In early December the Military Christian Fellowship posted a Christmas message from its “patron,” General David Hurley:

Christmas is a time of great celebration for Christians everywhere as we celebrate the birth of our Lord….Regardless of where you are next year I encourage you to seek the friendship and fellowship with Christians through MCF or the other military Christian ministries; with old friends and with workmates…I value the work of the MCF and was privileged to attend the Defence Christians Dinner and the MCF Spiritual Boot camp Seminar with my wife Linda this year. Wherever you are serving this Christmas I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and God bless you and your family in 2013.

For those unaware, General Hurley is the highest uniformed member of the Australian military.  Due to differences in structure, there isn’t a direct American equivalent, though the closest would probably be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Interestingly, the religious environment in the Australian military is slightly different than the American military.  Though general policies are basically the same, it appears some occasions in the ADF are considered to be officially ecumenical “Christian” (PDF).

Can you imagine the conniption Michael Weinstein would have if General Marty Dempsey encouraged fellowship through OCF or other Christian military ministries?

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