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Stafford County pastor draws on his experiences as an Army chaplain

February 11, 2007 12:50 am

By CATHY DYSON

The Rev. Jim Davidson wore camouflage to church a few weeks ago when Virginia National Guard members came through Fredericksburg before being deployed.

A church member asked him to remind others that the nation is still at war and that some of their neighbors are involved in the fight.

"Pastor Jim," as he's called, couldn't deny the request. He's worn his uniform to Bethel Baptist Church in White Oak several times.

Capt. Davidson was an Army chaplain in Iraq for almost a year. The chaplain trains with the 116th Brigade Special Troops Battalion in Fredericksburg.

Whether he wears desert cammies or coat and tie, Davidson talks about the ways the war changed him.

"It forced me to grow up and to focus on what's really important," he said.

Davidson has brilliant blue eyes and a Southern drawl.

He was a youth pastor in his hometown of Charlotte, N.C., before his National Guard unit went to Iraq.

There, Davidson counseled soldiers on a base northeast of Baghdad.

He helped them deal with homesickness and financial worries, as well as the constant threat of death.

Coming back and talking to teenage girls who thought the world ended when their boyfriends didn't call just wasn't the same after that.

Davidson, 33, decided to become a head pastor. He came to the Stafford County church almost a year ago and found it a perfect fit.

"This is such a strong, patriotic community up here," he said.

Davidson also matured in another way. For eight years, he and a girl named Jennifer were best friends. Jennifer always said the two would marry, and Davidson responded, "You're crazy."

He came close to saying "I do" to another woman in 2000, then backed out eight weeks before the ceremony.

"Told you," Jennifer said.

It took 11 months in the desert for Davidson to see Jennifer as more than a friend.

The two started dating in February 2005, soon after he got back. They were married by June.

"It's kind of weird," he said. "The Lord had to send me to Iraq to open my eyes."

As an Army chaplain, Davidson learned other lessons that he uses regularly.

He speaks often about God's presence in a person's life and how something that seems horrible can have a good ending.

For instance, there were 750 people in his unit. At least 25 times, Davidson sat down to debrief soldiers after some type of dangerous duty, but there wasn't a single loss.

"It was amazing," he said. "We had lots of roadside bombings and IEDs [improvised explosive devices] going off, and nothing. Our guys would walk away without a scratch."

He can't explain why his unit was so lucky. "I don't know the answer," he said. "I'm just glad God took care of us."

Davidson now strives to take care of others in similar situations.

Two members of his congregation will head to Iraq in coming months. Davidson will make sure their families get the help they need in their absence.

The church prayed together before Eddie Burton deployed, and "it made me feel a lot better," said his wife, Kim.

She is friends with Jennifer Davidson and said she just has to say a few words to the pastor or his wife, and both know how she feels.

"The biggest thing is knowing somebody's there that you can talk to, and they know what you're going through," Burton said.

Roland Sullivan, another church member, said Davidson's wartime experience is "definitely a plus."

Sullivan served in World War II and Korea, and he likes Davidson's allegiance to the troops.

He also likes his approach to life, which may be another byproduct of time in a war zone.

"He's very well-educated, I'd say, in knowledge, and he's also got a lot of common sense," Sullivan said. "He's not scared to tackle a problem, if it should arise."