diverse congregational groups who will support and assist those attending Veterans with special needs relative to their service. In 2016, Vet to Vet Tennessee and the Military Chaplains Association of the U.S. A. (MCA) established a partnership and created the MCA's Veterans/Military Friendly Congregations (VMFC).
A key aspect of our VMFC program is building a support structure for military members, veterans, and their families in every community. Congregations and congregation-based programs are essential to getting this accomplished. Building Military Ministries in each Congregation is our goal.
A VMFC looks forward to working closely with administrators, community leaders, and congregational representatives to provide this much-needed resource. We are grateful for your commitment to our Veterans and their family as they work through the difficulties caused by military service and its aftermath. We appreciate your interest and the investment of your time spent learning how your congregation can better serve veterans and their families.
We remind you that in order for us to recognize your place of worship as a “Veteran/Military Friendly Congregation or Ministry” you need only to follow through with these steps:
1. Complete VMFC enrollment form.
2. Discover who in your community has served in the military.
3. Designate a member of that group to be a Point of Contact.
4. Discuss with your congregation the needs of your particular veterans.
5. Design your ministry to meet the specific needs of your veterans and their families.
Your commitment toward becoming a VMFC congregation/ministry/organization begins with raising awareness among the members that you now have this program in place. We urge you to publish this ministry in your bulletins, newsletters, blogs, and websites. Your veterans and their families need to know whom they can turn to for assistance.
We stand ready to help. We are volunteers who want to encourage you to help us bring an end to the suffering of our fellow veterans. Thank you again for what you will do to serve those who have served! Please email at sgmstott@yahoo.com or visit MCA's VMFC website.