Dear Christian leader: Why are you really doing that?

Matters of Conscience, Part 2:

In Part 2 of this two-part series, CH(CPT) Chris Erickson and West Point professor LTC Lee Robinson join host Josh Jackson to continue their candid conversation on matters of conscience for Christian military leaders. 

Building on the flight line moment that closed part one (where Robinson made a split-second decision to pray after losing two soldiers) this episode gives Christian officers a practical three-step framework for navigating the gray areas where faith and military service intersect—know your boundaries, check your motives, discern your impact. Erickson also unpacks what he calls the "theology of your approach"—the conviction that a leader's beliefs need to be settled before the moment of decision arrives, not during it. 

This episode is essential listening for any Christian officer wrestling with how to faithfully and effectively lead in a pluralistic military environment.

ICYMI: Listen to Part 1 of this conversation here or on your favorite podcast app. 

 

Questions answered and themes covered in this interview include:
 

How should a Christian military officer decide when it's appropriate to express faith in a professional setting?

Start with three questions: What's allowed? Why am I doing this? And how might this affect others? The legal boundaries matter, but they rarely answer the harder question, which is "it's permissible, but should I?" That's where motive becomes the real test. Robinson frames it this way: is this coming from pride, or from love? Authentic faith expression tends to emerge naturally from who you are — it doesn't need to be forced into a conversation or staged for visibility. As Erickson puts it, if your faith isn't surfacing organically in the moments that call for it, that's worth examining before asking whether the setting is the problem.

 

How do I figure out what God wants me to do when my faith and my military role conflict?

The answer starts before the conflict arrives. Erickson calls this working out the “theology of your approach” — going back to what you actually believe Scripture says and what you believe God is directing, so you're not improvising under pressure. He points to Romans 14 as an example: each person stands individually before God, which reframes a leader's sense of responsibility for those they lead. Having that settled conviction means you're not making it up in the moment, whether the situation is a change-of-command ceremony, a conversation about a soldier's marriage, or a policy decision that touches personal conscience.

 

As a Christian officer in a position of authority, how do I know if sharing my faith is genuinely motivated by love rather than self-promotion?

Examine whether what you're sharing would actually benefit the other person today, not in the abstract, and not primarily because it validates your own beliefs. Erickson uses the woman at the well in John 4 as a reference point: her testimony was compelling because it was personal and transformational, not because she had a persuasion strategy. He challenges leaders to ask: am I trying to get this person to agree with me, or am I genuinely sharing something I believe will help them? If you're having to force it into the conversation—meaning, if the Bible needs to be on the desk so people notice it—that's a signal worth sitting with. Effective faith witness, in his framing, is desirable rather than imposed.

 

Can a Christian officer lead prayer at a change of command or official military event?

Yes, but context should shape the approach significantly. Erickson draws a clear distinction between an invocation at a change-of-command ceremony (where attendance is mandatory and the audience holds diverse beliefs) and a Sunday chapel service where participation is voluntary. At the official function, he deliberately avoids language that would require non-Christians to engage his personal faith. At the chapel service, he's free to pray as a Christian pastor. He argues this isn't compromise; rather, it's stewardship of the chaplain's access and effectiveness. A chaplain who prays identically in both settings may win a moment of expression while losing the long-term trust that allows ministry across belief backgrounds. Robinson extends this further: as a battalion commander, he avoided leading prayer specifically because he didn't want subordinate leaders to interpret that as an authorization for them to do the same.

 
OCF Crosspoint is produced by Officers' Christian Fellowship and is a podcast for Christian military officers at every stage of service. Learn more about OCF at www.ocfusa.org/learnmore.