Faith In The Battlefield

"The antidote to fear is not courage," said Jeff Struecker. "It's faith."

Struecker, lead pastor at Calvary Baptist Church in Columbus, Ga., spent nearly 23 years in the Army -- 10 of those an as infantryman in the 75th Ranger Regimental Special Troops Battalion -- where his faith in Christ helped him through many life or death moments. He is one of two keynote speakers at the Iron Sharpens Iron Men's Equipping Conference on Sept. 6 at First Baptist Church in Rogers.

"I call it bulletproof faith. If you know where you are going to spend eternity, then no matter what it is here on earth, you should be able to not just endure, but get through it with the help of the Lord," he said.

Struecker will talk about his experiences in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 1993, which was made famous by the book and later the 2001 film "Black Hawk Down."

In the battle, a group of Army Rangers wove their way, under fire, through the most dangerous part of the Mogadishu as they made their way to rescue their fellow Rangers in a downed Black Hawk helicopter. The battle lasted about 17 hours and killed 18 Americans and wounded about 80, according to militarytimes.com.

Struecker was a 24-year-old sergeant and squad leader who led the three-vehicle convoy that returned, through intense fire, wounded Ranger Pvt. Todd Blackburn to base, according to reports Struecker confirmed.

"I loved being a soldier. I really believed that's what God wanted me to do -- to be an Airborne Ranger," he said. "Then I went to Somalia"

God used the events of the firefight, but especially the day after it was over, to show him his calling to the ministry, he said.

"My friends, fellow Rangers, were coming to me asking about heaven and hell," he said. "They knew I had a strong faith."

Afterward, Struecker trained to be a chaplain. He spent his last 10 years in the Army as a chaplain to the 75th Ranger Regimental Special Troops Battalion. He also has written several books including "Bulletproof Faith" and "The Road To Unafraid: How the Army's Top Ranger Faced Fear and Found Courage through Black Hawk Down and Beyond" (Thomas Nelson, 2009).

The local Iron Sharpens Iron conference is for men age 13 and older, and Struecker said his message about overcoming fear is relevant for any age and in any situation.

"Fear is fear. Fear is universal," he said. "Many guys is our society are not prepared to deal with it."

Jack Ward of Rugged Faith Ministries, host of the conference, said Struecker's message is important for men in Northwest Arkansas to hear. "Even though we are not in physical battles, we are in spiritual battles."

The conference -- which has come to Northwest Arkansas for the last five years -- is filled with information and seminars to teach men how to face challenges and to hear Bible-based messages geared toward men, Ward said.

Those attending can choose from 16 seminars to attend -- one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Topics include "Cave Time: God's Plan for Man's Escape From Life's Assaults," "Ten Minutes that Transform," "Sex, Money and Marriage: What More Would Men Want to Talk About" and "Family Devotions that Blow up the Box." Seminar speakers are men from churches in the area as well as around the country.

Ward said he encourages men to attend the conference in groups, so they can split to attend different seminars then report back to each other on what they learned.

Struecker is the keynote speaker in the morning, while Stu Weber is the keynote speaker in the afternoon. Weber also will hold an morning session, "Lead Like a Tender Warrior," just for pastors.

"Weber is well known among pastors," Ward said, "They like to have a seasoned, experienced pastor."

Weber is co-founder of Good Shepherd Community Church in Boring, Ore., and has served as lead pastor for 32 years. He also is a best-selling author. His books include, "Tender Warrior: Every Man's Purpose, Every Woman's Dream, Every Child's Hope" (Multnomah Books, new edition, 2006), "All the King's Men: Strength in Character Through Friendships" (Multnomah Books, 2006) and "Spirit Warriors: A Soldier Looks at Spiritual Warfare" (Multnomah Books, 2001).

Weber served as a Green Beret during Vietnam and maintains a ministry with the military at home and overseas, according to his website.

Ward said he expects about 550 men to attend the conference, which is about the same as last year. So far, about 40 church groups -- including 10 or more people -- from different denominations are registered, he said.

Registration is still open. Online registration will close three days before the event.