Retired Army Chaplain Works to Get Military BibleSticks to Those in Need

Retired Army Chaplain Works to Get Military BibleSticks to Those in Need

By Jeremy Reynalds, Senior Correspondent, ASSIST News Service (jeremyreynalds@gmail.com )

ALBUQUERQUE, NM -- (ANS-April 2, 2016)- Matt Cassady, who retired from the Army because of the lingering effects of wounds suffered in Afghanistan, has been named Director of Chaplaincy Ministries for the Military BibleStick. The program is an outreach of the ministry Faith Comes By Hearing.

A news release from Faith Comes By Hearing made available to the ASSIST News Service said the devices are digital audio players that help active military cope with the stress of serving in a combat zone, and veterans cope with post-traumatic stress after they return home.

More than 625,000 Military BibleSticks have been provided to members of the military and veterans at no cost through their chaplains

“If we send you into harm's way as sons and daughters of America, we're going to make sure that you have all the tools to exercise the religious freedom that you're fighting for, for us,” Cassady said in the news release.

Faith Comes By Hearing, which records audio versions of the Bible in the languages of the world, filled requests from Veterans Affairs chaplains for more than 10,000 Military BibleSticks in March. The requests came at a time when reports say that 22 veterans commit suicide a day.

“No earthly thing comes close to the power and peace provided by the spoken Word of God,” Cassady said. “It is our hope that ALL can draw strength from spoken scripture.”

Cassady, who served two tours as a chaplain in Afghanistan, suffered wounds to his legs and hips from an explosion during a Taliban ambush in 2005. A Purple Heart recipient, he retired as a major in 2015.

“I could have asked to stay on, but I knew what my body could handle and didn't want to take the spot of an able-bodied chaplain,” he said.

The ministry said Cassady joined Faith Comes By Hearing in early 2016 to connect with other chaplains and let them know about the Military BibleStick. It easily fits into uniform pockets, and comes pre-loaded with a dramatized recording of the New Testament and specially selected Psalms.

Cassady used the Military BibleStick and gave them to soldiers in his unit when he was on active duty.

“I served with amazing soldiers who inspired me daily to be better than yesterday,” he said. “The Military BibleStick served as a light in the midst of the darkness that was combat.”

For more information, visit https://militarybiblestick.com/

Photo captions: 1) Matt Cassady. 2) Jeremy Reynalds.

About the writer: Jeremy Reynalds is Senior Correspondent for the ASSIST News Service, a freelance writer and also the founder and CEO of Joy Junction, New Mexico's largest emergency homeless shelter, www.joyjunction.org. He has a master's degree in communication from the University of New Mexico, and a Ph.D. in intercultural education from Biola University in Los Angeles. His newest book is "From Destitute to Ph.D." Additional details on "From Destitute to Ph.D." are available at www.myhomelessjourney.com. Reynalds lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife, Elma. For more information contact: Jeremy Reynalds at  jeremyreynalds@gmail.com . 

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